An obituary for a 43-year-old spider whose study was a career-spanning work for the zoologist that first found her. The spider was given a fitting epitaph in the scientific paper written after her death – “we can be inspired by an ancient mygalomorph spider and the rich biodiversity she embodied.”
An ambitious piece looking at observer selection effect – where a data set’s composition or properties are correlated with the very existence of its observer. The first example the piece calls on is an analysis of planes returning from WWII bombing raids with the goal of identifying which areas of the fuselage to reinforce, but it rapidly expands in scope to extinction events for our world, and our universe.
An archaeologist takes a look at the part the humble stick has played in developing the cognitive processes of the human species – from our early origins, to Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record-breaking frame of snooker.
The iconic building of the British state is in a state of serious disrepair. It caught fire forty times in a four year period, and the list of required repairs is mind-boggling. Yet the way to deal with this increasingly pressing concern is not at all clear.
The story of an extraordinary feat that took place in 1978 – the first ascent of Everest without supplementary oxygen. One of the final great barriers in human endurance was conquered by two strong characters known as “the terrible twins”.
A representative from Pinkerton, a long-established American detective agency, takes the author on a tour of one of China’s counterfeiting hotspots.
One from the archive of our erstwhile Chancellor George Osborne’s journalistic career. This 2003 piece cuts many ways – reviewing a prominent Clinton advisor’s biography of his former boss, analysis of Bill’s presidency, considering Hillary’s then-future career, as well as providing some insights into Osborne’s view of what makes a successful politician.
A story examining what happens when artificial intelligence gets better than human doctors at medical diagnosis.
A less than flattering profile of Vice President Pence, looking at his time as Governor of Indiana and his elevation to his present office. The article provides an insight into his political ideology, as well as bizarre anecdotes such as Pence calling his wife “Mother” at a dinner with state legislators.
They were wrestling teammates and friends. Then they ended up on the opposite side of the drugs trade – one a DEA agent, the other a large scale cocaine smuggler.