Month: December 2023

Researchers say better representation could elicit interest in lesser-known organisms and help conservation efforts When Stefano Mammola and Francesco Ficetola went to an ecology conference in Prague in 2021, they met a scientist with an unusual complaint. Jennifer Anderson, an expert in aquatic fungi, lamented that the subject of her research was not available in …

Fungi and flatworms? Scientists call for greater emoji biodiversity Read More »

Ageing acts that can’t even get radio time are going viral – and finding themselves playing arenas or even soundtracking Ukrainian resistance. But how do you follow up a hit no one can explain? Like most musicians, Ryan Guldemond of the Canadian indie band Mother Mother had an extremely quiet 2020. Towards the end of …

‘We’re on TikTok? What’s TikTok?’ The forgotten bands going supersonic thanks to gen Z Read More »

Keeping everyone entertained during the festive season can be difficult. When tensions are high and patience and sobriety are in shorty supply communal video games could be the answer At this time of year, we often find ourselves at festive gatherings with people of wildly varying ages and tastes. So, what’s the best way to …

Christmas saviours: testing five new party video games … at an actual party Read More »

Pro-union workers are hopeful but realistic, but they fear Musk’s previous ruthlessness towards workers trying to unionize Elon Musk and a powerful US union may clash next year in what could be a defining moment for both the embattled tech titan and an American labor movement seeking to flex its muscles fresh off a dramatic …

UAW wants to unionize Tesla. It faces a tough and high-profile battle with Musk Read More »

The more I navigated using my phone, the more unsettled I felt. Was it robbing something from me? In August this year I moved to Bristol. After spending most of my life living in villages or small towns, being constantly surrounded by the busyness of a city was a shock. Not owning a bike and …

Scrawled bits of paper and an A-Z: How I went cold turkey on Google Maps | Ned Vessey Read More »

Young people trust social media above politicians when it comes to the Israel-Hamas war. Is it any wonder, given the kind of politics they have grown up with? In a famous two-frame meme from The Simpsons, Principal Skinner asks himself: “Am I so out of touch?” “No,” he decides, with resolve. “It’s the children who …

Is TikTok brainwashing the kids? No, this is just an old moral panic in a new form | Nesrine Malik Read More »

Laptop upgrade adds M3 chips, more power, longer battery life, brighter screen, lower price and darker colour Apple’s latest upgraded MacBook Pro adds a wider range of chip options, a cheaper price and a new black colour option, alongside even greater performance and battery life. The much-loved laptop now starts at £1,699 (€1,999/$1,599/A$2,699), which isn’t …

Apple MacBook Pro M3 review: beloved laptop is back in black Read More »

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts I’ve just been looking at my photos from a recent trip to the Grand Canyon and I’m thoroughly unimpressed. Why do photographs of beautiful scenery never do it justice? Alex Robinson, …

Readers reply: why do photographs of beautiful scenery never do it justice? Read More »

Critics say Fraser Samson hiring is ‘outrageous conflict of interest’ as monitoring technology is rolled out in UK high streets The recently-departed watchdog in charge of monitoring facial recognition technology has joined the private firm he controversially approved, paving the way for the mass roll-out of biometric surveillance cameras in high streets across the country. …

Ex-commissioner for facial recognition tech joins Facewatch firm he approved Read More »

I laughed at the hapless gondola passengers, but I’m also in awe of them pursuing their vanity so publicly I mean, I’ll just come out and say it: it’s pretty tempting to laugh out loud at the tourists who fell off their gondola into the canal in Venice last week because they just wouldn’t stop …

I’d never fall into a Venice canal taking selfies – all mine are done in secret | Sophie Heawood Read More »