Militaries plunder science fiction for technology ideas, but turn a blind eye to the genre's social commentary

Pavel Chagochkin/Shutterstock Military planning is a complicated endeavour, calling upon experts in logistics and infrastructure to predict resource availability and technological advancements. Long-range military planning, deciding what to invest in now to prepare armed forces for the world in thirty years’ time, is even more difficult. One of the mostContinue Reading

Maybe Never Even, a 125/1 first-up shock, unwelcome winner at Thirsk earlier this month, beating our 9/1 nap, will probably be one of the favourites for an eight-runner Novice Stakes over a similar distance at nearby Ripon this afternoon, when Bank Holiday Monday is littered with fixtures on various surfaces,Continue Reading

A diet consisting mainly of fruit is bad for you

Fruitarianism is one of the most restrictive diet choices available. Julia Zolotova/unsplash Plant-based diets have become increasingly popular in recent years, both for health and ethical reasons. One extreme form of plant-based diet is “fruitarianism”, a diet based largely on consumption of raw fruit. At first glance, this may soundContinue Reading

Unbelievable to suddenly realise it’s less than a fortnight before the final classic of 2021 is staged on Doncaster’s Town Moor, where has the season gone! A well-known saying in racing ‘winter follows on the tail of the last horse home in the St Leger’ is fascinating and indeed profound,Continue Reading

Al-Shabaab: why women join the Islamist militant group – podcast

Lamu in coastal Kenya is an area where women and girls have been recuited by Al-Shabaab. Eric Lafforgue/Alamy Stock Photo The Conversation Weekly podcast is taking a short break in August. For the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing you extended versions of some of our favourite recent interviews. ThisContinue Reading