Iran’s attacks on Israel were an attempt to shape the region on its own terms
Iran fired barrages of missiles at Israel for the first time in two months on June 7. The initial trigger was an Israeli strike against a Hezbollah target in the Lebanese capital of Beirut earlier that day, an attack that Donald Trump had only recently asked the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to avoid carrying […]
Great mysteries of archaeology: an ancient Amazonian world revealed from the sky
From the air, you see it only through the constant jolt, tilt and shudder of the low-flying Cessna aircraft. The landscape of the Llanos de Moxos, northern Bolivia, appears as a disconnected patchwork of open grassland savannahs, forest islands and lakes. It feels random, almost unreadable. Only gradually does the pattern resolve itself: raised causeways […]
Alien first contact: how the new rules differ from science fiction
The moment of first contact with extraterrestrials is a staple of science fiction. It usually involves a frantic scientist having a Eureka moment, realising in a single dramatic instant that Earth is being visited by creatures from light-years away. Aliens are in the public consciousness once again thanks to Steven Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day, […]
AI could revolutionise concussion care in sport – but risks remain
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping medicine, from diagnosing disease to accelerating drug discovery. Its influence is also reaching the world of sport. In a recent editorial, we looked at how AI could transform how researchers, doctors and sporting organisations detect, monitor and manage concussion, which is one of the most challenging health issues facing […]
Craft hobbies can give you a voice – just as they did for the women of the Arts and Crafts movement
(L-R) Rhoda Garrett around 1865, Agnes Garrett painted by Annie Swynnerton in 1885 and Mary Eliza Haweis. Background: Trellis by William Morris and Phillip Webb (1862). The Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Gallery/Wiki Commons/V&A/Canva, CC BY-NC, CC BY When I was 21, I was encouraged to write my university dissertation on a house that I had known […]
Hay fever, antihistamines and the evidence on dementia risk
Billion Photos/Shutterstock For millions of people around the world, pollen season means weeks of sneezing, itchy eyes and a blocked or runny nose. The timing varies depending on where you live and which plants are in flower, but grass pollen is one of the most common triggers. Hay fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, […]
Three historic craft hobbies at risk of disappearing – and how to give them a go
If I say the word “hobby”, you’ll likely think of something you like to do in your spare time – gardening, walking, reading, knitting, model kits. Maybe it’s pottery classes, DIY projects or learning something new on YouTube. But what you may not know is many hobbies were originally forms of work that evolved into […]
The extraordinary physiological challenges facing amputee John McFall in space
The UK Space Agency has announced an agreement with Vast – a US commercial space company – that could send British astronaut John McFall into orbit as early as 2027. If the mission goes ahead, he would become the first person with a physical disability to live and work in space. McFall, who lost his […]
Victorians called burnout ‘overwork’ – and they cured it by holidaying in France
The Beach at Trouville by Claude Monet (1870). The National Gallery, London Burnout feels like a thoroughly modern concept – one borne from our age of global digital communication and long office hours. But the Victorians also had an idea of burnout, one they termed “overwork”. The Victorian doctor, C.H.F. Routh, for example, published On […]
Green growth claims are overstated – our study shows three reasons why
Anoopc79/Shutterstock A holy grail of environmental policy is an economy that delivers prosperity without requiring the ever-increasing consumption of raw materials. Increasing incomes while reducing environmental pressures hinges on the “decoupling” of energy emissions from economic growth. Some countries in the global economy are moving in the right direction. But this good news can be […]