2020 marks the 33rd anniversary of Black History Month (BHM) in the UK, and it has never seemed more relevant. One outstanding feature of the wave of protests, conversations, and questioning that has…Read More >
Biodiversity: where the world is making progress – and where it’s not
The future of biodiversity hangs in the balance. World leaders are gathering to review international targets and make new pledges for action to stem wildlife declines. Depending on whether you are a glass half-full…Read More >
Mastectomies have been performed for over 500 years – yet we still can’t talk about them
In the middle of the 17th century, Mrs Townsend found a lump in her breast. Diagnosed with breast cancer by a local physician, she underwent a mastectomy without anaesthetic –…Read More >
Bolivia reverses years of progress with new draconian cocaine policy, supported by the EU
Bolivia has seen widespread public protests in recent months against the interim government, led by Jeanine Añez, which has twice postponed elections due to coronavirus. Her government has repeatedly violated its mandate…Read More >
Heatwaves are an invisible killer – and the UK is woefully unprepared
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause suffering around the world, but another killer has silently struck in summer 2020. With relatively little by way of official warning or advice on…Read More >
Taking Publishers’ Archives Online: The Modernist Archives Publishing Project
The publishing industry decides what gets published and determines whose voices get heard. The books we read are shaped by the people who produce them, and a publisher’s archive is…Read More >
Cold war nuclear tests changed rainfall thousands of miles away
It’s difficult to imagine quite how alarming it would have been for the world’s meteorologists monitoring the atmosphere during the nuclear tests in the 1950s and early 60s. The radioactivity…Read More >
Discovering evolution’s rules for sculpting the natural world
Look at a horse’s front leg – it has just one toe. A horse stands, like a ballerina, ‘en pointe’, but for its entire life, not just during moments of…Read More >
Understanding Equality: From Distribution to Relationships
Many of us believe that we should try to create a more equal society. But it’s not always clear what we mean when we say that we care about equality….Read More >