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Ukraine war: religious leaders are playing an important (and unusual) role

The Russian Orthodox Church has approved a statement describing Russia’s “special military operation” as a holy war, arguing that all of...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Jennifer Mathers

Keir Starmer needs to answer these pressing questions about how he will govern

Keir Starmer’s government has hit the ground running. But over the next few weeks and months some serious choices will have to be made about...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Geoff Mulgan

How autistic and non-autistic people can understand each other better

Autistic people often experience difficulties with social communication. It’s so common, in fact, that it’s one of the central criteria for an...

yesterday 8

The Conversation

Gemma L. Williams

Violence against women isn’t the only national emergency – we must also tackle the misogyny that’s causing it

The National Police Chiefs’ Council has declared violence against women a national emergency in England and Wales. The first national police...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Lisa Sugiura

Natalie Portman’s small screen debut and a sexy medieval romp – what you should see and read this week

This article was first published in our email newsletter Something Good, which every fortnight brings you a summary of the best things to watch,...

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Anna Walker

Venezuela election: Maduro’s regime is crumbling, but he will not give up without a fight

Venezuela is poised for a historic vote on Sunday, July 28 that could bring the 11-year reign of the country’s authoritarian president, Nicolás...

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Nicolas Forsans

Political podcasts exploded during the UK election – is it time to regulate them?

Political podcasts have exploded in popularity in the UK. Publishers like Acast and Spotify have reported downloads of political titles rising 50%...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Carl Hartley

Deadpool & Wolverine is fun for die-hard Marvel fans – but it won’t save the MCU

Let’s start with the good stuff. Deadpool & Wolverine is a fun, irreverent and blood-soaked summer blockbuster that fans of the Deadpool franchise...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

John Quinn

Books That Shook the Business World: The Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken

Business and economics books have influenced business managers, CEOs and, in some cases, entire political economies. But they have also propelled...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Denise Baden

Bosses are increasingly forcing workers back into the office – but evidence suggests it could backfire

Tesco, Boots and Barclays have joined the growing number of companies trying to force employees back to the office after several years of remote...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Gemma Dale

Nearly half of children born in Wales in 2002-3 classed as having special educational needs – this may have negatively affected their attainment

Nearly half of people born in Wales in 2002-2003 were classed as having special educational needs (SEN), our new research has indicated, raising...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Cathryn Knight

An artist has stolen a coin from the British Museum as part of a performance piece – but is the artwork ethical?

In June, the Brazilian artist Ilê Sartuzi removed a historical coin from its display case in the British Museum in London and deposited it in a...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Claire Isabella Gilmour

The first farmers often made landscapes more biodiverse – our research could have lessons for rewilding today

You don’t need to read the news or scroll through Instagram for long to stumble across the latest example of a rare and beautiful species that...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Jonathan D. Gordon

Commonly used drug may extend women’s fertility, claim researchers – here’s what you need to know about rapamycin

A growing number of people are waiting longer to have kids. While there are many reasons people may want to hold back on that decision, about one-...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Stéphane Berneau

Inside the political struggle at the IPCC that will determine the next six years of climate science

The UN’s climate science advisory group, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is currently meeting in Bulgaria to decide on a...

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Hannah Hughes

Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the US Congress and receives a very mixed reception: expert Q&A

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, travelled to Washington this week for a series of high-level meetings. At the invitation of the...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Jonathan Este

Gaza update: ‘vintage’ Netanyahu in Washington, Harris stays away

As the violence continued to rage in Gaza and on the West Bank – and Israeli protesters made their anger at their government felt on the streets...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Jonathan Este

Eluned Morgan set to become the first female leader of Wales amid turmoil for Welsh Labour

After months of turmoil, Welsh Labour has elected a new leader, its second in just five months and third this year. The contest was triggered by...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Nye Davies

Why so many people drown at the water’s edge

Just being near blue spaces (the sea, rivers and lakes) can make us feel more relaxed because water triggers our parasympathetic nervous system,...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Jill Nash

There is Light Somewhere at the Hayward Gallery: an emotional exploration of history and belonging

There is Light Somewhere, the title of the latest show by conceptual artist Tavares Strachan at the Hayward Gallery in London, is borrowed from a...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Pragya Agarwal

The Decameron: Netflix’s raunchy, raucous re-imagining of a medieval plague masterpiece

Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron (1353) is a classic plague book. It follows ten noble people quarantining together in a beautiful villa in the...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Lucyl Harrison

Six ways companies fuel violence

The Mexican government is suing US-based gun makers. The government is accusing the companies of facilitating violence in Mexico, not so much...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Kat Ford

