Breaking science news - Huntington's disease, which is a brutal and destructive genetic condition, has just been successfully treated for the first time, and the results are incredible. youtube.com/shorts/lECCw...

“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” - George Orwell, 1984

Going nude to protest “chemtrails”. We are in the most stupid timeline

The tragedy of tribalism is that it feels like virtue but functions like delusion.

If Extinction Rebellion or Just Stop Oil had attacked police officers and left that much litter behind, it would have been front page news and the footage would have gone viral on X. Double standards. Apparently calling for political revolution is considered acceptable when the far right does it.

A rare total lunar eclipse will be visible in the UK tonight. The moon will turn a deep, dark red as it’s illuminated by light that has passed through the Earth's atmosphere and been bent back towards the moon by refraction. Look up at 7.30pm 🌔

If building nuclear power plants is slow and expensive, how are other nations succeeding? I break it down in my video. youtu.be/IbsYw6-N6dA

There's a decent chance of seeing the aurora tonight - it may be visible as far south as the Midlands (perhaps even further south) 🌃

When you find yourself longing for the past, read old literature. It meets the need for nostalgia, and doubles as a reality check when your favourite character dies of mumps/consumption/a minor infection.

To the man who told me to “go home” when I was out with my kids. This IS my home. Enjoy these clips of an old musical tradition in England - a performance by my choral society, feat. Mozart’s Requiem. A tad more patriotic than spray painting and screaming at people in public. Dies iræ, dies illa

If you care about keeping British culture alive, watch something at your local theatre, go to a village fete or music festival, attend a Morris dancing class, take a trip to your local museum, join a choral society, have a cream tea in a cafe or a pint in a pub. Graffiti won’t achieve anything.

Nuclear made Ontario green. So why is Canada still stuck debating hydro vs. hydrocarbons? zionlights.substack.com/p/battle-for...

Laura Bassi was an 18th century Italian scientist and the first woman professor to be appointed at a European university

Is this the greatest photo ever taken?

Scientists have discovered a global deep-sea “evolutionary highway”

This strange new entity breaks the rules of life

Did you know that we have rainforests in Britain?

I always thought that the most metal thing about Ozzy was that he grew up in the same run down neighbourhood I did, and went through the same kind of rubbish, but made it out anyway and managed to live a full life doing what he loved. RIP, PoD 🤘

Astrophysicists have detected the biggest merger of colliding black holes ever, and it’s mind boggling

Shakuntala Devi, the remarkable woman who could out-calculate a computer

What makes Finland so resistant to fake news?

Congratulations, it’s a goo! 🎉

Have you heard of the American astronomer Vera Rubin? She changed our understanding of the cosmos 🌌

British Summer Time: Three months of near-constant sunshine, until the school holidays start. Then come the downpours. Classic.

Why do these butterflies drink turtle tears?

Apparently, water cycle deniers are a thing in America

You’re not imagining it. Hayfever IS getting worse, and this is why

Did you know? Canada invented one of the best nuclear reactors in the world

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was the *first person on the planet* to discover the true composition of stars, but no one believed her, and she didn’t get credit for it. Learn her story ⭐️

The truth is out there… and it shows us that representation matters

It’s 2230 and there’s a seagull outside making an absolute racket

How can we improve nuclear communications, and what can we learn from activists about storytelling? zionlights.substack.com/p/the-commun...

Remember when everyone made fun of Kamala Harris for doing this? Turns out, you’re doing it too!

If you’re trying to decide what TV show to watch next, how about one that combines biology and anime?

Ludovico Einaudi at Royal Albert Hall. When he began to close with Experience I wondered why he was playing it again - and then the grand organ came in. Utterly ethereal experience, and yes, I cried through most of it. They don’t do justice but here are two short clips, with and without the organ.

You can always tell when I'm on a long train journey by the flood of random thoughts triggered by my inability to sit still for so long Heading to see my favourite contemporary composer in concert tonight and wondering how socially acceptable it will be to cry (I will cry)

Mileva Marić: was this woman the hidden genius behind Einstein’s success?

Incredible science news: this ancient fungus may hold the secret to curing leukemia

Just learned that today it was 38C in Spain and 29C in India. 27C here in the UK. But any time I comment that the heat here is unusual, people tell me it’s just a normal summer.

There’s nothing quite like the sci-fi book covers of the 1970s

We rarely talk about the ozone layer now, but it was once a serious problem that humans solved together 🤝

Nutria are giant “river rats” that look cute, but cause chaos

A fascinating glimpse into the lives of people who are in relationships with AI. It barely scratches the surface of what’s going on (and, surprisingly, does so without judgment), but I expect a lot more commentary on AI relationships in the near future. www.wired.com/story/couple...

Arguably the most pertinent statement of the century - Stop extrapolating

You’ve heard of John Tyndall, but have you heard of Eunice Newton Foote? (And yes, she was also a descendent of Sir Isaac Newton through her father)

If you ever get struck by lightning, nature may leave you with a tattoo

Steer clear of still water - it’s deceptive

Ticks put the creepy in creepy crawly

If you swim here, do so with caution

There’s a lot of hype about thorium, and China claims it has a working thorium reactor, so let’s break it down.