Nature is a rich source of medicine – if we can protect it

Dec 16, 2018 10:28 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

The Pacific yew tree is a fairly small and slow growing conifer native to the Pacific Northwest. The Gila monster is a lizard with striking orange and black markings from the drylands of the Southwestern US and Mexico. Two...

Orangutans can communicate about the past just like humans, new research finds

Dec 16, 2018 10:28 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The evolution of language converted a defenceless naked ape into a world-dominating force. It fundamentally transformed how humans transmit information and knowledge. A large and potent component of language is our ability...

Italian Mafia activities are expanding abroad – and European police forces are still unprepared

Dec 16, 2018 10:28 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Members of the Italian mafia like to travel abroad not necessarily for pleasure, but to make money. And the harm they are doing to European economies is often underplayed, trivialised or ignored. Organised crime groups...

Why the new Arctic 'Cold War' is a dangerous myth

Dec 16, 2018 10:27 am UTC| Insights & Views

All too often the Arctic region is portrayed as an area on the cusp of military crisis. This is an easy narrative to sell; it harks back to the Cold War. Potent imagery persists of submarines trolling silently beneath the...

Is Britain heading for Canada plus plus Brexit?

Dec 16, 2018 10:27 am UTC| Insights & Views

Theresa Mays successful defence of her leadership has left her weakened, particularly since she had to give an assurance that she would not stay on as leader after the negotiations with the EU are complete to convince some...

Looking for a high-tech gift for a young child? Think playgrounds, not playpens

Dec 16, 2018 10:27 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Shopping for a new high-tech gift for the child in your life this holiday season? Its easy to be overwhelmed by all the options. Bright boxes, colorful apps and cute plastic robots will promise that learning outcomes will...

Our cities fall short on sustainability, but planning innovations offer local solutions

Dec 16, 2018 10:26 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Thirty years after the landmark Brundtland report, the debate on urban sustainability continues. Urban planners are still grappling with the challenges of making our cities sustainable. Urban sustainability is an...