Environment
Imagine newsletter: the power of plankton
This roundup of The Conversation’s environment coverage was first published in our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter, Imagine.
News
Editorial coverage from the Scotland Britain Wire newsroom.
- Government
King Arthur and Ramayana: ancient stories that speak to the moral dilemmas of today’s leaders
Across the vastly different worlds of ancient India and medieval Britain, two legendary rulers face the exact same impossible choice: sacrifice their love or shatter the moral foundation of their kingdom?
- Community
HIV prevention medication is highly effective, but it can complicate blood donor screening
Taking medicine to prevent HIV might seem a good reason to feel confident about being able or eligible to give blood. Yet people taking pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as Prep, cannot donate while using it, and must wait for three months af…
- Health
From doctors and teachers to lawyers, every profession has a duty to align with climate goals
A Dutch family doctor called Tibor Poelmann posted a petition on an online forum for GPs in 2021. He wanted their pension fund to stop investing in oil and gas. It quickly gathered 1,200 signatures.
- Technology
The Binance hack exploited familiar weaknesses – all organisations should learn from it
Hackers have stolen around US$6.3 billion (£4.7 billion) from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, most of which was taken in under an hour.
- Government
Agatha Christie: A World of Mystery is a brilliant exploration of the life of the queen of crime
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s death, the exhibition A World of Mystery at the British Library takes visitors on a fascinating journey through spaces that evoke Christie’s life and work.
ScienceWe used ancient DNA to track the origins and spread of the Germanic and Celtic languages – new research
Why do people speak Germanic languages such as English in England and Swedish in Sweden, but Celtic languages in Ireland, Wales and Brittany? The dispersal of languages is one of the enigmas of European prehistory.
- Health
Stair climbers are said to boost fitness, strength and bone health — here’s what the evidence actually says
The stair climber has seen a huge surge in popularity on social media in recent years. Proponents of the exercise machine rave about its benefits – claiming it can boost cardiovascular fitness, strength and bone health.
- Government
US midterms: after two years of unchecked Trump we’ll now see if Congress can reassert its democratic role
The 2026 midterm elections have delivered a decisive rebuke to Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Democrats have won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, ending two years of unified Republican government in Wash…
- Government
International surrogacy and the narrow legal idea of what makes a family legitimate
A recent family court judgment in the UK highlighted ethical issues with the practice of international surrogacy. The case is thought to be the first to come before a court in the UK involving a surrogate who gave birth in China, where surr…
GovernmentWhy Trump, Xi, and Putin can’t carve up the world like the ‘big three’ leaders of 1945
Discussions are underway for a potential meeting between Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on November 18-19.
- Science
Why so many British pubs are closing down
British pubs are disappearing at an alarming rate. Last year around eight closed down every week.