Celebrity Traitors: neuroscientist on whether you can really make someone yawn by faking it
In the BBC reality show The Celebrity Traitors, the Traitors – James Acaster, Maya Jama and King Kenny – were set an unusual challenge: murder a Faithful by making them yawn. Their plan was to bore their target into yawning, then deliver the line “Am I boring you?” to seal the murder. The task plays […]
The new battleground: the UK’s disinformation centre faces threats on multiple fronts
Kafka Ibram/Shutterstock Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently announced the creation of a National Centre for Information Defence that will disrupt disinformation campaigns by states hostile to the UK. The centre will bring together security services, police, tech firms and government departments. But this new centre will have its work cut out. State-backed adversaries are supported […]
How Argentina’s Javier Milei hopes to exploit a dispute over Falklands oil in next year’s election
Argentina is trying to stop a planned oil project near the Falkland Islands. On October 13, the government asked the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas (Itlos), a court in Hamburg that deals with disputes over the sea, to halt the project. Argentina says the UK approved the drilling without its agreement and […]
More young people are being recruited as ‘money mules’ by organised crime groups, new analysis reveals
Woodan/Shutterstock More than 8,900 people aged under 30 were arrested for money laundering offences in England and Wales between 2020 and 2025. That’s more than six in ten of all money laundering arrests recorded during the period. And our analysis of police data points to a growing problem that is not simply about young people […]
Why the most dangerous AI may be the one we trust too much
Machines don’t have to become superintelligent to cause catastrophic harm. As artificial intelligence spreads through military decision-making, they just have to be wrong – and trusted by the humans in charge. In 1991, Terminator 2: Judgement Day gave us one of popular culture’s most enduring images of AI gone wrong. Humanity builds Skynet, an artificial […]
The UK autumn budget: why the chancellor’s options are limited
The autumn budget looks set to be a cautious affair. It is not expected to spark the kind of Labour party enthusiasm that Andy Burnham has enjoyed in his first three months as prime minister. In that short time, Burnham has promised not to shy away from tackling the big issues facing the UK, such […]
COVID inquiry: four ways to improve support for people with intellectual disabilities
London, England, UK – August 8, 2023: The National Covid Memorial, located off the bank of the Thames River and St. Thomas Hospital, is a place to commemorate those who died of COVID. thelittlecactus/Shutterstock Anxiety. I always feel like I’m on edge. COVID, cost of living crisis, finances, current living arrangement. The majority don’t seem […]
Hot and cold climate extremes push UK’s energy system to its limits, new report reveals
Magdalena Teterdynko/Shutterstock The arrival of cooler weather following a summer of heatwaves, is a timely reminder that the UK electricity system must be resilient to the effects of temperature extremes at both ends of the thermometer. The Royal Meteorological Society has released a new report that highlights how recent weather conditions have influenced electricity generation, […]
Has your fitness hit a plateau? An expert explains how to track progress and when to change your training plan
The questions to ask yourself the next time you’re feeling ‘stuck’. Krakenimages.com/ Shutterstock If you train regularly, your progress will eventually slow and personal bests will become harder to beat. When this happens, it’s tempting to start a completely new training programme – but this is usually the wrong move. To understand why, it’s important […]
Why Meta’s new virtual reality glasses could finally take this technology primetime
Two years after releasing its last virtual reality product, Meta has announced plans to release virtual reality (VR) glasses. They are due to reach the market in spring of 2027. With a lightweight and stylish form, the glasses could be the tipping point for mainstream VR adoption. Interest in virtual reality waxes and wanes. Versions […]