Narwhals are helping scientists map warm water hidden in Greenland’s fjords
You might be familiar with the narwhal – otherwise known as the “unicorn of the sea”. The whale species, with their iconic spiral tusks that can extend up to three metres long, live year-round in Arctic waters across Canada, Greenland and Russia. They attract committed tourists determined to see and photograph them in the wild, […]
The Bayeux tapestry’s lesser-known tale of bromance: William and Harold were friends before they were enemies
Wikimedia They weren’t always enemies. Before William of Normandy and Harold Godwinson were deadly adversaries on the battlefield at Hastings in 1066, vying for the throne of England, they were comrades and brothers in arms. It’s a tragic journey from unlikely allies to mortal enemies. And it’s one of the lesser-known stories in the Bayeux […]
How Aliens became the rare sequel that was as good as – or better than – the original
In 1986, seven years after the groundbreaking Alien, director James Cameron released its long-awaited sequel. Rather then trying to recreate Ridley Scott’s claustrophobic 1979 horror, Cameron transformed it into something bigger, louder and more militaristic. Forty years later, Aliens remains one of the rare sequels that can credibly stand alongside – and perhaps even surpass […]
Robots can run faster than elite human sprinters, but are they really athletes?
A humanoid robot running 100 metres in 9.39 seconds sounds extraordinary. At this week’s World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, one machine reportedly beat the world record held by Usain Bolt, while another jumped higher than Javier Sotomayor’s long-standing high jump mark. On the surface, these achievements appear to represent a new frontier in sport. […]
How Ecuador became a global cocaine hub
For decades, discussions about Latin America’s cocaine trade have tended to focus on the same places. Colombia and Peru produce much of the world’s coca, while Mexico’s cartels dominate trafficking into the US. But between these known parts of the supply chain, another country has quietly become important: Ecuador. Ecuador is not a major cocaine […]
Nepal-Tibet floods: when disaster strikes before communities recover from previous climate extremes, crisis escalates
Major flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border have destroyed homes, roads, bridges and local hydropower projects. The flooding of the Bhote Koshi river is affecting 50,000 residents. More than 380 tourists are missing. At least 95 people have already died. This region of the Himalayas had not yet recovered from the Bhote Koshi flooding in […]
US midterm elections: Democrats gain ground as Trump faces growing voter discontent
The official campaign for the US midterm elections usually begins after America celebrates Labor Day on September 7. But over the summer, the battle for votes has intensified between Donald Trump’s Republican party and a freshly emboldened Democratic party. In November’s elections, all the seats in the House of Representatives will be contested, as will […]
It’s not just rough sleeping – Andy Burnham’s housing plans need to include the ‘hidden homeless’
Andy Burnham has placed housing inequality, council house building and eradicating rough sleeping at the top of his priority list as prime minister. He has now announced plans to get rough sleepers in England into accommodation by Christmas. While this is a worthy goal, homelessness is not just about rough sleepers. It also includes households […]
Paris Jackson underwent ECT for severe depression. Here’s why the treatment remains debated
Kathy Hutchins/ Shutterstock Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris, recently revealed that she had undergone nine rounds of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to treat severe depression. In the interview, Jackson said that although she felt the treatment “was working”, she said getting “shocked once a month for the rest of my life” wasn’t feasible for her. ECT involves […]
Our obsession with ‘maxxing’ every aspect of our lives could actually be stressing us out
Optimisation is never supposed to become the purpose of life. DannyOliva/ Shutterstock If you want to improve yourself, your health or your lifestyle, you need to do it to the “maxx” – according to social media, at least. If you want to better your appearance, you need to try “looksmaxxing”. If you want to fix […]