century

China’s Everest obsession: following Mallory’s footsteps a century on, I saw how tourism and climate change are transforming the mountain

China’s Everest obsession: following Mallory’s footsteps a century on, I saw how tourism and climate change are transforming the mountain: Chinese tourists at Everest's northern base camp, Rongbuk in Tibet, photograph the world's highest mountain. Carl Cater, CC BY-NC-ND To the discerning eye, other mountains are visible – giants between 23,000 and 26,000 feet high. …

Antibiotic resistance threatens to “undo a century of medical progress”: 5 essential reads

Antibiotic resistance threatens to “undo a century of medical progress”: 5 essential reads: Who hasn’t been prescribed antibiotics by a doctor – for a chest infection or perhaps a sore throat? It’s terrifying to think that these infections can become life threatening if the antibiotic drugs needed to treat them stop working. This is known …

Moles, birthmarks and red hair: the anatomical features used to accuse women of witchcraft in the 17th century

Moles, birthmarks and red hair: the anatomical features used to accuse women of witchcraft in the 17th century: Women's bodies were inspected by witch-finders to uncover unusual growths of blemishes. T. H. Matteson/ Wikimedia Commons Throughout accounts of 17th-century witch trials in Europe and North America, physical features alone were considered undeniable proof of witchcraft. …

No government in half a century has built 300,000 homes every year, but that’s what Labour wants to do now

No government in half a century has built 300,000 homes every year, but that’s what Labour wants to do now: Labour is changing the way sites for new homes are chosen. Francesco Scatena The election of the Labour government has been accompanied by a renewed appetite to deal with England’s housing crisis. Among the first …

Massive US-led naval exercises in Hawai’i and Pacific islands reflect over a century of colonial exploitation of the region

Massive US-led naval exercises in Hawai’i and Pacific islands reflect over a century of colonial exploitation of the region: Since the last week in June, navies and naval assets from 29 countries have been taking part the world’s largest naval exercises. The US-led Rimpac 2024 (Exercise Rim of the Pacific), the 29th such exercise to …

A century ago, the women of Wales made an audacious appeal for world peace – this is their story

A century ago, the women of Wales made an audacious appeal for world peace – this is their story: February 11 1924, on board the RMS Cedric: Saw Statue of Liberty glowing in the sunlight. Bitterly cold wind, bright sunshine. At lunch, a press man came to me and said: ‘Mrs Griffiths, I am from …

Young people took up smoking during the pandemic – how tobacco has been used for stress relief for more than a century

Young people took up smoking during the pandemic – how tobacco has been used for stress relief for more than a century: Lomb/Shutterstock In the UK and much of the west, smoking rates have consistently declined since the turn of the millennium. But during some of the most anxiety-ridden months of the COVID pandemic in …

Harold Shipman was arrested a quarter of a century ago, but we still have problems with prescribing controlled drugs

Harold Shipman was arrested a quarter of a century ago, but we still have problems with prescribing controlled drugs: Oleg Troino/Shutterstock Catherine Hudson drugged two patients on the stroke ward of Blackpool Victoria Hospital to give herself an easier life. She has been jailed for seven years and two months. Her colleague, Charlotte Wilmot, who …

Why men in 19th century Wales dressed as women to protest taxation

Why men in 19th century Wales dressed as women to protest taxation: South-west Wales was reeling in the wake of social unrest in November 1843. There had been a series of protests over several years by farmers furious at taxation levels, mainly attacking tollgates. Often, the men involved dressed as women and were therefore known …

Earthrise: historian uncovers the true origins of the ‘image of the century’

Earthrise: historian uncovers the true origins of the ‘image of the century’: The restored image of Earthrise. A high quality black and white image was coloured using hues from the original colour photos. Image Credit: NASA, Apollo 8 Crew, Bill Anders; Processing and License: Jim Weigang, CC BY-SA The recent death of Frank Borman, commander …

Our new map reveals the effects of 20th century land-use and climate change on Britain’s wild species

Our new map reveals the effects of 20th century land-use and climate change on Britain’s wild species: Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock Under the stewardship of geographer Sir Dudley Stamp, thousands of volunteers (including many schoolchildren) came together in the 1930s on a mission that sounds relatively simple on paper: to record how British land was being …

If the first solar entrepreneur hadn’t been kidnapped, would fossil fuels have dominated the 20th century the way they did?

If the first solar entrepreneur hadn’t been kidnapped, would fossil fuels have dominated the 20th century the way they did?: George Cove stands next to his third solar array. Popular Electricity Magazine, April 1910 / Low Tech Magazine One argument put forward in defence of fossil fuels is that they were a historical necessity, because …

The Atlantic Ocean’s major current system is slowing down – but a 21st century collapse is unlikely

The Atlantic Ocean’s major current system is slowing down – but a 21st century collapse is unlikely: Scientists collect water and sediment samples to study how the oceans and climate are changing. Eugene Bergh, Author provided Whether the water at your local beach is being roiled by nasty weather or is a perfectly calm expanse …

The history of the Yellow Book – the 19th century journal that celebrated women writers

The history of the Yellow Book – the 19th century journal that celebrated women writers: Decadent Young Woman After the Dance by Ramón Casas (1899). Musee de Montserrat In the middle of the final decade of the 19th century, Britain was the most powerful and richest nation on earth, with the largest empire ever known. …

How the Soviet century wrote itself into the Moscow cityscape

How the Soviet century wrote itself into the Moscow cityscape: The phrase “the Soviet century”, which refers to the hundred years following the Russian revolution of 1917, is generally understood to be about the political sphere – at home and beyond. Quite how that translates into the material world though is best appreciated through a …

How the British Museum’s new exhibition reveals China’s Hidden Century through everyday lives

How the British Museum’s new exhibition reveals China’s Hidden Century through everyday lives: The face of the British Museum’s big summer show, China’s Hidden Century, is that of an elderly woman wearing jade earrings, dressed in a blue robe with ornate gold embroidery decorating its collar. It is an image painted, we discover in the …

Why there are fewer insects on UK farms than there were a century ago — and how to restore them

Why there are fewer insects on UK farms than there were a century ago — and how to restore them: Farmed landscapes have become less hospitable habitats for insects. Protasov AN/Shutterstock Insect populations are declining worldwide at a rate of almost 1% per year. This decline is alarming. Insects play a crucial role in pollinating …

Researchers discover 18th century clay tobacco pipes were used as weapons and surgical tools

Researchers discover 18th century clay tobacco pipes were used as weapons and surgical tools: The ready availability of clay pipes meant that they were sometimes used for other activities other than smoking. Ashmolean Museum, CC BY-NC Tobacco pipes were one of the first mass-produced, disposable objects in Britain. Through contact with indigenous peoples of the …