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The government has delayed the toughest spending decisions – but here’s what we do know after the budget

The government has delayed the toughest spending decisions – but here’s what we do know after the budget

Reading between the lines, there are cuts coming for many government departments.

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Steve Schifferes

Not all antihistamines are the same – and some may affect your brain more than you think

Not all antihistamines are the same – and some may affect your brain more than you think

Some allergy tablets make you sleepy and slow your reactions, others barely affect you. Here’s why – and what to check before you buy.

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Dipa Kamdar

Silence of the Lambs: Hannibal Lecter makes his stage debut in this inventive touring production

Silence of the Lambs: Hannibal Lecter makes his stage debut in this inventive touring production

The forensic psychiatrist with a hankering for human flesh makes his stage debut in a production that stays faithful to the original, albeit with a...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Christina Wilkins

Hauntology examines how what happened in the past – and what didn’t – informs the present

Hauntology examines how what happened in the past – and what didn’t – informs the present

Memories endure, histories resurface, places retain physical traces of the past, and forgotten possibilities continue to shape our understanding of...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Robert Edgar

Raye’s ambitious Mercury Prize‑winning album is a testament to female creative freedom

Raye’s ambitious Mercury Prize‑winning album is a testament to female creative freedom

For years Raye struggled to be allowed to do her music her way. Then she decided to do it independently and the rest is musical history.

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Eva Dieteren

Massive sinkholes open up across Turkey as it struggles with drought and climate change

Massive sinkholes open up across Turkey as it struggles with drought and climate change

As Turkey prepares to host Cop31, the massive global conference on environmental issues, it is also being confronted with a dangerous sinkhole...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Nima Shokri

Chemists create disappearing tattoos: here’s the science behind how they work

Chemists create disappearing tattoos: here’s the science behind how they work

Different types of light are used to switch the tattoos on and off.

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Miriam O'Duill

Why it could be a bad idea to get AI to flirt for you

Why it could be a bad idea to get AI to flirt for you

Choosing your own words can reveal how you really feel about a person or situation.

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Ten-Herng Lai

Are narcissists multiplying or is the social media algorithm making them bolder? The answer in five stages

Are narcissists multiplying or is the social media algorithm making them bolder? The answer in five stages

Someone with narcissistic traits will react strongly to content that matches their self-image.

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Calli Tzani

How the Sphinx is helping answer a riddle about extinct crocodiles

How the Sphinx is helping answer a riddle about extinct crocodiles

New technology is helping to identify extinct fossil species.

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Philip Mannion

The ancient principle from English law that Donald Trump uses as a shield against defamation suits

The ancient principle from English law that Donald Trump uses as a shield against defamation suits

US government employees, including the president, have protection under US law against defamation suits.

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Eliza Bechtold

How different election results affect bank stability – global study

How different election results affect bank stability – global study

A study of 22 economies between 2000 and 2023 reveals that elections have a prolonged impact on bank stability.

yesterday 2

The Conversation

George Kladakis

Can creatine help your mental health? Here’s what the latest evidence says

Can creatine help your mental health? Here’s what the latest evidence says

The brain needs a lot of energy. Without a sufficient supply, mood and mental health may be affected.

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Zudin Puthucheary

Beyond Hokusai’s Great Wave – what to see and read this week

Beyond Hokusai’s Great Wave – what to see and read this week

The 45 other paintings in Hokusai’s Mount Fuji series, an exhibition featuring rotund humans, another about home and two books bringing women’s...

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Naomi Joseph

Booker prize 2026: a diverse list to inspire all sorts of readers – six experts review the nominees

Booker prize 2026: a diverse list to inspire all sorts of readers – six experts review the nominees

There’s comedy, there’s politics, there’s history, there’s queerness and there’s drama. The 2026 shortlist is packed full of goodness.

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Tory Young

Wicker and the rise of the ‘monster romance’: why audiences are falling for the non‑human

Wicker and the rise of the ‘monster romance’: why audiences are falling for the non‑human

Monster romances like Wicker reveal how our cultural ideas about intimacy, desire and romance are being reimagined.

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Natalie Wall

Election special: deadlock in Israel, regime change in Serbia, US midterms

Election special: deadlock in Israel, regime change in Serbia, US midterms

Netanyahu clings on to power, the Student List triumphs and the US prepares a report card for Donald Trump.

