Britain's part in the 'drone war' in Yemen urgently needs explaining
Apr 14, 2016 16:20 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, more commonly known as drones, have become the most talked-about weapon of 21st-century warfare and whether used for surveillance or strikes, semi-secret drone programmes are an endless source of...
Five years after Gaddafi's fall, is Libya any closer to political stability?
Apr 14, 2016 15:36 pm UTC| Insights & Views
After five years of violence and political instability, Libya may be on the verge of forming a stable government, after the self-declared administration in Tripoli stepped down in favour of the UN-backed unity government....
How the wisdom of crowds could solve the mystery of Shakespeare's 'lost plays'
Apr 14, 2016 15:33 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy
Are the many wiser than the few? Are the masses cleverer than the expert? This is a question which has in recent years attracted an explosion of interest, perhaps most famously popularised by James Surowieckis 2004 book,...
'Helicopter money' – why economists are now thinking the unthinkable
Apr 14, 2016 15:27 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy Central Banks
For the 85th month in a row, the Bank of England has voted to keep interest rates at a low of 0.5%. Along with the European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve, it remains wedded to the idea that low interest rates,...
Led Zeppelin, plagiarism, and why we should be worried about the future of music
Apr 14, 2016 15:16 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law Entertainment
Led Zeppelins Robert Plant and Jimmy Page will soon face a jury trial in order to determine whether they copied the opening chords for their 1971 classic Stairway to Heaven from the song Taurus, recorded by the...
Delaying shutting power stations will bring big disruption later: Climate Institute research
Apr 14, 2016 15:09 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Modelling done for the Climate Institute indicates that without big policy changes Australias path to zero emissions from the electricity sector by 2050 would mean huge disruption after 2030. The report, A Switch in...
Octopuses are super-smart ... but are they conscious?
Apr 14, 2016 15:07 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Inky the wild octopus has escaped from the New Zealand National Aquarium. Apparently, he made it out of a small opening in his tank, and suction cup prints indicate he found his way to a drain pipe that emptied to the...
South Africa’s plan to move away from coal: 8 steps to make it succeed
Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects