Why some Indigenous communities don’t resist oil extraction in their territories
An oil extraction site on the banks of the Napo river in Ecuador. SL-Photography/Shutterstock More than half of the Ecuadorian Amazon has been marked for oil drilling, overlapping with Indigenous territories and areas of high biodiversity. The ecological and cultural impacts of oil extraction are well documented, and have fuelled some of Latin America’s most […]
How pond algae led to a Nobel prize and a new way to study the brain
Scientists who worked out how to control brain cells with light have won this year’s Nobel prize in physiology or medicine. Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel were honoured for their research into “light-gated ion channels and optogenetics”. Peter Hegemann, at Humboldt University of Berlin, and Georg Nagel, at the University of Würzburg, wanted […]
The curious case of the bear in the Bayeux tapestry – what it tells us about baiting in medieval England
Try to imagine medieval England. You might picture knights, castles and battles. But what about bears? The Bayeux tapestry, which tells the story of the Norman conquest of England, contains a curious image of a man raising a sword towards a bear. New research involving archaeological analysis of bear bones and archival records from my […]
Russia is using Ukraine’s children to win its occupation – and the wider war
Ukraine’s authorities have verified 20,651 cases of children deported or forcibly displaced to Russia and Belarus since 2022. Madonova / Shutterstock A year or so after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the city of Murmansk in Russia’s Arctic north-west marked its annual regional day with a celebration for children. Alongside the sons and daughters of […]
The many ways young care leavers are being failed by society – expert panel
Pavlo Safonov/Shutterstock Care leavers in England aged 18-24 are dying at three times the rate of their peers, according to a recent report. From mental health support shortcomings to the lack of a housing safety net, our experts examine the struggles these young people face – and what is needed to help them. A mental […]
Daily doses of ‘digital ibuprofen’: how burnt-out Chinese youth soothe their anxieties
Chiikawa is a cute little animal who is struggle to survive in a gruelling gig economy. Wikimedia/Canva In China, young people are encountering myriad challenges, from societal pressures around success to existing in a highly surveilled society, that have made them turn to the internet in search of a balm to soothe their pain. What […]
Medetomidine: the dangerous animal sedative turning up in Scotland’s street drugs
Tinnakorn jorruang/Shutterstock.com A sedative developed for cats and dogs is turning up in Scotland’s illicit drug supply. Medetomidine has been found in a fifth of heroin samples in Scotland, and there is no proven antidote if someone overdoses. Often called a new street drug, medetomidine was actually first developed as a sedative more than 50 […]
Eat well to age better at a biological level – new research
Following a good-quality diet for many years can have measurable impacts on ageing. Rawpixel.com/ Shutterstock When it comes to healthy ageing, the overall quality of a person’s diet matters more than eating any one “superfood” or nutrient. From the Mediterranean diet to the Nordic diet, specific eating patterns have been shown to reduce the risk […]
Secret chambers in Tutankhamun’s tomb could hold the burial of a lost Egyptian queen – we may get answers soon
A growing body of research is generating renewed interest in potential hidden spaces beyond the decorated walls of Tutankhamun’s burial chamber in Egypt. Some researchers have raised the possibility that these concealed chambers – if they exist – could contain the burial place of Nefertiti, Tutankhamun’s stepmother and mother-in-law. Nefertiti was made famous by a […]
Burnham has said the unsayable on Brexit. What happens now?
Loredana Sangiuliano/Shutterstock Andy Burnham’s revelation that he was prepared “to go all the way” in terms of the UK’s relationship with the EU came as a shock to many. While a commitment to rejoining the EU in the next Labour manifesto is far from a given – and the prime minister’s language was non-committal – […]