The Bayeux tapestry is really an embroidered comic strip
The Bayeux tapestry is many things: a public statement, a massive work of collaborative art, a staple of the teaching of British history. The 70-metre-embroidered cloth depicts the events of the Norman conquest, culminating in the 1066 Battle of Hastings and the death of Harold II. Since its creation in the 11th century, the Bayeux […]
Iran war: Tehran’s assertive rhetoric signals a new and dangerous phase in conflict
Iran’s threat to target American warships with an enhanced ballistic missile appears to mark a new and potentially more dangerous phase of the Middle East conflict, six months in. Tehran says its solid-fuel Qassem Basir missile enables it to “take action against any threat, even before it is carried out”. Reports have suggested that the […]
Humanoid robots can sprint and box – but the real test is doing the laundry
At the recent World Humanoid Robot Games 2026 in Beijing, robots sprinted, boxed, played football and tackled tasks inspired by factories, restaurants and emergency situations. The robot Tiangong Ultra even completed the 100 metres in 8.64 seconds, quicker than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second world record. But if we really want to know whether humanoid robots are […]
Compulsory grammar tests in England’s schools aren’t improving children’s writing
Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock For over a decade, children in year six – the final year of primary school in England – have taken the grammar, punctuation and spelling test as part of their Key Stage 2 Standard Assessment Tests (Sats). This GPS test has shaped how grammar is taught in primary schools. It is mostly a multiple-choice […]
How ‘egalitarian’ Sweden became more comfortable with wealth
valkird/Shutterstock Sweden is imagined as the land of equality, modesty and Jantelagen – the unwritten rule that no one should think they are better than anyone else. But there has also been a fascination within Sweden with its billionaires, especially those who abide by these dominant cultural norms. In the case of Ingvar Kamprad, the […]
How the chemistry of Star Trek changed my life – from a gunpowder plot to ‘red hellfire’
I’ll admit it, I’m a Trekkie. I blame my mother. It was on her insistence that my brother and I watched endless re-runs of the original Star Trek series, which is now celebrating its 60th anniversary. She took us further into the unknown with The Next Generation – and I’ve stayed loyal to the franchise […]
Why should we care if there aren’t any squished insects on our windscreens?
CLP Media/Shutterstock This summer you may have wondered why you are seeing so few insects squished on your car’s windscreen, compared to a road trip several years ago. This is because insects are declining globally at an alarming rate. One extensive citizen science survey looked at insects numbers over several years by looking at insect […]
How studying astronauts could help tackle ageing on Earth
Vladi333/Shutterstock Astronauts who undergo long-duration spaceflight aboard the International Space Station often return with health problems that resemble some age-related conditions in people on Earth. Remarkably, some of this decline reverses within months of their return but others persist. This raises an intriguing question: what can be learned from these rapid changes and could they […]
Mentoring based on young peoples’ strengths can alleviate the crisis in education, training and employment
VH-studio/Shutterstock Nearly 1 million 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK are currently outside education, employment or training and the number is currently projected to increase. We can all see the huge waste of talent this represents for the young people concerned and society as a whole. In his interim report on young people and work, […]
Denmark is a cycling nation, but our research shows rates are declining – here’s why
Lazy_Bear / Shutterstock.com Across Europe, cycling is being promoted as a key solution to cleaner, healthier travel. The European Commission recently published its first progress report on the European Declaration on Cycling, highlighting billions of euros in investment, thousands of kilometres of new or upgraded cycle infrastructure, and growing political commitment to treating cycling as […]