Small glitches, but Rosetta comet mission is achieving major scientific goals
Philae landed and bounced – and has ended up in a spot partly shaded from the sun. That’s unfortunate, but not a big problem.
UK
United Kingdom
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Analysis and Comment
Britain First: the party taking far-right politics to new lows
From dead pigs to military uniforms, the new face of the far-right in Britain is very ugly.
Spiders disguise themselves as ants to hide and hunt their prey
As these clever arachnids demonstrate, the right look and some smart moves will get them fed and keep them safe.
What next for China after historic climate deal?
The climate change announcement with the US is a big deal for China, not least because of the state of its economy.
How banks allegedly rigged the US$5.3 trillion foreign exchange market
Six of the world’s biggest banks agreed to pay billions to settle accusations they profited by rigging currency “fixing” rates. Here’s why it matters.
Hard Evidence: why do students in London do better at school?
The answer is easier than you think – migrants.
A double win for Ali Smith indicates there are too many book prizes – but so what?
There’s an enormous amount of crossover on book prize shortlists – so why so many?
US-China deal shows all that effort to tackle climate change might actually be worth it
Months of secret negotiations have paid off, as the world’s biggest polluters sign a landmark deal.
Regenerative medicine has huge potential but it doesn’t come cheap
From ‘off-the-shelf’ livers to replacement fingers and urethras – how regenerative medicine is gaining pace.
Everything you need to know about cometary exploration
Our fascination with comets goes back thousands of years, but most of what we know about them we have learned only recently.
Payday lenders restricted but loan sharks lurk for the financially desperate
Demand is not going anywhere for payday loans and the attraction to loan sharks is high for borrowers.
Rosetta has made an epic journey through space and overcome incredible challenges
Despite its overall success, the ten-year space journey to an icy dirtball wasn’t without concerns and small failures.
Would we be better off if we sent email into retirement?
It makes us ill, clutters our days, and stresses us out - is it time to put email out to pasture?
Finding a home for stateless people is easier said than done
In a time of mounting anti-immigrant feeling, the UNHCR is trying to persuade more countries to take in stateless people. Can it be done?
From Band Aid to Dapper Laughs, charity songs are all about hitting the right tone
Yes, Do They Know It’s Christmas? and Dapper Laughs do have something in common.
X Factor’s Cheryl and how not to talk about mental illness on TV
The fact that Lady Gaga’s skimpy outfit gets more complaints than calling mental illness scary says a lot about how normal it is to hear.
Private school pupils doubly advantaged by private tutoring
Parents who are already paying for elite schools are more likely to be paying for the extra benefit of out-of-hours help for their children.
US-China climate deal: at last, a real game-changer on emissions
The new US-China agreement is a hugely significant moment in the fight to slow climate change
Making change happen in G20 climate talks: Beijing pact is not enough
Next steps as world leaders head to Brisbane.
Why the Apple iWatch won’t be sparking a health and fitness revolution
If you want the new smart watch for its health properties, you might be disappointed.
Evolutionary evidence shows it’s time to revise how we classify life on earth
Animal taxonomy dates back to the 18th century – before scientists had even heard of evolution.
The question of trust at the heart of government moves to put public services online
The government’s identity assurance service has finally opened, but has yet to win the confidence of those for whom trust is key.
Banks fined £2bn but the elite continue to evade justice
Fining errant banks is one thing but the rest of society goes to prison when they break the law.
Despite credit cap, Britain’s payday lenders will live to loan another day
Rumours of the death of payday lenders have been greatly exaggerated, at least until the grass roots alternatives are offered a level playing field.
Black modernism, racism and the making of popular British culture in the inter-war years
Libyan bands of brothers show how deeply humans bond in adversity
Why Russia isn’t abandoning Europe for Chinese gas revenue
Democracy the loser when parliament descends into farce
Syria’s chemical weapons have become a smokescreen amid wider bloody conflict
What is done can’t be undone, but US must reclaim the high moral ground on torture
Forgotten: Britain’s civilian mass prison camps from World War I
False widow ‘death’ was a tragedy – but it wasn’t spider venom that was to blame
In defence of the stink bug
Research and News
Philae on Comet 67P but all is not well
Live reaction from academic experts as news from the comet reaches Earth.
The Conversation US joins global network
Welcome to The Conversation US which launches as a pilot today.
Hard Evidence
Hard Evidence: are UK headteachers the highest paid?
How do headteacher salaries measure up against their peers in Europe?
