Judges announced for The Conversation Prize for writers 2026
From L-R: Steven Vass, Tim Minshall, Catherine Clarke. CC BY-ND The Conversation, Curtis Brown and Faber are pleased to announce our three judges for The Conversation Prize for writers 2026. They are: history professor, Catherine Clarke; innovation professor, Tim Minshall; and our very own Steven Vass, senior editor for Science Insights at The Conversation. Our […]
Why is the UK now changing prime minister every few years?
This is not the UK’s first leadership transition in government, and it is unlikely to be the last. These events have, however, been rare until recently. In the 80 years since the end of the second world war, there have only been 18 prime ministers. The nineteenth, likely to be Andy Burnham, will become the […]
What Brexit has actually changed, ten years later – expert panel
Ink Drop/Shutterstock In the years since the Brexit referendum, many have felt deceived or misled on what exactly they were voting for. New data reveals that 60% of British gen Z-ers want a new vote on rejoining the EU. We spoke to experts to find out what impact Brexit has actually had on Britain. A […]
The danger of confusing AI mental health support with therapy
Nuva Frames/Shutterstock In a recent episode of British sitcom Amandaland, Anne Flynn turns to ChatGPT for help talking to her teenage son about sex. The episode frames this as “The Chat”: the awkward parent-child conversation many adults dread. What Anne is doing on screen is what many people are now doing in private: taking hard […]
Too hot to be hungry: why our appetite shrinks in the summer heat
During a heatwave, cooling you down becomes much more important than digesting and absorbing a big meal. AnikonaAnn/ Shutterstock When temperatures soar, many people find their appetite suddenly plummets. The idea of eating a hot meal becomes the last thing our minds when the heat becomes too much to bear. This doesn’t happen because the […]
Preston Davey: how can so many agencies know about a child and still miss what’s happening?
Halfpoint/Shutterstock The murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey, who was sexually abused and killed by his adoptive father Jamie Varley, has shocked and saddened people across the country. As horrific details emerged during the trial, many people were left asking the same question: how can so many agencies know about a child and still not see […]
Why the UK shouldn’t expect a general election, even with a new prime minister in place
Keir Starmer’s departure as prime minister will not automatically trigger a general election, despite a clamour from some opposition politicians. But voters do not need to be involved in the selection of his successor because of how the UK political system operates: the Labour party won a five-year mandate in July 2024. The main question […]
The contested legacy of Edmund Dene Morel – the man who exposed the murderous exploits of King Leopold II in the Belgian Congo
Mass murderer: Leopold II of Belgium. Anibal Trejo/Shutterstock Young shipping clerk Edmund Dene Morel was working as for the Liverpool firm Elder Dempster when he noticed what appeared to be a discrepancy in the figures. What Morel found in his investigation of that discrepancy would expose one of the most notorious systems of violence of […]
Vitamin D and calcium supplements may not protect against bone fractures, large new study suggests
Niranjan Acharya/Shutterstock.com For years, many people have taken calcium and vitamin D supplements to help keep their bones strong as they age. Walk into any pharmacy or supermarket and you’ll find shelves full of products promising to support bone health, prevent fractures and reduce the risk of falls. Calcium is an important building block of […]
We found microplastics in hedgehogs – then we traced them back to pet food
When colleagues and I found microplastics in hedgehog droppings, we wanted to know where they were coming from. One answer was surprisingly close to home: pet food. The story began in 2021, when we collected 189 hedgehog faeces samples from residential gardens and rehabilitation centres across the UK. We found plastic in 19% of them. […]