Underwater lake heatwaves are on the rise, threatening aquatic life: A view of Lake Superior, one of the Great Lakes. Travis J. Camp/Shutterstock Lakes are essential to ecosystems, providing freshwater, supporting biodiversity and offering crucial habitat for fish and other aquatic species. But a recent study by my colleagues and I shows that lakes around …
Mussel power: how an offshore shellfish farm is boosting marine life: Over the past 50 years, global aquaculture including fish, mussel and seaweed farms has grown dramatically. Almost half of the world’s wild-caught fish is used to produce fishmeal and oils that feed farmed fish. Mussel farming provides a more sustainable alternative protein source for …
How lichens are bringing stone to life and reconnecting us with the natural world: Lichens at Blenheim Palace. Ian Wallman , CC BY-SA Lichens on stone, those “still explosions” as the great American poet Elizabeth Bishop named them, remain unseen to most, which is remarkable when you consider how commonplace they are. It seems these …
Burkina Faso and Mali’s fabulous flora: new plant life record released: The Illustrated Flora of Burkina Faso and Mali is the first comprehensive documentation of the remarkable plant diversity in these two west African countries. Written in French, the book is the outcome of decades of botanical research and scientific collaboration between institutions and botanists …
Rwanda has moved people into model ‘green’ villages: is life better there?: After the devastating 1994 genocide, Rwandans returning from the violence established homes and began farming where they could find land. Since then, the Rwandan government has aimed to bring people scattered across rural parts of the country into grouped settlements which they have …
Miss Austen: the TV show about the Georgian writer’s life embraces her love of fiction: At the heart of the BBC’s new series Miss Austen is a fictional Cassandra Austen (played by Keeley Hawes). Reviews have stressed that the real life Cassandra’s destruction of her sister Jane Austen’s letters has been considered one of the …
‘Your life becomes a nightmare’: how scam operations exploit those trapped inside – Scam Factories podcast, Ep 2: A few weeks after Ben Yeo travelled to Cambodia for what he thought was a job in a casino, he found himself locked up in a padded room. “It’s a combination between a prison and a madhouse,” …
How to make a change in your life – and stick to it: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock Is there a change you’d like to make in your life? Perhaps you’d finally like to write the novel you’ve been thinking about for years. Perhaps you think you should start saving for a holiday or a deposit …
Madagascar supports more unique plant life than any other island in the world – new study: Madagascar is rich in species, including plants. Leamus/iStock/Getty Images Researchers have long known that islands are hotspots for species diversity. But, until recently, there weren’t precise figures to quantify the diversity of plant life on islands. A study involving …
Daniel Craig’s turn as queer writer and an ‘unfilmable’ book brought to life – what you should watch, read and see this week: William S. Burroughs was a gay drug addict. A knot of contradictions, he was also deeply homophobic, sexist, racist and a gun-loving conservative, a passion that would eventually lead to him to …
The extraordinary life of Alfred Nobel: The Nobel prizes may be one of the most famous and prestigious awards in the world – but who was the man behind them? As I explain in my lectures about Alfred Nobel, the inventor and entrepreneur has left a lasting legacy with the annual prizes he established in …
Steve Biko, the South African struggle hero who was prepared to sacrifice his life for black liberation: What happens when death becomes the ultimate marker of one’s commitment to one’s freedom? Jacob Dlamini explores this and other questions in his new book, Dying for Freedom: Political Martyrdom in South Africa. This edited extract, from the …
Edward Webster: South African intellectual, teacher, activist, a man of great energy and integrity, and the life and soul of any party: Eddie Webster (82), sociologist and emeritus professor at the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, who died on 5 March 2024, lived a huge life, …
Death doulas: helping people at the end of their life: You may have heard of a birth doula – someone who provides non-medical support and advocacy throughout pregnancy, birth and after the baby has been born. More recently, so-called death doulas – people who assist at the other end of the lifespan – have been …
Zuleikha Mayat: South African author and activist who led a life of courage, compassion and integrity: Few Indian South African women have achieved wider public recognition than author, human rights and cultural activist Zuleikha Mayat, who passed away on 2 February 2024. An honorary doctorate from the University of KwaZulu-Natal was just one of many …
How long might your dog live? New study calculates life expectancy for different breeds: Survival curves for eight pure breeds. Border collie (dark blue), border terrier (light blue), bulldog (green), French bulldog (red), labrador retriever (orange), mastiff (purple), miniature dachshund (pink) and pug (brown). All purebreds vary significantly from crossbreds (light purple). Liliya Kulianionak/Shutterstock The …
Using your phone at work can help to balance your home life – new research: Jacob Lund/Shutterstock You might not think twice about using your phone while you’re at work. Maybe you need to send a quick message to a family member or a friend, or catch up on the news. Then there’s that dental …
How to make your life greener in 2024: j.chizhe/Shutterstock People all around the world traditionally use their new year to embark on a change in lifestyle. The People’s Climate Vote, a UN survey of public opinion on climate change, highlights that citizens around the world recognise climate change as a global emergency and agree that …