Greener maternity care starts with changing hospitals, without putting pressure on pregnant women
Entonox, or gas and air, is widely used for pain relief during labour, but the nitrous oxide it contains is a potent greenhouse gas. J O Atkinson/Shutterstock The NHS has a substantial carbon footprint. Yet one part of its environmental impact receives relatively little attention: maternity care. The health service is responsible for an estimated […]
Clayface tries to tap into the success of body horror but can’t reach the genre’s gory depths
Several characters have worn the mantle of the villain Clayface in DC comics across eight decades – but the two most prominent must surely be Basil Karlo and Matt Hagen. Karlo, the first Clayface, who debuted in June 1940, was a B-movie actor who had no superpowers but did have a thirst for blood and […]
The Jackdaw gasfield passed the legal test for North Sea drilling – Rosebank will find it much harder
For the first time, UK ministers have had to weigh the emissions from burning gas extracted from a North Sea field before approving its development. The way they did so for Jackdaw says a good deal about how the far larger Rosebank oil field is likely to fare. Coverage of the decision to approve the […]
Scientists aim to give lung cells a memory of how to fight viruses
TetianaKtv/Shutterstock.com Respiratory infections affect billions of people every year and are among the top five causes of death worldwide. Despite recent medical advances, viruses such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can still cause severe and even fatal illness. Milder infections, including the common cold, are usually not fatal. But the cold can be […]
Diagnostic uncertainty: why losing a diagnosis can be as difficult as receiving one
Christina Applegate has spoken about the distress of learning that she had been misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis, despite continuing to experience debilitating symptoms. Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock When actor Christina Applegate revealed that she had been misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), she described the experience as “very unnerving” and “really confusing”. For five years, MS had […]
Moths in art history: centuries of creativity reveal the beauty of a misunderstood insect
Two Moths, Two Chyrsalides, and Other Insects by Joris Hoefnagel (1575-1580). Rawpixel/Shutterstock/Canva Moths seem to be made for Halloween. They’re largely nocturnal, often outlandish in appearance and bear creepy names such as Lunar Thorn, Cloaked Carpet, Bordered Gothic and (best of all) Puss Moth. The webs of the ermine moth caterpillar cover trees like ghostly […]
As flood risk rises, some communities question the idea of resilience
Ceri Breeze/Shutterstock Climate change is increasing flood risk across the UK. As floods become more frequent and intense, communities are increasingly encouraged to become resilient and “live with water”. Yet in some flood-prone areas, residents are rejecting these calls, concerned that resilience is less about helping communities and more about transferring responsibility from institutions to […]
How El Niño could push up your mortgage and grocery bills
Coffelatte91/Shutterstock This year’s El Niño, the natural weather phenomenon that drives variations in temperature and winds across the Pacific, has prompted the UK government to pledge £15 million to help vulnerable countries such as Malawi, Kenya and Zambia prepare for droughts, floods and food shortages. But the UK’s economic response will go beyond international aid. […]
Two small Arab parties may decide Israel’s election
Israelis head to the polls on October 27 for a general election that will pit the right-wing bloc of current prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a bloc consisting of centre and left-wing parties. The governing parties and the opposition grouping both look set to fall short of an outright majority. Everything may now hinge on […]
London Film Festival round-up: a five-star weepie, a sweeping Spanish epic and a misspent youth in post-punk Manchester
Every autumn, the British Film Institute celebrates the best in cinema with a ten-day festival in London and across the UK. This year showcased a slate of compelling films – some of which are exceptional and look certain to garner industry accolades in the coming year. The big stand-out is Elsinore, which was presented in […]