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Jonathan Este

The Black designers redefining British fashion by drawing on their own heritage, culture and history

The Black designers redefining British fashion by drawing on their own heritage, culture and history

The work of these designers offers a vivid picture of modern Britain, shaped by overlapping cultures, communities and histories.

previous day 20

The Conversation

Andrew Ibi

Werewolf mice, ghostly frogs and zombie cockroaches: the animal versions of our Halloween horrors

Werewolf mice, ghostly frogs and zombie cockroaches: the animal versions of our Halloween horrors

They have creepy tendencies but these animals are real not fictional.

previous day 20

The Conversation

Alex Dittrich

What if we paid for electricity through taxes, not bills?

What if we paid for electricity through taxes, not bills?

Taxation is broadly progressive, while levies on energy bills hit poorest households hardest.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Colin Nolden

How porn became so extreme – and how it’s shaping the sex lives of young people

How porn became so extreme – and how it’s shaping the sex lives of young people

Extreme pornography has become readily available on mainstream porn sites. Listen to expert Clare McGlynn on The Conversation Weekly on what this is...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Gemma Ware

Is sexual objectification hard‑wired? Our study used electrical brain stimulation to find out

Is sexual objectification hard‑wired? Our study used electrical brain stimulation to find out

Flipping photos upside down usually exposes a bias in how we see women’s bodies. A weak current to the forehead made it disappear.

previous day 8

The Conversation

Ciro Civile

When things go bump in the night: how our brains trick us into hearing things that aren’t there

When things go bump in the night: how our brains trick us into hearing things that aren’t there

The boundaries between sleep and wakefulness can become blurred.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Michelle Spear

Why Donald Trump’s foreign policy could cost Republicans in the midterm elections

Why Donald Trump’s foreign policy could cost Republicans in the midterm elections

Voters say they care about the economy, but many blame Trump’s wars and tariffs for their bills.

previous day 4

The Conversation

Andrew Payne

70 years ago the Suez crisis exposed British relative decline. Today, the Iran conflict could be doing the same for the US

70 years ago the Suez crisis exposed British relative decline. Today, the Iran conflict could be doing the same for the US

Suez showed that Britain had lost the leeway to behave like a superpower.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Eoin McLaughlin

Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto turned architecture into horror’s greatest weapon

Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto turned architecture into horror’s greatest weapon

Threateningly ill-defined buildings, enough for our imagination to fill in the gaps, seem to be the ideal catalyst to spark terror.

previous day 4

The Conversation

Peter Nelson Lindfield

How London’s 1838 ‘great stink’ created the modern vampire

How London’s 1838 ‘great stink’ created the modern vampire

Before germ theory, the Victorians had another name for contagion: Dracula.

previous day 4

The Conversation

Rae Gillibrand

Deadlock ahead for Israel as election fails to deliver an alternative to Netanyahu coalition

Deadlock ahead for Israel as election fails to deliver an alternative to Netanyahu coalition

Stalemate in the Israeli Knesset means Netanyahu is likely to continue as caretaker prime minister.

previous day 4

The Conversation

Roi Zur

Before bans for under‑16s, we need to ask: what counts as social media?

Before bans for under‑16s, we need to ask: what counts as social media?

People do not consistently agree on what counts as social media

previous day 5

The Conversation

Charlotte Pennington

The UK wants ‘AI sovereignty’ to cut its reliance on foreign tech – here’s how that can be achieved

The UK wants ‘AI sovereignty’ to cut its reliance on foreign tech – here’s how that can be achieved

Recent reports have highlighted the risks of relying on foreign suppliers.

previous day 20

The Conversation

Vincent Charles

Pan’s Labyrinth at 20: how Guillermo del Toro created his timeless dark fairy tale

Pan’s Labyrinth at 20: how Guillermo del Toro created his timeless dark fairy tale

Del Toro’s imagery remains as powerful and arresting as it was 20 years ago.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Daniel O'Brien

Pan’s Labyrinth at 20: a powerful, symbolic tribute to Spanish resilience in the face of fascism

Pan’s Labyrinth at 20: a powerful, symbolic tribute to Spanish resilience in the face of fascism

Censorship, and the rebellious ways art can respond to it through potent symbolism, are central to the film.

previous day 4

The Conversation

Keith McDonald

England needs 120% of normal rainfall to come out of drought this winter – storms won’t fix that yet

England needs 120% of normal rainfall to come out of drought this winter – storms won’t fix that yet

A dry winter could have a huge impact on England’s ability to recover from drought.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Hannah Cloke

What brain scans can reveal, and why they don’t always explain symptoms

What brain scans can reveal, and why they don’t always explain symptoms

MRI can detect tiny changes in the brain, yet conditions such as epilepsy and migraine may leave no visible trace. Here’s what brain scans can and...