Why a French MP played rock, paper, scissors in parliament – and what it teaches us about resisting the far right

We are often told that we must listen to reactionaries – take their grievances seriously and address them as part of a democratic system. We are...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Aurelien Mondon

What lunar caves tell us about the shared origins of the Earth and the Moon

Using radar, a Nasa spacecraft, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), has confirmed the existence of caves beneath the lunar surface. Here’s why...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Robin Smith

Why school suspensions and exclusions have risen dramatically in England – and what could be done

The government looks set to implement a shift in how behaviour is managed in English schools. This would focus on keeping pupils in attendance. It...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Simon Edwards

Chronic pain: emerging treatment options for patients after the opiod crisis – podcast

Chronic pain affects hundreds of millions of people around the world. But the opioid crisis in North America led many health care providers to...

previous day 1

The Conversation

Amanda Mascarelli

Massive US-led naval exercises in Hawai'i and Pacific islands reflect over a century of colonial exploitation of the region

Since the last week in June, navies and naval assets from 29 countries have been taking part the world’s largest naval exercises. The US-led...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Kate Lewis Hood

The human virome: why viruses could be as important for good health as gut bacteria

We often hear about the importance of the human microbiome – the vast collection of bacteria and fungi that live on and inside us – when it comes...

previous day 6

The Conversation

Samuel J. White

Elon Musk says he’s a ‘cultural Christian’ – why some leading thinkers are embracing Christianity

The world’s richest person, Elon Musk, just announced that he’s a “big believer in the principles of Christianity” and “a cultural...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Simon Mccarthy-Jones

Nasal spray clears proteins linked to Alzheimer’s – new study

Scientists in America have developed a nasal spray that can remove proteins in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease – at least, in...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Rahul Sidhu

How roads are reshaping and scarring our planet, and even changing animals’ DNA

A web of roads encircles the Earth and stretches 40 million miles. In Crossings, a new book by environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb, tarmac is...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Lauren Moore

Could Kamala Harris shift the swing states to the Democrats?

The full consequences of Joe Biden’s seismic decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race will take some time to be felt. One immediately...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Alex Waddan

What the Democrats can learn from 1968’s chaotic – and ultimately unsuccessful – presidential campaign

The assassination attempt of a divisive figure, a foreign war threatening to take centre stage, the incumbent president withdrawing his candidacy...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Ben Quail

Craft cider is surprisingly good for the environment

Apple cider vinegar seems to be having a moment. People on social media report drinking it to lose weight and improve their health – although not...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Ufuk Alpsahin Cullen

What your gait says about your health

Walking requires a huge number of signals between your brain and the muscles in your arms, chest, back, abdomen, pelvis and legs. Something that...

wednesday 4

The Conversation

Adam Taylor

Kamala Harris has a different view on Gaza to Joe Biden – it could win her votes in November

Benjamin Netanyahu’s July visit to Washington has placed the political spotlight on divisions within the Democratic party over the war in Gaza....

wednesday 4

The Conversation

Andrew Payne

How stress might be the root of problems like pain, ulcers and a broken heart

The English actor Kate Beckinsale recently lost her stepfather. She experienced such intense grief at the loss that it “burned a hole” in her...

wednesday 3

The Conversation

Dan Baumgardt

Budget airlines make money from extra charges, but savvy travellers benefit too

If you’re about to jet off on a summer flight, the chances of you having secured a bargain at this peak time of the year are slim. And as well as...

wednesday 3

The Conversation

Renaud Foucart

Keir Starmer’s first prime minister’s questions: four things we learnt

If you want real, substantive answers to a question, prime minister’s questions is not the place to be. But if you want to see how politicians...

wednesday 1

The Conversation

Paula Keaveney

CrowdStrike: the massive companies you’ve never heard of with a hidden grip on our lives

The world is saturated by services and products provided by companies that have a “secret grip” on the way we live. In 1951, the French-born...

wednesday 1

The Conversation

John Bryson

Can a poem be adapted into a video game? Here’s what I learned from trying

Video game adaptations of novels and short fiction have helped them to meet new audiences. The Witcher, for example, which now spans three games and...

wednesday 6

The Conversation

Jon Stone

Why a House of Lords private member’s bill on assisted dying is one to watch this week

Charlie Falconer, Labour peer and former lord chancellor, is to introduce a private member’s bill into the House of Lords on July 26 to legalise...

wednesday 6

The Conversation

Daniel Gover

‘Kamala IS brat’: an expert explains the Kamala Harris memes flooding the internet

When Kamala Harris became the prospective new Democratic party presidential candidate on July 21, social media was quickly flooded with coconut and...

