Reassuring touch kept the peace six million years before humans evolved – new research
Physical touch may be an important evolutionary tool to help manage social tension and keep the peace. Left: Jake Brooker/Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust; Right: Zanna Clay/Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary, CC BY-NC-ND During an eight-month-long research trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, we studied consolation: the way bonobos and chimpanzees comfort each […]
Chancellor John Healey faces serious challenges in funding Burnham’s grand aspirations
The UK’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, laid out a radical agenda in his short speech upon taking office. He called for a long-term strategy to reverse 40 years of Thatcherism, and the privatisation and centralisation that resulted. Wisely, he put a ten-year horizon on these objectives and it is now up to his new […]
Perimenopause and heart health: when chest symptoms need urgent attention
Prostock-studio/Shutterstock A racing heart can be frightening at any age. Palpitations are common during perimenopause and may occur alongside hot flushes, anxiety and disturbed sleep. In many cases, they do not indicate a serious heart problem, but they should not automatically be attributed to hormonal changes. Palpitations can occur for many reasons, including stress, anaemia, […]
Manchester’s digital transformation could be a blueprint for other parts of the UK
Pandora Pictures/Shutterstock Of the policy areas where Andy Burnham might claim a mayoral record worth nationalising, the digital and technology economy is among the strongest. It is also one that has drawn surprisingly little scrutiny. Over the past decade, Greater Manchester has become the fastest-growing digital economy in Europe, home to a tech ecosystem valued […]
Before Beckham and Ronaldo, there was Kevin Keegan – the footballer who invented the personal brand
Anyone old enough to remember Kevin Keegan in his heyday as a player will also have etched on the memory his 1980 television advert for the aftershave and deodorant brand Brut. Featuring Keegan working out in the gym and bantering in the locker room alongside boxing legend Henry Cooper, it was an early example of […]
Soon, there will be so much electricity you might be paid to use it
Simon Collins / shutterstock Imagine a perfect summer weekend day: a cloudless blue sky with a gentle breeze. Solar panels are at full capacity, wind turbines are turning offshore – and many people are out and about, in gardens or parks. Electricity supply is high, but demand is low. Electricity systems must balance supply and […]
‘I can’t work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore’: why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobs
Zdenka Sokolickova “You’d see massive glacier calvings, and you’d just want to cry. But all the guests would be cheering. And you’d be like … ‘can you not put two and two together?’” Those are the words of a former Antarctic tour guide we interviewed. For anyone interested in nature, few jobs sound more enviable. […]
Does dark energy really exist? Our work identifies cracks in the foundations of today’s cosmological model
According to our best understanding, the universe is expanding – and is doing so at an accelerating rate. This is believed to be caused by something called the “cosmological constant”, which was first proposed by Albert Einstein in his theory of general relativity. In recent decades, it has become better known as dark energy, which […]
Supreme Court ruling hands Trump sweeping new powers and limits Congressional oversight
Donald Trump recently took to his Truth Social platform to celebrate a Supreme Court judgment. In response to the court’s decision in Trump v Slaughter on June 29, he posted: “90 years of precedent has been COMPLETELY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY OVERRULED, greatly increasing Presidential Power at a time when it is most needed!” The US president […]
Why an all-female Glengarry Glen Ross changes less about the play than you might expect
A recent all-female production of Glengarry Glen Ross at London’s Old Vic gave audiences the chance to revisit one of the defining plays of modern American theatre. It also raised the question of whether a work so deeply associated with male aggression and competition looks different when performed by women. Written by David Mamet and […]