Why politicians can’t fix potholes permanently
David Michael Bellis/Shutterstock Potholes are a safety risk, source of vehicle damage and recurring annoyance in the UK. They gain special visibility at times of local elections, given that the vast majority of roads are maintained by local authorities. A survey conducted in April found that road condition was the top local issue for voters […]
The ocean is fighting climate change and we’re trying to help it – here’s how
Diliana Nikolova / shutterstock We replaced the stove with plywood, turning the kitchen of the dive boat into an impromptu research lab. Plugging in wires and connecting tubing, we assembled a scientific instrument within the cramped cabin. Then we cast off into Halifax Harbour, Canada, surveying the turquoise waters for signs of an unusual test: […]
English local elections 2026: a story of a new kind of politics
Every election is a storytelling contest, with campaigning parties competing to frame the plot. This year’s local elections, the largest test of voters’ mood since the 2024 general election, have been dominated by two master-narratives. The first is about the demise of the old two-party system under which Labour and Conservatives have been the battling […]
Iran war has shown the limits of US power
Donald Trump in the Mar a Lago situation room overseeing the launch of Operation Epic Fury on February 28. White House gallery In his 1873 book On War, the great Prussian military strategist Carl von Clausewitz wrote that: “War is the realm of uncertainty.” He would have been at home in Washington this week where […]
How Pakistan became the primary mediator between the US and Iran
Pakistan has emerged as a central diplomatic broker in the conflict between the US and Iran. When announcing a pause to the US operation to guide stranded vessels through the Strait of Hormuz on May 6, Donald Trump said he had made the decision “based on the request of Pakistan”. The Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz […]
The AI scientist: now academic papers can be fully automated, what does this mean for the future of research?
whiteMocca/Shutterstock Until recently, AI’s role in research felt like having a useful assistant. It could summarise a paper, clean up a dataset or draft an abstract. Researchers were still in charge of the thinking. That changed in late 2025 when cutting-edge “frontier” AI models became capable of reasoning and planning reliably by themselves. A key […]
Iran war has become a lesson in how power really works
For months, the Iran war was framed through the language of military success. This was shaped in part by longstanding orientalist assumptions reflected in the rhetoric of leaders such as Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu about the relative weakness and fragility of states such as Iran. Encouraged by Israeli intelligence capabilities, precision strikes and overwhelming […]
Trump administration claiming a ‘win’ against Iran – here’s a report card
Two months into the war in Iran, the reasons the US gave for launching this conflict – and Washington’s minimum criteria for claiming success – now appear unintelligible. So much so that US officials are now arguing the war had actually ended in America’s favour almost a month ago, when the ceasefire came into effect. […]
Legends: new undercover drama explores tense clash between state loyalty and criminal credibility
Netflix’s latest drama Legends offers a compelling window into the criminology of undercover policing, covert surveillance and organised crime. Inspired by a real UK customs investigation, the six-part drama follows ordinary British customs officers sent deep undercover to infiltrate drug trafficking gangs. Written by Neil Forsyth (also creator of Brink’s-Mat robbery drama The Gold), Legends […]
Why supplements aren’t a shortcut to healthy ageing
Ljupco Smokovski/Shutterstock The use of dietary supplements has increased sharply in recent years. Vitamins, minerals and other nutritional products are often marketed as simple ways to boost energy, support immunity, protect brain health or even promote longevity. For many people, taking supplements can feel like a sensible, proactive health habit. But this perception can be […]