Could robots help tackle loneliness? BBC’s Ann Droid raises questions about the future of care
New BBC sitcom Ann Droid imagines a near future in which robots provide care and companionship to older people at home. The series centres on Sue, a recent widow played by Sue Johnston, her hapless son Michael and Linda, an assistive care robot played by Diane Morgan. Linda is designed to provide daily support and […]
Wildfires and a summer of extreme heat mean Andy Burnham can’t stay quiet on climate any longer
New prime minister Andy Burnham’s to-do list just keeps growing. In many regards, he has wasted no time in setting out a vision for the government that puts clear distance between himself and his predecessor Keir Starmer. But despite this, amid a summer of record-breaking heat and devastating wildfires, he is still to say anything […]
Ulez linked with better lung growth in children, research finds
When London introduced the ultra low emission zone (Ulez) in 2019, the idea was straightforward: cut the dirtiest vehicle emissions and improve the air people breathe. But the big question at the time was whether this measure would actually translate into measurable health benefits. Our new study, published in The Lancet Public Health, suggests that […]
Were Denisovans tall compared to other ancient humans? We should be sceptical
Take a walk in London’s Trafalgar Square this summer and wilting under the heat will be all sorts of body sizes, some tall, some short: a real mix of sizes. Picking just two from the crowd to represent the whole human species would be a tall order. But that is exactly what we do when […]
Extreme drought is changing Britain’s wildlife – and some effects won’t be seen until next year
While wildfires dominated the headlines this summer, the effects of extreme heat and drought are also visible on a much smaller scale: parched lawns, wilting and browning trees and dry ditches and bogs. These changes may look temporary, but for wildlife they can have consequences that last long after the rain returns. In some parts […]
Stop! That! Train! is the best kind of silly film
Stop! That! Train! is a very silly film – in the best possible way. It’s a disaster-action movie parody in the vein of The Naked Gun (1988), Hot Shots! (1991) and Airplane! (1980). In fact, Stop! That! Train!’s relationship to the latter is a little bit like a drag queen lip synching to their favourite […]
How Ukraine’s strikes on Russian warehouses became a problem in Kyrgyzstan
Ukraine’s campaign to target Russia’s e-commerce giant Wildberries has had impacts far beyond the Russian federation. For Russia, Wildberries is comparable to Amazon, accounting for about 50% of the country’s online retail market. But its market place is used by manufacturers as far afield as Central Asia. Founded in 2004 as an online clothing retailer, […]
UK-Ukraine drone partnership risks Putin’s wrath but will boost long-term security
When the UK allowed Ukraine to use British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles against targets inside Russia in late 2024, Moscow predictably accused London of escalating the war and threatened retaliation. Russia’s latest warnings over Kyiv’s use of British-made drones that “the deeper its involvement in the conflict… the higher the price it will pay” may […]
There’s a better way to cool data centres that cuts their huge thirst for water
Water is an amazing substance. The human body is made up of more than 50% water. Approximately 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water. We drink it, bathe in it, cook with it, clean with it. It is also used to cool data centres, which is an increasing draw on what is a […]
What if our cities were designed for wildlife as well as people?
shutterstock Paul Sawer/Shutterstock On a warm evening in May, swifts scream over rooftops, chasing insects above the traffic. A fox slips along a garden wall while gulls squabble on a supermarket roof. We tend to treat these animals as visitors. But they’re residents too, living alongside us in places designed for people. My recent research […]