Hard Evidence: are work-related deaths in decline?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the regulatory agency with primary responsibility for enforcing health and safety law across British workplaces, has released its latest annual statistics. According…
Ebola
Do our genes determine whether we survive Ebola?
Lab-bred mice don’t get symptoms when infected with Ebola. Knowing why might help find new treatments.
Why people without symptoms aren’t going to give you Ebola
We’re told it’s not easy to catch Ebola – here’s why.
High hopes rest on 800 vials of experimental Ebola vaccine shipped from Canada
Canada donates its most advanced Ebola vaccine to the World Health Organisation for use in trials.
Airport screening isn’t about stopping Ebola – it’s about controlling borders
Airport screening isn’t about stopping Ebola – it’s about controlling borders
#Ebola in the USA: don’t trust what you read on Twitter
Ebola in the media: Leveson has failed to find a cure for health journalism
Panic over Ebola echoes the 19th-century fear of cholera
Why Ebola wasn’t stopped by huge investment in African healthcare
World War I
World War I shaped a century of air combat and it still influences modern missions
A century of innovation in air power followed because of the events of World War I.
Women volunteers: first to the war zone in 1914
The volunteer is at the heart of British perceptions of the World War I. We are all familiar with images of young men leaving home, standing in long queues at recruiting stations, and being examined by…
Columnists
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If you hold out for a revolution, then you risk others leading us to catastrophe
James Dyke -
Labour is so unprepared for government, it can’t even plot a leadership coup
Eunice Goes -
Monica Grady — “Yes, yes, yes. Philae has landed. Bang on time … ‘Philae is sitting on the rock’”
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Simon Reich — “The Chinese must be either confounded or amused by the contradictions in US policy”
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Sue Thomas — “The new social network, Tsū, has a hue that’s reminiscent of aspects of nature”
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Prem Sikka — “The rest of the world is the loser when Luxembourg offers tax breaks”
Editors’ Picks
Libyan bands of brothers show how deeply humans bond in adversity
It’s often said that blood is thicker than water – that family ties trump all others. But research with groups of men fighting in Libya has suggested that the bonds they formed in times of great adversity…
What commercial aircraft will look like in 2050
The aircraft industry is expecting a seven-fold increase in air traffic by 2050, and a four-fold increase in greenhouse gas emissions unless fundamental changes are made. But just how “fundamental” will…
Time stands still for Doctor Who, despite the Master’s sex change
Warning: this article contains spoilers. The eighth series of Doctor Who began by introducing a new Doctor, in the shape of Peter Capaldi. But now we’ve reached its end an even greater talking point is…
Berlin Wall: 25 years after its fall, Germany is a curious mix of success and struggle
November 9 should be the day when Germans have one big party. It’s a day that should be akin to the July 4 in the USA or July 14 in France. A day when Germans look back and remember something positive…
Why room temperature needed to be taken down a notch
What is a healthy room temperature? On releasing its Cold Weather Plan for 2014, Public Health England has recently revised its recommended minimum levels to keep in good health. No longer, they say, do…
Will there be enough fish to go around? Not if we follow healthy eating guidelines
Globally, we still catch enough fish to eat – just about. But numbers of fish caught from the sea haven’t kept up with human population growth and unsustainable fish farms have filled the gap. So why are…
Islamic State: no-one wants to talk to terrorists, but we always do – and sometimes it works
The Islamic State (IS) now occupies significant swaths of Iraq and Syria, has pushed as far as the border with Turkey, and has succeeded in dragging “the West” into two civil wars in the Middle East. The…
Twin Peaks was a hit because it was so of its time – but the return is welcome
So the cryptic teasers posted on Twitter by Mark Frost and David Lynch have substance: Twin Peaks will be returning to television screens 25 years after its cancellation. The new series will be a nine-episode…
Banksy mural in Clacton-on-Sea knocked from its perch – but no tears from me
Banksy is back. Back in the heart of Blighty (deepest Essex to be precise), spraying his musings on our walls. Cue the (now) habitual headlines and opinions. Cue the hysteria. This time, however, things…
How your brain decides who to make friends with when you start university
Over the next few weeks there will be many nervous people across the country ready to embark upon a new chapter in life: university. For many young people going to university means moving away from home…
Events
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Vector-Borne Diseases in the UK Biennial Conference — University of Liverpool
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Hinduism: Civilisations in Contest and Conflict — University College London
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UCL Grote Lecture: How health can beat at the heart of an economy — University College London
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