wednesday 1

The Conversation

Caroline Leicht

Kamala Harris’s ‘Brat summer’: how memes can change a political campaign

When Kamala Harris was confirmed as the new Democratic party nominee, a host of celebrities rushed to endorse her – but one has had significantly...

wednesday 5

The Conversation

Anastasia Denisova

Taking breaks from competing is key to athletic resilience – a sports psychologist explains

In sports psychology, elite athletes are often said to have two identities – a “self” identity (who they are overall) and an “athlete”...

wednesday 1

The Conversation

Sahen Gupta

Lady in the Lake: a stunning show that uses murder and mystery to explore the parallel lives of two women in 1960s Baltimore

Lady in the Lake opens with a classic mystery premise: a man unceremoniously dumping a female corpse under a midnight blue sky. Less...

wednesday 1

The Conversation

Helen Piper

The colourful history of the Olympic opening ceremony

If you’re planning to tune in to the Paris Olympics, you probably aren’t just looking forward to the feats of sporting excellence – you’ll be...

wednesday 7

The Conversation

Catherine Baker

Energy poverty can mean you spend less on luxuries – or put your life at risk

If you are in energy poverty (or fuel poverty, as it is sometimes called), you or your household cannot afford to spend enough on the energy you...

wednesday 2

The Conversation

Lala Rukh

We’ve discovered the world’s trees absorb methane – so forests are even more important in the climate fight than we thought

Tree bark in the world’s forests absorbs the greenhouse gas methane, my colleagues and I have demonstrated for the first time on a global scale –...

wednesday 4

The Conversation

Vincent Gauci

Anatomy of a rebellion: why Keir Starmer’s first brush with parliamentary revolt over two-child benefit cap is a symbolic moment

Following the state opening of parliament, the House of Commons has been debating the contents of the king’s speech (referred to as the debate on...

wednesday 1

The Conversation

Thomas Caygill

Why courts favour cars, not the climate

For planning to block a motorway encircling London, five Just Stop Oil activists were recently sentenced to a minimum of four years in prison. Just...

wednesday 3

The Conversation

Jack Marley

Assisted dying: first-hand accounts of what it’s like to help a loved one die

Straight away, she told me she wasn’t going to let the illness progress. She wanted to end this at Dignitas. I was really shocked – firstly about...

23.07.2024 10

The Conversation

Nancy Preston

Some women have become pregnant through anal sex – and other extremely rare methods of conception

Unless you skipped sex ed class, you probably have at least a basic understanding of how babies are made. An egg (ovum) needs to be fertilised by...

23.07.2024 2

The Conversation

Adam Taylor

Demolishing buildings is bad for the planet – here’s an alternative

The construction industry is not on track to decarbonise by 2050 and uses more resources than most. In 2020, the UK produced a staggering 59.1...

23.07.2024 10

The Conversation

Ana Rute Costa

If we want to settle on other planets, we’ll have to use genome editing to alter human DNA

When considering human settlements on the Moon, Mars and further afield, much attention is given to the travel times, food and radiation risk....

23.07.2024 2

The Conversation

Sam Mckee

The past, present and uncertain future of the UK’s steel industry

The last few years have been troubling for the British steel industry. High energy costs, a wave of cheap Chinese imports, plant closures, the...

23.07.2024 9

The Conversation

Phil Tomlinson

Will replacing personal statements with application questions make university admissions fairer?

Prospective students will no longer be asked to write personal statements as part of their application to university in the UK, the admissions...

23.07.2024 4

The Conversation

Helena Gillespie

Steak is off the menu for Argentinians as the country’s austerity policies bite

“Was the steak and wine as good as I’ve heard?” Undeniably the most common question I’m asked when I return from Argentina. And while my...

23.07.2024 2

The Conversation

Matt Barlow

Bangladeshi students rise up in revolt, but a wider movement against the government looks unlikely

Thousands of students in Bangladesh have taken to the streets over the past few weeks to demand an overhaul of how public sector jobs are...

23.07.2024 5

The Conversation

Shahzad Uddin

If the government is serious about tackling child poverty, it should extend free school meals

The government has created a new ministerial taskforce for its child poverty strategy, led by Work and Pensions secretary Liz Kendall and Education...

23.07.2024 5

The Conversation

Will Baker

Six ways to look after your brain health in your 20s and 30s

Dementia is not an inevitable consequence of ageing. It’s thought that around 40% of dementia cases could be prevented (or at least delayed) by...

23.07.2024 2

The Conversation

Jitka Vseteckova

Nasa’s science mission spacecraft are at risk from hackers, but a new law could help protect them

Nasa’s missions are some of the most technologically advanced and critically important endeavours. From the Mars Rover explorations to the...

