The allure of social media has become so strong that a third of young Americans want to become influencers. But social media has its dangers, and a few young people are exploring a different way to stay connected.

A.I. tools can now produce exceptional artwork and human-like texts of all kinds using very little human input. Is this something to celebrate or to be concerned about?

According to the Birds Aren’t Real Movement, the US government killed all American birds and substituted them with robot replicas. Is this Movement serious, or is it trying to tell us something about conspiracy theories and fake news?

This December, 150 years ago, an American-registered brigantine called  Mary Celeste  was found adrift and eerily deserted in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The unexplained disappearance of the crew of this ghost ship has become one of the most intriguing and famous sea mysteries of all time.

The BBC began transmitting on 14 November 1922. First through radio, then television, it set out ‘to inform, educate and entertain’, a mission that has successfully shaped its 100 years of broadcasting.

Birth rates are declining in high-income countries such as the US and the UK. It is an alarming trend which has several causes, some positive such as the emancipation of women, and some negative such as social, economic and environmental insecurity.

The 21 st edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was held this April in the Colorado Desert. Coachella is considered one of the most successful and influential music festivals in the world.

This year the United States Mint began releasing special new coins featuring twenty women who contributed positively to American history in fields such as civil rights, politics, science, space, and the arts.

More new green energy was produced in 2021 than ever before. From giant offshore wind farms to fields that grow vegetables under solar panels, renewables are a driving force in the transition to a more sustainable world.

This summer three private enterprises flew civilians to outer space. Among the first ‘space tourists’ were actor William Shatner and aviation pioneer Wally Funk. But is space tourism just an amusement for a select few, or can it also bring new understanding to life here on Earth?

Every year, UNESCO selects several places of outstanding cultural and natural importance from around the world and includes them in a prestigious World Heritage List. This year a new, unusual British site was selected, one that highlights the importance of Britain as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution that transformed the world.

The Ig Nobel Prize, a spoof on the name of the more famous Nobel, is given annually to scientists and researchers who investigate the most unusual issues in various fields. It’s both a light-hearted and a serious prize, as it aims to reward research that “first makes people laugh and then makes them think.”

Any material that cannot be grown must be mined… until now. Scientists from Australia and other countries are experimenting with amazing plants capable of ‘mining’ metals and minerals. Soon we might farm plants that not only grow fruit and vegetables, but also produce metals such as manganese and nickel.

This March, the 36th America’s Cup was held in New Zealand between the boats Te Rehutai of New Zealand and Luna Rossa of Italy. The America’s Cup is the most prestigious sailing trophy, and the oldest sporting competition in the world, with a rich 170-year-long history.

This year, several sections of the world’s longest footpath, the England Coast Path, will open to the public. This is good news for everyone who, over the past year, rediscovered walking for pleasure, a simple and healthy activity with a noble tradition that goes back to the Romantic movement.

NASA’s latest discovery might change the future of space exploration: its telescope SOFIA found water on the moon. We look at what this means for the astronauts that will go to the Moon in the near future, and we reflect on what astronomy in general means to humanity.

Since 1788, every four years Americans have voted to elect their president. We look at this age-old tradition and at this year’s election campaign, fought between incumbent president Donald Trump and the Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

In 1920, women obtained the right to vote in the United States. It was the outcome of a long and hard struggle that involved overcoming many obstacles and prejudices. Some of these can still be seen today in important aspects of our societies and even in our language.

Lethargy, irritability, frustration, impatience: during the current lockdown, millions of people around the world are experiencing the effects of a strange condition called ‘cabin fever’. Luckily it can be ‘cured’ and turned into an opportunity for self-improvement and for re-connecting with others in a meaningful way.

We live in a time when we have to limit our social interactions. Among other things, we are advised to avoid a very common and very ancient gesture: the handshake. What is the story and meaning of the handshake and can we find a valid alternative?