Europe is rearming itself without addressing the political consequences
Compounding the alarm triggered by Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the erratic unpredictability of the second Trump administration has made the need for European security autonomy obvious. On a number of occasions over the past year, Donald Trump has loosely intimated that he might leave the Nato defence alliance. Washington’s recent move to withdraw […]
From AirTags to AI nudification: the growing toolkit of technology-facilitated abuse
LightField Studios/Shutterstock It’s hard to overstate the impact that artificial intelligence has had since the release of generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT just three years ago. While they have led to countless advances in how we live and work, they have also been at the centre of controversies around domestic and sexual abuse. The […]
Why was an Egyptian mummy stuffed with a fragment of Homer’s Iliad?
Achilles Lamenting the Death of Patroclus by Gavin Hamilton (1760-1763). National Galleries of Scotland Collection Archaeologists have found something unexpected inside a 1,600-year-old Roman-era Egyptian mummy: a fragment of Homer’s Iliad. It wasn’t placed beside the body, but inside the mummy’s abdomen. But the real surprise isn’t just where the fragment was found. It’s how […]
Beatles museum to open on seven-storey site (and rooftop) of band’s last gig
The Cavern Club in Liverpool, the nightclub birthplace of the Beatles, promotes itself as “the place where it all began”. On May 11, Apple, the Beatles’ management company, announced its re-acquisition of 3 Savile Row, London, the building they might usefully conceive of as “the place where it all ended”. In the Beatleverse, 3 Savile […]
Fearful, diminished and isolated: what this year’s Victory Day parade in Moscow tells us about Russia’s war against Ukraine
The military parade through Moscow’s Red Square on May 9, “Victory Day”, is the pinnacle of Russia’s annual celebrations marking the end of the second world war. Televised live and watched by millions, including invited foreign dignitaries, the Victory Day parade is all about showcasing Russia’s status and pride. The first Victory Day parade was […]
International Booker Prize 2026: heartbreak, brutality, shapeshifting – six experts review the nominees
This year’s International Booker Prize shortlist presents a diverse and intriguing array of books that all demonstrate the highly creative imagination and inventiveness of their authors – and translators, of course. Readers are invited to immerse themselves in six richly told tales from Bulgaria to Brazil and several points in between. Across these novels, we […]
Are you exercising at the wrong time? How your body clock can affect your workouts
Your chronotype plays an important role in many bodily processes. we.bond.creations/ Shutterstock While some people can spring out of bed at six in the morning and go straight into their day, others prefer to wake up later as they’re most productive in the afternoon or evening. This difference is due to your chronotype – the […]
AI doesn’t create bias, it inherits it – how do we ensure fairness when it comes to automated decisions?
Hiring algorithms are one of the systems that could be affected by discrimination. PeopleImages If artificial intelligence (AI) systems shape decisions that affect people’s lives, they should do so fairly. This should be a given considering that potential applications for AI include automated hiring systems, as well as tools used in education, finance and criminal […]
Vitamin B12: the essential nutrient with a complicated cancer link
KhalifahFA/Shutterstock We’ve all heard the advice: eat your fruit and vegetables, get your vitamins, and stay healthy. For the most part, that guidance holds up. But some nutrients have a more complicated story, and vitamin B12 is a fascinating example. Also known as cobalamin, B12 is essential for life. It helps the body produce red […]
The mental toll of quarantine on board a cruise ship – explained by a psychologist
Mystic Stock Photography/Shutterstock The MV Hondius left Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1. Within days, one passenger had become ill. Within weeks, the voyage had become the focus of an international health response after cases of Andes virus, a type of hantavirus, were identified among passengers and crew. By early May, several people had died. Passengers […]