Electric vehicles pass tipping point, breaking the link with oil prices
When the Strait of Hormuz first closed in March and oil hit US$120 a barrel, a very old question came back: is this finally the moment electric vehicles take off for good – or just another false start? EVs have been here before. They surged after the 1973 oil embargo, collapsed when oil fell, and […]
Eight wonders of the world
This roundup of The Conversation’s environment coverage was first published in our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter, Imagine. Every scalable solution has to start somewhere small. With a spark of an idea, an anomaly during an experiment or, perhaps, an empty seashell on an Irish beach. Juan Diego Rodriguez-Blanco at Trinity College Dublin has found […]
What ‘warfare versus welfare’ gets wrong about real-life economics
Lord Robertson’s claim that the UK cannot defend itself with an “ever-expanding” welfare budget has resonated loudly, given his previous positions as a Nato secretary-general and UK defence secretary. Following up on the UK’s 2025 strategic defence review, which he led, Robertson warned that low investment is leaving UK security “in peril”. The comments have […]
Osteopenia: loss of bone mineral density affects millions of people – here’s what you need to know
A human tibia under the microscope: many people do not even realise they have osteopenia. eranicle/ Shutterstock Around 40% of adults worldwide are affected by osteopenia: a loss of bone mineral density. This condition is extremely common particularly in postmenopausal women and elderly adults. It’s estimated that more than 500,000 fractures occur annually in the […]
Christianity in the UK is flourishing in immigrant communities – but a US-style Christian nationalism is lurking elsewhere
Polling company YouGov has thrown into question claims of a recent upsurge in church attendance among young adults. This has not surprised some experts, who cite evidence for the more conventional story of steep religious decline. If Christianity was once central to British society, that claim remains difficult to sustain in the 21st century. Church […]
How Iran cryptocurrency demands explain a key role of money throughout history
When Iran began demanding payment in exchange for safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, it offered the option to pay in cryptocurrency. Likewise, the shadowy network of tankers that have smuggled Russian oil to world markets since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have often been paid this way. Illicit actors the world […]
Loneliness can affect your memory – but that doesn’t mean it leads to dementia
Jelena Stanojkovic/Shutterstock.com Loneliness is something most of us will experience at some point. It is a normal emotion, not a character flaw. But it is also something that can quietly affect how we think and remember, and researchers have long debated whether it might even raise the risk of dementia. A new study, published in […]
Limited scrutiny of party claims in early Welsh election coverage – new analysis
With the Senedd (Welsh parliament) election campaign now under way, voters in Wales are beginning to see more political coverage across television, online and social media. Broadcasters have reported on manifesto launches and party messaging. But how far is this coverage helping voters understand what the parties are actually proposing? And how much of it […]
The V&A catalogue row shows China’s censorship now travels through cultural supply chains
The V&A in Kensington. Yau Ming Low/Shutterstock When people think about censorship, they often imagine an obvious ban: a book prohibited, an exhibition closed, or a speaker silenced. But the recent revelation that London’s Victoria and Albert Museum changed exhibition catalogues at the request of its Chinese printer points to something subtler. It suggests that […]
Is mouthwash bad for the heart? Here’s what the research actually says
Don’t give up your mouthwash just yet. years44/ Shutterstock Social media videos are claiming that mouthwash can raise risk of blood pressure – and potentially damage heart health. According to some of these videos, this is caused by mouthwash wiping out “good” oral bacteria that are important for the cardiovascular system. While it’s a striking […]