Why talking like Yoda can help you to master British Sign Language
I’m not surprised that Talk Like Yoda Day exists. Over 40 years since his Star Wars debut (puppeteered and voiced by Frank Oz), Yoda remains a recognisable figure in pop culture. This is in part due to his distinctive and frequently imitated version of English. What stands out about Yoda’s speech is his unusual word […]
Xi and Putin tout ‘new type’ of world order in Beijing – but is their alliance really that strong?
Less than a week after hosting Donald Trump, China’s leader Xi Jinping welcomed his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to Beijing. Unlike Trump’s visit, this was a routine meeting. The Chinese and Russian presidents have met more than 40 times since 2013, with the latest meeting marking Putin’s 25th visit to China. The frequency of talks […]
The Silence of the Lambs introduced the world to forensic entomology – but how much has the science changed since?
In the early 1990s, crime-loving television audiences could choose mainly between cozy, fictional detective series such as Columbo and Murder, She Wrote. The US docuseries Unsolved Mysteries brought a few real cold-case investigations to light, but coverage of forensic science on screen was still relatively simple. Then, in May 1991, The Silence of the Lambs […]
Why managing expectations matters in chronic pain treatment
anut21ng Stock/Shutterstock In a 2026 study I conducted with colleagues on people with peripheral arterial disease, one participant described how leg pain had disrupted his golf for years. It forced him to stop mid-round, shake his leg and apologise to his playing partners while he waited for the pain to pass. He found it mortifying. […]
Vitiligo affects around 1 in 100 people worldwide – yet the skin condition remains misunderstood
Model Winnie Harlow has non-segmental vitiligo. Andrea Raffin/ Shutterstock Around one in every 100 people worldwide has vitiligo – a chronic, autoimmune skin condition that causes the skin to appear lighter in patches. The number of people affected by vitiligo makes it one of the most common skin disorders. Several studies also suggest that many […]
Should you embrace your inner stonemason? Why our constant desire for change needs a rethink
Cryptographer/Shutterstock When John, a stonemason working at Glasgow Cathedral, finishes repairing a section, the highest praise he can receive is that no one notices. “When we get things that come together you just see a couple of wee bits of stone”, he explains. “You don’t actually see the work that went into it. But it’s […]
Swatch brawls: why are people fighting over pocket watches?
So now we know exactly what you get when you cross two distinct brands of Swiss watch-making, one affordable (Swatch) and one luxury (Audemars Piguet). You get a new model of watch that attracts massive hype, huge queues and brawling customers. For £335, you might also get your hands on a colourful pocket watch. But […]
Why digital IDs are back on the UK government’s agenda
PhotoGranary02/Shutterstock In the recent king’s speech, King Charles outlined a series of UK government proposals, including plans to move forward with digital identity through the digital access to services bill. The government says the scheme is designed to modernise access to public services, allowing people to verify who they are more quickly and securely. The […]
European countries reach new agreement on human rights – here’s what it means for the UK’s immigration debate
The 46 countries bound by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) have signed a new declaration on migration, setting out how they believe human rights law should apply to migration issues. With the ECHR playing a contentious role in immigration discourse in the UK, the UK government trailed this declaration as a “more modern […]
Taiwan Travelogue wins 2026 International Booker – a deftly translated tale of food, love and history
Set in 1930s Taiwan under Japanese colonial rule, Taiwan Travelogue follows fictional Japanese novelist Aoyama Chizuko and her Taiwanese interpreter, Ō Chizuru (or Ông Tshian-ho’h), as they journey across colonial Taiwan by rail, encountering its diverse local food cultures. But Taiwan Travelogue is far more than a historical travel narrative. Through meals, translation and silences, […]