23.07.2024 6

The Conversation

Sharon Lemac-Vincere

Running for US president is a costly business – here’s how the candidates raise money

It costs a lot of money to become president of the United States. The 2020 presidential election cycle involved campaign expenditure of US$14...

23.07.2024 7

The Conversation

Steven Daniels

Five possible vice-presidents and what they might say about the Democrat ticket

With President Biden’s announcement that he will not run for re-election in November, all eyes have turned to his replacement. Many top...

23.07.2024 10

The Conversation

Katie Gaddini

Desk jobs can be killers – here’s how strength training at work can help

Physical inactivity is a killer. When we become inactive, we lose muscular strength. When we lack muscular strength, we may be more likely to...

22.07.2024 8

The Conversation

Ashley Gluchowski

Golf: neuroscience reveals the secrets of better putting – new study

The world’s best golfers make playing look so effortless, it’s hard to imagine what’s going on inside their minds. But modern neuroscience...

22.07.2024 2

The Conversation

Laura Carey

The Boys end of season 4 review: the gory superhero-hating show sets up for its final season

As The Boys, Amazon’s superhero-hating blood fest, comes to a close, its storylines have grown closer to our own reality as the show gears up for...

22.07.2024 10

The Conversation

John Caro

After Westminster triumph, Sinn Féin seeks to bounce back in Ireland

Sinn Féin held on to all seven of its seats at Westminster in the 2024 election, making it the largest Northern Irish party in the UK parliament,...

22.07.2024 10

The Conversation

Jonathan Arlow

False stereotypes mean endangered animals are being protected in the wrong places

Giant panda reclining in cloudy hills eating bamboo, European bison picking their way through gloomy and lichen-draped forests and Cape mountain...

22.07.2024 5

The Conversation

Nick Harvey Sky

Books That Shook the Business World: An Essay on the Principle of Population by Thomas Robert Malthus

Thomas Robert Malthus is remembered for the gloomiest theory proposed in just about any discipline. The story begins in 1793, when the English...

22.07.2024 2

The Conversation

Ciarán Casey

Weerhoud at The Hepworth Wakefield: the spirit of dance animates Igshaan Adams’s reflection on South Africa’s history

To understand the history of South Africa, you must understand how the the laws of apartheid forced South Africans to live in assigned racial...

22.07.2024 2

The Conversation

Sarahleigh Castelyn

Undigested fruit, chewing gum and hair – the stony masses that might be growing in your stomach

In the first Harry Potter novel, Professor Severus Snape hopes to embarrass Harry by quizzing him on the topic of bezoars. According to Snape, they...

22.07.2024 1

The Conversation

Dan Baumgardt

Why Kamala Harris has a head start in the race to replace Joe Biden

Joe Biden’s decision to step down from the 2024 campaign is yet another significant moment in this year’s US election, following on from the...

22.07.2024 2

The Conversation

Dafydd Townley

Can Keir Starmer reset the UK’s relations with Europe?

By all accounts, Keir Starmer’s first UK-based foray onto the international stage was a success. Last week’s European Political Community...

22.07.2024 1

The Conversation

Amelia Hadfield

Labour promised to scrap the Rwanda policy. But its new approach aims to be just as tough on asylum seekers

Migration policy has always been an ideological headache for the Labour party. Caught between the party’s labour market protectionism and...

22.07.2024 1

The Conversation

Erica Consterdine

With Biden gone, Trump will need a new attack plan for the younger Kamala Harris

When Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential election race he changed the nature of the campaign. In the three weeks following the notorious...

22.07.2024 1

The Conversation

Christopher Featherstone

Why does traditional masculinity have such longevity, even among younger boys?

We’ve all seen men lash out angrily when their masculinity is threatened – not least in Hollywood movies. And the extent of such behaviour has...

22.07.2024 1

The Conversation

Ashley Morgan

A cave discovered on the Moon opens up new opportunities for settlement by humans

Almost 55 years after the launch of Apollo 11 – the first mission to land humans on the Moon – scientists have found evidence of a large cave...

22.07.2024 1

The Conversation

Christopher Pattison

I spent months with Amazon workers in Coventry before they narrowly voted against unionising. This is what I learned

Amazon workers in Coventry have narrowly voted against a proposal that would have forced the retail giant to grant the GMB Union formal...

22.07.2024 1

The Conversation

Tom Vickers

New nature writing genre brings wild and tricky aspects of climate crisis to life

We live in an age of climate emergency and eco-anxiety. This is, after all, the Anthropocene – a geological period defined by the bootprint of...

22.07.2024 5

The Conversation

James Canton

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