Rats are more human than you think – and they certainly like being around us: Gallinago_media/Shutterstock Rats have a somewhat unfortunate tendency to enjoy living where people live. That’s how a biologist tried to explain people’s hatred for the rodents in a television news feature about rats gnawing electrical cables in parked cars in the …
UK’s failed asylum deportation plan puts Rwanda’s human rights and refugee struggles in the spotlight: The UK Supreme Court ruled on 15 November 2023 that sending asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful. The plan would have seen tens of thousands of asylum seekers sent from the UK to Rwanda, which would then process and host …
Weird and wonderful things lost then found inside the human body: Lisa F. Young/Shutterstock Doctors in Missouri recently made a startling discovery. A 63-year-old patient who went for a routine colon screening was found to have an intact fly in his colon. The doctors had no idea how the fly survived the perilous journey through …
This is the hottest autumn on record – and it’s impacting the climate system and human society: We are still getting used to a “new normal” of devastating summer heatwaves. But the effects of a warming climate are being felt throughout the year, and recent autumn months have been further off the charts than ever. …
How Saudi Arabia’s unchallenged 2034 World Cup bid could weaken Fifa’s human rights demands: In 2010, Qatar was awarded the rights to host the 2022 Fifa men’s World Cup. It marked the culmination of the small, oil-rich gulf nation’s long-term strategy to diversify its economy and strengthen its international standing through investment in sport, culture …
Marathon under 2 hours is closer than ever – scientist shows how Kenya’s Kiptum tests human limits: War in the Middle East plunged humanity to new lows on Sunday 8 October 2023 that have gripped international attention since. If that were not the case, the world would likely be abuzz with the breathtaking exploits of …
AI: we may not need a new human right to protect us from decisions by algorithms – the laws already exist: Hiring algorithms could filter candidates before interviews even take place. fizkes / Shutterstock There are risks and harms that come with relying on algorithms to make decisions. People are already feeling the impact of …
Nobel peace prize: Narges Mohammadi wins on behalf of thousands of Iranian women struggling for human rights: Prominent Iranian women’s rights advocate Narges Mohammadi has won the 2023 Nobel peace prize for her long fight against the oppression of women in Iran. Mohammadi is serving multiple prison sentences in Evin prison in Tehran on charges …
Ancient shoes: tracks on a South African beach offer oldest evidence yet of human footwear: When and where did our ancestors first fashion footwear? We cannot look to physical evidence of shoes for the answer, as the perishable materials from which they were made would no longer be evident. Ichnology, the study of fossil tracks …
Air traffic control chaos: how human error can lead a tiny glitch to spiral out of control: Several thousand passengers were stranded at airports, hotels and connection depots following the recent system-wide glitch of the UK air traffic control systems. Some passengers were told of flight cancellations in advance, so they could make alternative travel …
Microplastics discovered in the body tissues of whales, dolphins and seals – sparking concerns for human health too: A Risso's dolphin entangled in fishing line. Andrew Sutton/Shutterstock Marine mammals – animals including whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, sea otters, dugongs and manatees – are threatened by an array of human activities. Species such as the …
World Bank freezes loans to Uganda because of anti-gay laws. But it doesn’t mean it’s becoming a human rights watchdog: A gay pride rally in Entebbe, Uganda in 2014 before a tough anti-homosexuality law was passed. ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP via Getty Images Many people may be tempted to view the World Bank’s recent announcement that it …
Grayson Perry: exploring what it is to be human with humour, irreverence and excess: Smash Hits, the new Grayson Perry retrospective at Edinburgh’s National Galleries, spans the 40-year career of the recently knighted artist. It’s an exhibition packed with scrutiny of the entanglements of self and society, as Perry casts up snippets of the institutional …
Shared horse and human burials show how deeply the vikings cared for their animal companions: Is your pet part of the family? That’s nothing new. Archeological evidence exists to suggest that the vikings held their own animals in high – even intimate – regard, taking them with them on voyages. Earlier this year, scientific evidence …
How classic psychology warped our view of human nature as cruel and selfish – but new research is more hopeful: DorSteffen/Shutterstock There are a number of classic experiments and theories that every psychology student learns about, but more recent research has questioned their findings so that psychologists today are reevaluating human nature. One example is …
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 …
Caster Semenya’s legal victory is significant for human rights, but doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll be able to compete again – here’s why: Olympic athlete Caster Semenya has repeatedly come into conflict with competition rules set out by the athletics governing body, World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF). These rules require athletes like Semenya, who …
Human organs for transplant: 5 steps Africa must take to improve the supply chain: Lack of a proper storage and transport medium is a challenge to organ donation in Africa. Sean Gallup/Getty Images Medical science has made tremendous advancements over the past 70 years. One of these is the transplant of human organs from one …