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 […]
Osteoarthritis: how stimulating the muscles with electricity may help manage the condition
EMS training could be particularly beneficial for people with osteoarthritis who have limited mobility or pain. roibu/ Shutterstock An estimated 595 million people globally are living with osteoarthritis. This makes it one of the leading causes of pain and disability. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease, in which tissues in the joint break down over […]
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease develops over decades – and we are missing the window to prevent it
CI Photos/Shutterstock Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is one of the world’s leading causes of death, responsible for 3.5 million deaths in 2021 alone. It is often thought of as a disease of older smokers. But that picture is too simple. COPD usually develops slowly over many years, often long before symptoms become obvious. […]
What it would have been like to experience the dinosaur-killing asteroid armageddon: a blow-by-blow account
serpeblu/Shutterstock A great Tyrannosaurus rex strides through the conifer trees of her territory, sniffing the air. She picks up the scent from the carcass of a dead horned dinosaur, Triceratops, that she was feeding on yesterday. She walks over and strips off some more shreds of meat, but the smell is foul even for her. […]
Nudge theory was all about taking responsibility – but it allowed big business to look the other way
Piyaset/Shutterstock Feelings of despair at the state of the world can be overwhelming. Social and environmental problems persist, but political discourse is polarised, divisive and often ineffective. A couple of decades ago, some behavioural scientists – ourselves included – began to think there might be a better way of addressing these challenges. Instead of relying […]
What your local council can actually do to tackle the climate crisis
The UK’s local elections saw the Green Party gain 440 councillors across England and win its first two elected mayors. They will join many councillors from all parties who will have to confront the same question: what can any one local authority actually do about climate change? If they ask what they are required to […]
Can plants hear? Latest research offers new insights
DOERS/Shutterstock Researchers at MIT have suggested that rice seeds can hear the sound of rain, according to a new study. MIT calls it “the first direct evidence that plant seeds and seedlings can sense sounds in nature”. Perhaps surprisingly, the effects reported in this new study are not as radical as they may appear. Playing […]
Can the assisted dying bill be brought back? It’s possible – but supporters face four challenges
Despite MPs backing proposals last year to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, the plan did not become law. The bill failed to complete its passage through the House of Lords – not because peers voted against it, but because a relatively small number proposed an unprecedentedly large list of amendments. As a result, […]
What happens when scientists trust AI more than colleagues?
Shutterstock/PeoplesImages Artificial intelligence has crossed a threshold in the modern workplace. It is being used for everything from helping employees manage schedules to supporting financial forecasts. A similar shift is now unfolding inside research laboratories. There is currently a boom in national initiatives to accelerate the integration of AI into science. These include the US […]