How Victorian melodrama turned the sweet music of gothic into something dark and sinister: In 1764, Horace Walpole published the first gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, set in a labyrinthine castle surrounded by woods. The novel features the supernatural, with a dark secret from the past at its core. Today, 260 years later, gothic …
Brain implants, agentic AI and answers on dark matter: what to expect from science in 2025 – podcast: ZinetroN/Shutterstock In a special episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast to start 2025, we’ve brought together three science editors from The Conversation’s editions around the world to discuss what to look out for in the world of …
Dark energy is one of the biggest puzzles in science and we’re now a step closer to understanding it: Over ten years ago, the Dark Energy Survey (DES) began mapping the universe to find evidence that could help us understand the nature of the mysterious phenomenon known as dark energy. I’m one of more than …
Priscilla: a bold feminist retelling of Elvis’ dark fairytale marriage: In director Sofia Coppola’s new biopic Priscilla, we meet the future Mrs Presley in 1959 when she is a typical 14-year-old all-American schoolgirl, hanging out at a diner and sipping a Coke. She meets the 24-year-old Elvis Presley during his military service and the two …
UK urged to get ready for disaster with new national crises plan – but our research reveals the dark side of prepping: What would you do if everyday life was suddenly turned upside down? Thanks to recent Hollywood blockbusters, the increasing popularity of everyday survivalism and a climate of volatile, uncertain times (war, weather, accelerating …
Archie: Cary Grant drama doesn’t shy away from the actor’s dark side: Towards the end of Archie, a new four-part ITV drama about the life of Cary Grant, the actor (played at this stage by Jason Isaacs) muses: “Leave the past in the past where it belongs. If you’re not careful, it becomes a trap.” …
Narcissism, immorality and lack of empathy: the dark psychology that can poison elites: Sexism, harassment and bullying are rife in the UK's Red Arrows. Watcharisma/Shutterstock Sexism, harassment and bullying plague the Red Arrows, the UK Royal Air Force’s display team. This revelation was the outcome of investigations into complaints of bad behaviour in this elite …
As Dark Side of the Moon: Redux shows, when it comes to lyrics, less is usually more: The cover to Dark Side of the Moon: Redux. Roger Waters There’s a scene in The Simpsons episode, Lisa The Simpson (1998), where Lisa is watching a jazz violinist’s performance and a man is criticising it. “You have …
Dark patterns: how online companies strive to keep your money and data when you try to leave: Artem Samokhvalov/Shutterstock Have you signed up to an online service for a free trial, decided it isn’t for you, but still ended up paying for it months – or even years – later? Or tried cancelling a subscription, …
Fair Play: Netflix drama reveals the dark side of being a woman in the financial services industry: Warning: this article contains minor spoilers for Fair Play. Fair Play follows a young couple working as analysts at a high-flying, ruthless asset management firm in New York. They work hard and play hard while appearing to support …
How reading ‘dark academia’ novels can help new students feel more at home at university: Giammarco Boscaro/Unsplash Over the next few weeks, over a million new university students will be heading to campus. Many of them may be nervous about what lies ahead, which is understandable given that most of them will be in a …
The end of Twitter – how Elon Musk’s rebrand to X could foster the platform’s dark side: Adryan Samuel Hutagalung / Shutterstock Alas, poor Twitter; we knew it well. Or, at least, we thought we did. Despite never occupying more than 10% of social media’s online presence, western audiences are very aware of the platform. …
How a surfing sea otter revealed the dark side of human nature: We like to think of sea otters as cute but they can be aggressive. rbrown10/Shutterstock Surfers often talk about how the sport helps them reconnect with nature, but a recent episode involving an otter with a love for surfboards shows just how brittle …
Belgium’s AfricaMuseum has a dark colonial past – it’s making slow progress in confronting this history: DRC Prime Minister Jean-Michel Lukonde (L) at Belgium's AfricaMuseum in 2022. Jasper Jacobs via Getty Images Racist displays and stories remain on display in several western European museums. They include grotesque objects depicting African people as “savage” and “wild”. …
Nigeria’s mobile money system has a dark side even though it’s convenient – new study explores the risks: Mobile money operators using point of sale machines are increasingly popular in Nigeria. Getty Images Financial services play vital roles in supporting economic activities. In Nigeria, though, a significant number of people don’t have access to essential …
The Euclid spacecraft will transform how we view the ‘dark universe’: Euclid is set to launch this year on a rocket built by SpaceX. Work performed by ATG under contract for ESA, CC BY-SA The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid satellite completed the first part of its long journey into space on May 1 2023, …
Swarm: Donald Glover’s new show is a dark meditation on fan culture from a decidedly Black female perspective: Swarm, a new show from Janine Nabers and Donald Glover, exposes the very real dangers of obsessive fandoms. Each episode begins with a series of title cards that let the audience know that “this is not a …
Netflix’s You: the real monster of series four is ‘dark academia’: Warning: the following article contains spoilers for the first half of You series four. Since its release in 2018, Netflix’s drama You has sparked both intrigue and controversy. Based on the fictional novel of the same name by Caroline Kepnes, the show follows the …