Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead: a fitting end to the Harlem trilogy that is sure to make it a classic of New York fiction
This article contains spoilers for the first two books in the Harlem Trilogy Cool Machine is the last book in Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Trilogy. Across three decades, the series has followed the furniture dealer and family man Ray Carney as he navigates the changing cultural and political landscapes of New York City. We meet Carney […]
‘7.6 billion mugs of tea a second’: a new way to make sense of the heat pouring into our oceans
Kashish Grover / unsplash, CC BY-SA Imagine almost every person on Earth doing nothing but making cups of tea, day and night, one every second – and pouring every single one into the sea. It sounds absurd. Yet it helps us picture one of the biggest changes happening to our planet. Although we experience global […]
Meningitis B vaccine rollout begins for students – what you need to know
Thousands of students heading to university or residential college this autumn will be eligible for a free meningococcal group B (MenB) vaccine, following an outbreak in Kent earlier this year that was linked to two deaths. From July 20, participating pharmacies across England will offer MenB vaccinations to eligible students. Here’s what you need to […]
From smartphones to clinics: What Indonesia can learn from Thailand’s disease tracking
The COVID‑19 pandemic accelerated investment in health infrastructure across Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Thailand. Indonesia built over 600 COVID-19 testing labs between 2020 and 2021, expanded telehealth services, and introduced digital platforms to monitor diseases. However, these improvements were concentrated in urban areas, while many remote regions remains underdeveloped. Thailand took a different approach. […]
How much microplastic are we actually breathing in? Here’s what we do and still don’t know
You’ve already inhaled thousands of microscopic particles today. Some will be dust, pollen or soot, and some are plastic. Microplastics – tiny fragments shed from clothes, tyres or packaging – have been found pretty much everywhere. They’re in oceans, soils, wildlife, remote mountaintops and deep-sea trenches and the atmosphere is no exception. But how much […]
How apocalyptic worldviews are moving from the fringes to the corridors of power
It recently emerged that tech billionaire Peter Thiel is running a secret society that brings together fellow CEOs and billionaires with political leaders. Members reportedly include figures like Nato supreme commander Alexus Grynkewich and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner. Thiel, a German-American entrepreneur and activist, was a co-founder of PayPal and software […]
One in four adults has metabolic syndrome – and it may be ageing their brains
Metabolic syndrome is linked to higher risk of many health problems – including those that affect the brain. Belight/ Shutterstock An estimated one in four adults worldwide has metabolic syndrome. While metabolic syndrome is most often thought of as a warning sign that diabetes or cardiovascular disease may be on the horizon, my team’s new […]
Plaid Cymru’s independence dilemma – from protest to power
Plaid Cymur’s Rhun ap Iorwerth answers questions in the Senedd for the first time as First Minister. Senedd Cymru, CC BY Plaid Cymru’s victory in the Senedd (Welsh parliament) election on May 7 was historic. For the first time since devolution began in 1999, the party emerged as the largest group, winning 35.4% of the […]
Composting and water cremation: how the eco credentials of alternatives to burial add up
There’s a growing interest in alternatives to traditional burials as well as making the process more environmentally friendly in many countries. For many people it’s about the environmental impact of the funeral industry globally. In the US, for instance, a surface equal to the size of Hawaii (1.6 million hectares) is deforested each year for […]
Heat deaths are a public health crisis rooted in housing inequality
Marharyta44/Shutterstock.com The heatwaves of late May and June killed an estimated 2,700 people in England and Wales, according to a recent analysis – around 550 in May, when west London hit 35.1°C, and 2,200 in June, as East Anglia reached 37°C. Both events broke records that had stood since 1944 and 1976, and researchers estimate […]