The other Brontë sister: why do we always forget about Anne?
A recent trip to Haworth, in West Yorkshire, got me thinking about Anne Brontë, who died 177 years ago this month. Stepping into St Michael and All Angels’ Church, a carved stone pillar prominently declares the location of the Brontë family vault. All members of the Brontë family – parents Patrick and Maria, sisters Elizabeth […]
US declares war in Iran ‘over’ to avoid row with Congress over whether it was legal
Operation Epic Fury is over. Or at least, that’s what the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, announced on May 5, describing any further US action in the Gulf as purely “defensive”. Rubio’s insistence that the conflict the US and Israel launched on February 28 achieved its objectives is open for debate. But this change […]
Why banning pro-Palestine marches is a risky response to antisemitic violence
Pete Speller/Shutterstock Following recent antisemitic violence and aggression, calls from some quarters for a temporary ban on pro-Palestine marches have gained traction. Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch has firmly supported a ban, while Keir Starmer, the prime minister, has suggested that some protests may need to be stopped. The government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation […]
Additional learning needs present a key challenge for the incoming Senedd
Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock The upcoming Senedd elections may shift the balance of power in Wales. Any new government must immediately grapple with the significant ongoing challenges of embedding educational reforms across the additional learning needs system. Recent policy proposals to change the system of support for children with special educational needs in England have brought a heightened […]
Why we need to treat Earth like a spaceship
ixpert/Shutterstock Four humans recently looped around the Moon. Their vessel, an Artemis capsule, was a thin metal shell whose life-support system kept them alive: it provided a carefully balanced atmosphere, a closed water loop, a finite supply of food and a means for disposing human waste. The life support was not optional. It was a […]
As David Attenborough turns 100, four experts explore his legacy, from science to storytelling
Sir David Attenborough has mastered the craft of storytelling. He has undoubtedly inspired generations of people around the globe to love and care for the natural world. And in doing so, he’s become one of the most recognisable – and most trusted – faces on our screens. Now, he’s celebrating his 100th birthday and a […]
Vitamin C and cancer: was Nobel laureate Linus Pauling on to something?
Piece of Cake/Shutterstock.com Linus Pauling was one of the most brilliant scientists of the 20th century. He won two Nobel prizes and transformed our understanding of chemical bonds and the structure of proteins. Late in his career, though, he became famous for something very different: a passionate belief that very high doses of vitamin C […]
Even in Japan, robots are a long way from being fully-fledged carers – here’s why
The robot pauses at the edge of the room as an engineer checks its sensors. Then, with a soft mechanical hum, this humanoid machine begins to move. It lifts a mannequin from a bed, slowly and carefully. The engineers hold their breath. I am in a robotics lab in Tokyo, Japan, as part of my […]
How to build cities for wildlife, not just people – new research
The Avon River in Christchurch, New Zealand runs through the city’s botanic gardens Adele Heidenreich/Shutterstock In central Seoul, South Korea, a motorway once covered a buried urban stream. Today, that same stretch has been uncovered – a process known as daylighting – and this river is home to plants, fish and insects. This flowing water […]
The Epstein Files: the AI podcast that sounds like journalism but isn’t
Podcasting has become one of our most intimate cultural forms. We often listen alone, through headphones, to voices that guide us through complex or deeply personal stories. Over time, we come to trust these voices not just for the information they convey, but for the sense that someone has listened, selected and shaped what we […]