AI doesn’t create bias, it inherits it – how do we ensure fairness when it comes to automated decisions?
Hiring algorithms are one of the systems that could be affected by discrimination. PeopleImages If artificial intelligence (AI) systems shape decisions that affect people’s lives, they should do so fairly. This should be a given considering that potential applications for AI include automated hiring systems, as well as tools used in education, finance and criminal […]
Vitamin B12: the essential nutrient with a complicated cancer link
KhalifahFA/Shutterstock We’ve all heard the advice: eat your fruit and vegetables, get your vitamins, and stay healthy. For the most part, that guidance holds up. But some nutrients have a more complicated story, and vitamin B12 is a fascinating example. Also known as cobalamin, B12 is essential for life. It helps the body produce red […]
The mental toll of quarantine on board a cruise ship – explained by a psychologist
Mystic Stock Photography/Shutterstock The MV Hondius left Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1. Within days, one passenger had become ill. Within weeks, the voyage had become the focus of an international health response after cases of Andes virus, a type of hantavirus, were identified among passengers and crew. By early May, several people had died. Passengers […]
Who gets credit for research? How the hidden rules of academic authorship can leave women at a disadvantage
Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Scientific discoveries rarely happen alone. Modern research often involves teams spanning institutions and even countries. Yet when research is published in academic journals, credit is reduced to a list of names – a list that can shape careers. Authorship is a key signal of expertise. It influences hiring, promotion, and funding decisions. Despite this […]
Ousting Keir Starmer is harder than it looks – party rules mean he can choose to keep fighting
Between 2016 and 2024 the UK saw four changes of prime minister by way of a party leadership contest. In that time, even casual observers became familiar with the dramatic process that the Conservative Party uses to topple one leader and select another. Secret letters to the 1922 Committee, the dramatic confidence votes, and then […]
Conserving 30% of the planet will only succeed if people are part of the plan
Masai herders in Kenya. JWCohen/Shutterstock What do you see when you imagine a conservation area? Perhaps a remote rainforest, a towering mountain range or a coral reef teeming with life. But do you expect to see any people? It would be understandable if you answered no. Most media coverage of nature ignores people. Many protected […]
Andy Burnham’s big challenge: the route to succeeding Starmer is littered with obstacles
The polls indicate that of all the candidates vying to succeed Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the most popular is Andy Burnham. But before the current mayor of Greater Manchester can even throw his hat into the ring, there are a series of hurdles he has to overcome. For a start, a leadership contender has to […]
Amazon is making drone deliveries in the UK – here’s why nimbyism could hamper a wider rollout
Amazon’s MK30 drone is now being used to deliver packages in Darlington, County Durham. Photograph: Amazon Prime Air There is a new buzz around Darlington: the sound of delivery drones. This northern English town is now the only place outside the US where retail giant Amazon offers airborne delivery to people’s homes via its Prime […]
The Welsh Conservatives survived the Senedd election – now they must decide what they stand for
The 2026 Senedd (Welsh parliament) election has transformed Welsh politics. Much of the attention has focused on the rise of Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, and on Welsh Labour’s dramatic losses. But another political story has unfolded more quietly in the background. The Welsh Conservatives achieved 10.7% of the vote, giving them seven seats in […]
How big oil companies can slow the green transition by suing governments that ban fossil fuels
Pakhnyushchy/Shutterstock The UN’s climate summit in Brazil did not produce a fossil fuel roadmap last November, as had been expected. Now the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the fragility of global dependence on fossil fuels. The push and pull of nations with respect to coal, oil and gas was once again in […]