Andy Burnham has maintained the public’s approval through his first 100 days as the UK’s PM – that’s unheard of these days
In his first 100 days in office, Andy Burnham has challenged the economic consensus shared by UK governments in recent decades and set up a prime ministerial office outside London with a remit to rewire the state and devolve power. He has also reopened the debate on Brexit and set in motion the biggest social […]
Israeli election: why nobody has been talking about Palestinian statehood
As Israelis head to the polls on October 27 one major issue that has not received serious attention during the campaign is Israel’s flat rejection of Palestinian statehood. This puts Israel seriously at odds with world opinion. As it stands, 159 countries around the world recognise Palestinian statehood, including diplomatic heavyweights such as the UK […]
How the body clock could help personalise depression treatment
The body’s internal clock influences when people feel sleepy and alert. Researchers are investigating whether differences in these rhythms could help explain responses to antidepressants. Photoroyalty/Shutterstock A person with depression might sleep much longer than usual and still wake feeling exhausted. Later that evening, when they want to go to bed, they may find themselves […]
Stanford prison experiment: why do controversial psychology studies still have such a hold on us?
Netflix Two of the most famous experiments in psychology, the Stanford prison experiment and Stanley Milgram’s obedience studies, have been called a sham, a lie and a fraud. Retraction Watch, a site that tracks withdrawn research papers, has hosted an argument for retracting the Stanford paper. Psychologists have even been told that almost everything they […]
Long COVID linked to greater risk of high blood pressure
People with long COVID had a 14% higher risk of hypertension than those who did not have long COVID. Kostikova Natalia/ Shutterstock Long COVID is often associated with symptoms such as persistent fatigue, shortness of breath and brain fog. But evidence increasingly shows that long COVID may have a broad effect on the cardiovascular system, […]
Get into stargazing this autumn – a beginner’s guide
AstroStar/Shutterstock Autumn can feel bittersweet. The nights are drawing in quickly, and spending time outdoors becomes less appealing. For stargazers, however, the longer nights bring more opportunities to explore the sky. Read more: Day and night aren’t equal length on an equinox – here’s why But where to start? Perhaps the August 2026 solar eclipse […]
Tired, irritable and craving carbs? Why darker days affect our bodies and brains
As the days shorten, many people have fewer opportunities to spend time outdoors in natural daylight, which helps regulate our internal body clocks. kle555/Shutterstock When the clocks go back in October, millions of Britons welcome an extra hour in bed. But by the evening, with darkness arriving before many people finish work, that small luxury […]
Daylight saving was meant to save energy. Do we still need it in the age of LEDs?
PNW Park Ranger / shutterstock When the clocks go back each October, we gain an hour of sleep and lose an hour of evening daylight. The practice of moving the clocks forward in spring was introduced partly to save energy, by making better use of daylight at the end of the day so there would […]
Robert Eggers’s Werwulf: the real history of wolves and werewolves in medieval England
Robert Eggers’s historical folk horror Werwulf will be in cinemas this winter. It’s set in 1305, when wolves still roamed parts of England. As they vanished from English shores due to sustained hunting, however, the werewolf myth moved abroad. The creature changed from a pitiable victim into a diabolical killer, before being rediscovered and reinvented […]
‘We changed the system’: how Serbian students ended Alexander Vučić’s 12 years in power
Serbia’s student-led political movement has secured a historic election victory. Preliminary results suggest the so-called Student List has won 141 of the 250 seats in parliament, with the ruling Serbian Progressive Party taking 104. The result brings the 12-year rule of Alexander Vučić to an end. The Student List’s story is remarkable. It has no […]