
How pterosaurs can inspire aircraft design
Pterosaurs were an amazing group of flying reptiles that occupied the skies around the same time that dinosaurs roamed on land. Appearing in the fossil record around 230 million years ago, pterosaurs survived until 66...

Whats seven times nine? Quick, youve got six seconds to answer. This June, over 600,000 children in England in year four, aged eight and nine, will be expected to answer questions like this. They will be sitting the...

Why people become drug mules – and why harsh sentences don’t deter them
Thousands of British nationals are charged with drug smuggling abroad every year. The UK charity Prisoners Abroad reports a rise in the number of British people imprisoned abroad for drug offences in 2024-25, compared to...

Wegovy and Mounjaro might affect how well your contraceptives work – here’s why
Weight loss drugs, including Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide), are becoming increasingly popular among those trying to lose weight. But a rise in so-called Ozempic babies has led the UKs medicines regulator...

Living on Mars: are there lessons from the terrible conditions of prisons?
I have been researching the possibility of living on Mars for several years. But it took an invitation to give a talk about space at HMP Erlestoke in England a category C mens prison to make me realise that there are a...

To the discerning eye, other mountains are visible giants between 23,000 and 26,000 feet high. Not one of their slenderer heads even reaches their chiefs shoulder. Beside Everest they escape notice, such is the...

What does Israel’s strike mean for US policy on Iran and prospects for a nuclear deal?
Israels strike on Iranian nuclear and military facilities has pushed the Middle East one step closer to a far wider, more dangerous regional war. It also has implications for recent U.S. diplomatic efforts toward a deal...