The government has delayed the toughest spending decisions – but here’s what we do know after the budget
Prime Minister Andy Burnham congratulates Chancellor John Healey after his first budget. © House of Commons, CC BY-NC-ND John Healey’s steady-as-she-goes budget was a picture of a government doing its best to offer “what help we can afford”, while weathering the economic storms. But despite its 98 policy measures, decisions on some of the biggest […]
Not all antihistamines are the same – and some may affect your brain more than you think
Tatiana Yashina/Shutterstock Millions of people take antihistamines for allergies, but some of these medicines can make you sleepy, slow your reactions and affect your concentration. Others are much less likely to have these effects. Knowing the difference can help you choose an allergy treatment that won’t interfere with your day. Antihistamines work by blocking histamine, […]
Silence of the Lambs: Hannibal Lecter makes his stage debut in this inventive touring production
When you think of the serial killer and former forensic psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter, what comes to mind? I would bet good money it’s Anthony Hopkins in Jonathan Demme’s 1991 film Silence of the Lambs, talking about eating someone’s liver with fava beans and a nice chianti. This film, an adaptation of Robert Harris’s book of […]
Hauntology examines how what happened in the past – and what didn’t – informs the present
The spooky is a hugely popular phenomenon in British culture, demonstrated in what now seems like a month-long Halloween celebration, a rich tradition of horror cinema and a growing interest in the uncanny. But, there are other manifestations of haunting. At York St John University, the Hauntology and Spectrality Research Group explores the ways in […]
Massive sinkholes open up across Turkey as it struggles with drought and climate change
Sinkholes are opening up across Turkey as farmers look for new sources of water. Yalcin Sonat/Shutterstock Turkey’s central Anatolian plateau is one of the country’s most important agricultural regions, producing wheat, maize, sugar beet and other crops. Yet beneath its cultivated fields, the ground is becoming increasingly unstable. Large sinkholes, some tens of metres wide […]
Chemists create disappearing tattoos: here’s the science behind how they work
How handy would it be if you could make your tattoos invisible for a job interview in the morning, and reveal them again for a party in the evening? This sounds like science fiction, but it may soon be reality. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed invisible tattoo ink than can be […]
Raye’s ambitious Mercury Prize-winning album is a testament to female creative freedom
Making an album might seem like a strange project in an age of streaming, when so many listeners rarely listen to albums from start to finish. For Raye, however, the album is not merely a selection of individual singles: it is a piece of highly personal storytelling. This Music May Contain Hope – the album […]
Why it could be a bad idea to get AI to flirt for you
Not everyone trusts their own personality. Nicoleta Ionescu/Shutterstock You finally started an online conversation with a stranger you find attractive, yet you don’t really know what to say. They seem happy to talk, but you struggle to find the correct responses. You worry that their patience is growing thin. You pray for some guidance. Luckily, […]
Booker prize 2026: a diverse list to inspire all sorts of readers – six experts review the nominees
When the Booker prize was first launched in 1969, its aim was to get more people reading and to stimulate discussion about contemporary literature. Now, we all know reading is at an all time low but there really has never been a better time to reignite your love of fiction and to discover (or rediscover) […]
Are narcissists multiplying or is the social media algorithm making them bolder? The answer in five stages
Cristina Conti/Shutterstock Social media doesn’t necessarily reflect who you are, but it may intensify particular personality traits and confirm or even persuade you that your worst behaviour is justified. We are addressing that imbalance, with our framework, the Algorithmic Trait Amplification, or ATA, with particular regard to narcissism. Narcissism runs on a spectrum. At the […]