Only 3 years left – new study warns the world is running out of time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change: Bad climate news is everywhere. Africa is being hit particularly hard by climate change and extreme weather, impacting lives and livelihoods. We are living in a world that is warming at the …
Only 6% of gen Z actually favour dictatorship – not half, as some reports would have you believe: Shutterstock/Dedraw Studio America’s constitutional framework was designed specifically to prevent the concentration of power and to impede any president’s authoritarian aspirations. It is certainly being put to the test right now. When US vice-president J.D. Vance recently …
El Niño drought leaves Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba only 13% full: a disaster for people and wildlife: Water levels at Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe have dropped dramatically because of the latest El Niño drought. The country’s president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has declared a national disaster. Historian and social scientist Joshua Matanzima grew up at Lake Kariba and …
Flame retardant chemicals can cause serious health risks – and they only slow fire by a few seconds: Many flame retardant additives have been banned. Aleksandar Malivuk/Shutterstock House fires are many people’s worst nightmare. But chemicals created decades ago to protect people’s homes from out of control flames opened our front doors to a new …
Earth has many objects in orbit but definitely only one Moon – despite what some people think: Wherever you view it from on Earth, it's the same Moon. Fernando Astasio Avila / Shutterstock Big Brother has always chosen its contestants for entertainment value rather than for intellectual debate. This was recently highlighted in a discussion …
Wildcats lived alongside domestic cats for 2,000 years but only started interbreeding 60 years ago – new study: There are very few wildcats like this one left in their natural habitat in Scotland. Mark Bridger You are unlikely to have seen one, but wildcats are still clinging on by a claw in Scotland. Most of …
Many divorcees end up with nothing or only debt after divorce – new study: Divorced couples may have less assets to split than you think. Prostock-studio/Shutterstock Contrary to the impression given by divorces covered in the media, most do not entail couples sharing vast amounts of wealth and spending huge sums on legal proceedings. The …
X/Twitter: imposing a US bot tax on new customers will only make the platform’s problems worse: X, formerly known as Twitter, is testing a subscription plan called “Not a Bot” of US$ 1 equivalent per annum in New Zealand and the Philippines. Those who don’t subscribe will still be able to log in to view …
Greta Thunberg is far from the only neurodivergent climate activist – many who see the world differently also want to change it: Liv Oeian/Shutterstock Amid her calls for governments to act on climate change, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has spoken openly about her Asperger’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She is not the only environmental campaigner …
Only 1% of chemical compounds have been discovered – here’s how we search for others that could change the world: Garsya/Shutterstock The universe is flooded with billions of chemicals, each a tiny pinprick of potential. And we’ve only identified 1% of them. Scientists believe undiscovered chemical compounds could help remove greenhouse gases, or trigger a …
Labour set to win Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection – but only a thumping majority will herald big Scottish gains next year: More than three years after the COVID law-breaking that cost the SNP’s Margaret Ferrier her job as MP, voters in Rutherglen and Hamilton West will be summoned to the polls on October 5 …
Does AI have a right to free speech? Only if it supports our right to free thought: ArtemisDiana / Shutterstock The world has witnessed breathtaking advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI), with ChatGPT being one of the best known examples. To prevent harm and misuse of the technology, politicians are now considering regulating AI. Yet …
Being an only child doesn’t affect your development – family background matters more: Motortion Films/Shutterstock Being an only child is a “disease in itself”, according to 19th century psychologist Stanley G. Hall. Even though Hall’s views and scholarly research methods have been questioned and criticised, only children’s reputation as spoiled, overprotected and lonely has persisted …
Martha’s rule: second-opinion law can work – but only if organisational shortcomings are addressed: Martha's Rule would empower patients and their families to call for treatment reviews and formal second opinions. gpointstudio/ Shutterstock As things stand, hospital patients in England have no legal right to a second medical opinion. But that could soon change, as …
Birmingham’s bankruptcy is only the tip of the iceberg – local authorities across England are at risk: The city of Birmingham has issued what is known as a section 114 notice. This signals that the council is unable to balance its budget, due to lack of financial resources. That the largest local authority in Europe …
Only Murders in the Building is a loving parody of the whodunit: Only Murders in the Building, starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez, has returned for a third season on Disney+. The popular series follows the whodunit mystery formula, beginning with a murder in the apartment building the characters live in, the perpetrator …
Bibby Stockholm: legionella is not the only health threat on the asylum barge: shutterstock Just days after being moved in, people seeking asylum were removed from the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge due to legionella bacteria on board. Dorset council, where the barge is located, has raised concerns that delays in removing people increased their risk …
Science experiments traditionally only used male mice – here’s why that’s a problem for women’s health: unoL/Shutterstock If you have ever taken a medicine, then you have benefited from research in animals. But ten years ago, if you looked at a scientific report involving mice or rats, it would probably have used only male animals. …