previous day 6

The Conversation

Simon Keller

Scientists map a distant planet’s atmosphere for the first time – and it’s lopsided

Scientists map a distant planet’s atmosphere for the first time – and it’s lopsided

A new method reveals the skewed shape of a distant planet’s atmosphere.

previous day 20

The Conversation

Hannah Wakeford

Werewolf mice, ghostly frogs and cockroach zombies: the animal versions of our Halloween horrors

Werewolf mice, ghostly frogs and cockroach zombies: the animal versions of our Halloween horrors

They have creepy tendencies but these animals are real not fictional.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Alex Dittrich

Key Atlantic currents could collapse this century, but the risk is missing from almost all national climate plans – new study

Key Atlantic currents could collapse this century, but the risk is missing from almost all national climate plans – new study

An Amoc collapse would dramatically alter the world’s climate – often in unexpected ways. Our new study shows how governments should prepare.

wednesday 20

The Conversation

Brenden Jongman

Budget 2026: experts on what John Healey’s ‘breathing space’ plan means for households

Budget 2026: experts on what John Healey’s ‘breathing space’ plan means for households

The chancellor unveiled help with household energy bills and extra taxes for banks.

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Alper Kara

The risk of Atlantic current collapse is missing from almost all national climate plans – new study

The risk of Atlantic current collapse is missing from almost all national climate plans – new study

An Amoc collapse would dramatically alter the world’s climate – often in unexpected ways. Our new study shows how governments should prepare.

wednesday 30

The Conversation

Brenden Jongman

Drones could help weather forecasters more accurately predict winter storms

Drones could help weather forecasters more accurately predict winter storms

New types of drones are being tested that can collect air pressure data more often.

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Declan Finney

Five ways to find your personal style outside of trends and algorithms

Five ways to find your personal style outside of trends and algorithms

It seems every week there’s a new ‘core’ or ‘maxxing’ style to contend with.

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Rose Davison

Vocational GCSEs: an evolution of existing technical learning for 14‑year‑olds in England

Vocational GCSEs: an evolution of existing technical learning for 14‑year‑olds in England

The broadening of the curriculum to allow for vocational qualifications from the age of 14 is not new.

wednesday 9

The Conversation

Charlynne Pullen

EU’s new Arctic strategy signals shift in its geopolitical mindset

EU’s new Arctic strategy signals shift in its geopolitical mindset

The EU has unveiled its first Arctic strategy since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

wednesday 8

The Conversation

Emilie Canova

Primetime: in this taut morally complex thriller, ambition, entertainment and justice collide

Primetime: in this taut morally complex thriller, ambition, entertainment and justice collide

The film reveals how easily the pursuit of justice can become a form of exploitation, and the responsibility the audience bears for the entertainment...

wednesday 40

The Conversation

Laura O'Flanagan

Autistic children come to A&E in mental health crisis from as young as eight

Autistic children come to A&E in mental health crisis from as young as eight

The data showed autistic children were seeking help for suicidal thoughts in A&E at significantly younger ages than their non-autistic peers.

wednesday 7

The Conversation

Emma Ashworth

Medieval ghost stories featured rotten flesh, the walking dead and spoon‑stealing spirits

Medieval ghost stories featured rotten flesh, the walking dead and spoon‑stealing spirits

Medieval ghosts shapeshifted, rose from their graves, and begged for help in making amends for their misdeeds.

wednesday 40

The Conversation

Alex Brown

Exercise can sometimes cause chest pain – and this condition may be to blame

Exercise can sometimes cause chest pain – and this condition may be to blame

The condition causes pain in the chest that can worsen with movement, deep breaths and coughing.

wednesday 7

The Conversation

Helen Rainford

Your bottom shape doesn’t reveal your oestrogen levels – despite what social media says

Your bottom shape doesn’t reveal your oestrogen levels – despite what social media says

In fact, genes, bones and muscle decide your bottom shape, and hormones only matter slowly, around menopause.

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Adam Taylor

Starlink disruptions in Ukraine: what Elon Musk’s alignment with US geopolitics means for Europe

Starlink disruptions in Ukraine: what Elon Musk’s alignment with US geopolitics means for Europe

European leaders worry that Elon Musk’s control of Starlink gives him too much power over their security.

wednesday 6

The Conversation

Joscha Abels

The hydrogen atom: the raw material of the universe barely exists on Earth – now we’ve made it in a flask

The hydrogen atom: the raw material of the universe barely exists on Earth – now we’ve made it in a flask

The hydrogen atom: the universe built almost everything with it. Synthetic chemists are only just learning to use it in the lab.

wednesday 7

The Conversation

Roopender Kumar