What we’ve learned from Andy Burnham’s first week as prime minister
The changing of prime ministers, rather than marking epochs, has become rather commonplace. For the politically minded, that doesn’t mean that each is without the hovering of Tony Blair’s “hand of history”. A new premiership may last 49 days, or ten years. But a truly remarkable set of circumstances would be needed for Andy Burnham’s […]
What repeated blows to the head in sport may mean for dementia risk
England rugby players Tom Curry and Manu Tuilagi accidentally collide during a World Cup match against South Africa in Paris, October 2023. Victor Velter/Shutterstock There is now widespread evidence that years of heading, tackling and collisions in football and rugby could increase the risk of dementia and other neurological diseases. The latest – preliminary research […]
A 1952 Pan Am plane crash transformed passenger safety procedures – a former airline pilot explains how
On Good Friday, April 11 1952, a Pan American Douglas DC-4 named Clipper Endeavor took off from San Juan in Puerto Rico, bound for New York. On board were 64 passengers including six infants, plus five crew. The flight lasted less than nine minutes before two engines lost power. Unable to make it back to […]
A sweary boss might make you work harder (or want to quit)
Some people love to swear. In the workplace, some of those people might be in charge. You may have worked with one (or be one) yourself. The team leader who likes to pepper a pep talk with spicy language, or the manager who uses swear words to express themselves in the clearest possible terms. How […]
Force of Nature shows how extreme weather pushes wildlife to its limits
A chimpanzee digging for water in a dried-up Senegalese riverbed. A colony of 40,000 flamingos scattered by a hurricane. A polar bear hunting on ice that is disappearing beneath its feet. These are not scenes from some distant climate-altered future. They are happening right now. And this year they are coming to Sunday night television. […]
As Israel prepares for October election the government is accelerating its land grab in the West Bank and Gaza
Israel is gearing up for an election at the end of October. And, with the Likud party of the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, trailing in the polls, his government is pushing through measures which aim to dramatically expand Israeli control over Palestinian land on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The October 27 poll will […]
The dog who waited for Odysseus: Argos reflects the deep human-animal bonds of ancient Greece
Homer’s Odyssey, with its fabulous monsters and intense tale of human endurance, was a natural candidate for Christopher Nolan’s latest Hollywood blockbuster. But amid all the fantasy and heroic human drama, there are two far more homely scenes in the poem which remain among the epic’s most memorable. Both involve animals. One is the touching, […]
The Piano: how the viral appeal of pianists in public spaces is not so different from 19th-century music salons
Why have public displays of piano playing become so compelling? At railway stations, shopping centres and airports, an instrument usually associated with concert halls bursts into everyday life. In the space of a few moments, shoppers and passengers become an audience – and once a recording of the performance is posted online, this encounter can […]
Wildfires: what can the UK and other nations learn from Australia’s world-leading fire response systems?
A wildfire in Tasmania in 2021. Matt Palmer/Unsplash, CC BY-ND Wildfires are becoming a feature of the UK’s hotter, drier climate. In July 2026, major fires swept through parts of the UK in a matter of days – notably setting Arthur’s Seat, the extinct volcano in the centre of Edinburgh, alight. The Scottish Greens labelled […]
Seven climate-friendly ways to transform your home
PerfectHobbyDMK/Shutterstock This roundup of The Conversation’s environment coverage was first published in our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter, Imagine. Drastic climate action can feel overwhelmingly difficult and far away. But making changes to your home, whether you rent a room in a city centre or own a house in the countryside, is a tangible and […]