Explore More: Field Notes on Exploration, Discovery, and Adventure

The Zarabanda Variations review – free jazz project is a thrillingly original dive into colonial history

(Carrier) US composer Keir GoGwilt’s collaborative album uses poetry and atonal music to trace the roots of Spain’s sarabande dance: a fascinating listen, though not easy Classical music aficionados will be familiar with the stately form of the sarabande – a Spanish dance adopted into a languorous and tender musical style favoured by baroque composers such as Bach and Handel. For American composer Keir GoGwilt, however, the sarabande contains something far more radical. On his collaborative project The Zarabanda Variations, he enlists a 10-piece ensemble that combines free jazz with baroque strings and spoken-word poetry to delve into the colonial Latin American roots of the dance before it was popularised in 17th and 18th-century Spain. On first listen, it’s hard to hear how this music could relate to the classical sarabande at all. Scrapes of atonal strings, clattering percussion, guttural vocalisations and sharp whistles create a cacophony of tension throughout, as if mirroring the passionate, whirling energy supposedly contained in the original forms of the dance. In fact, rather than creating a baroque sarabande fusion, GoGwilt’s compositions embrace its lesser-known historical references to produce something entirely new. Continue reading...

Scientists find the secret of birdsong's 'spectacular diversity'

A scientific study has revealed the acoustic secret that connects all birdsong - and it is surprisingly simple

Looking beyond research

Professor Anna-Christina Eilers is “Committed to Caring” for building a culture around attentiveness and community.

MIT projects selected for funding under US Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission

Initial research projects advance national priorities across natural resources, manufacturing, nuclear physics, and more.

Bon Dylan review – Justin Vernon’s Bob Dylan covers set brings magic to Wisconsin

Carson Park, Eau Claire, Wisconsin At his Eaux Claires festival, Bon Iver dazzles with a one-off set dedicated to the folk legend After nearly a decade, Bon Iver’s Eaux Claires music festival returns to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this year, rekindling an intersection of art, music and nature in the state’s scenic Northwoods area. Co-curated by Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon and The National’s Aaron Dessner, the festival is a hallmark of collaboration and community in the state’s Chippewa valley, with a lineup this year that includes performances by Vernon and Dessner as well as Aimee Mann, Dijon and Fred Again. This year brings a new location of Carson Park. “Central Park in New York and Carson Park are the top two parks that I know about,” Vernon told locals this spring. “So we’re lucky.” Continue reading...

Nasa boss praises rise of women in science

Dr Nicola Fox says she was one of four women on her science course at university in the 1991.

John McCabe: Symphonies 2 & 3 and Cello Concerto album review – writing of enormous scope and colour

BBCSSO/Woods/Wallfisch Signum The late pianist and composer deserves a wider audience for the edgy, lucid soundworld of his compositions John McCabe, who died in 2015, made some important recordings of other people’s music – he championed Carl Nielsen, and his survey of the complete Haydn piano sonatas has held its place in the Decca catalogue for half a century – but when it comes to his own works there are still gaps to be filled. Alongside the Symphony No 2, completed in 1971, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the conductor Kenneth Woods here supply the overdue premiere recordings of McCabe’s 2007 cello concerto Songline and his 1978 Symphony No 3. The Symphony No 2 is tense and edgy, musing on the cyclical nature of violence; the cello concerto, its title inspired by ancient Aboriginal pathways, is restless in a different, searching way, which the soloist Raphael Wallfisch captures eloquently. What is striking and gratifying about both is the lucidity of McCabe’s music, its textures remaining clearly defined through writing of enormous colour and scope. The Symphony No 3, Hommages, inhabits a lusher soundworld, densely weaving in nods to Haydn and Nielsen while also looking in other directions – one passage with muted strings and celeste could almost be Shostakovich reimagined by the Strauss of Der Rosenkavalier. Vividly energised and expressive throughout, the performances do all three works justice. Continue reading...

Mangrove photography awards 2026 – in pictures

A selection of the winners, runners-up and highly commended photos from the Mangrove photography awards, run by the Mangrove Action Project, which received 5,258 entries from 87 countries. In its 12th year, the awards continue to offer a window into landscapes viewers may otherwise never encounter Continue reading...

Should you use AI for a task? Here’s a simple way to decide | Bruce Schneier

Sometimes, what matters isn’t your output but what you put into the process. Think of it like work v the gym I teach public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Munk School at the University of Toronto. And it will come as no surprise to you that my students regularly use AI to complete their writing assignments. Doing so is a waste of their tuition money. But if their entire career is going to include AI writing assistants, why shouldn’t they embrace their future? The best way I’ve found to explain the dilemma comes from the AI researcher Daniel Meissler: it’s the difference between work and the gym. Continue reading...

Claudia Winkleman's chat show ended after one series - can anyone replace Graham Norton?

The presenter said she was "incredibly grateful" for the opportunity but simply "too nervous to enjoy it".

Decoding Charli XCX's new album, Music, Fashion, Film

The star's new album strips away artifice to examine her life after the phenomenal success of Brat.

Harry Potter publisher to receive millions in Anthropic copyright settlement

Bloomsbury has 14,087 titles listed in agreement between AI startup and authors over use of their work The publisher of Harry Potter has received a multimillion-pound payout as a beneficiary of a $1.5bn (£1.12bn) copyright settlement between the AI startup Anthropic and thousands of authors over the use of their protected work to power chatbots. Bloomsbury, which is home to the bestselling novelists Sarah J Maas and Susanna Clarke as well as JK Rowling, said it had 14,087 titles listed within the settlement, with a proposed compensation of about $3,000 a title. Continue reading...

Some of Our Favorite Brain-Boosting Toys for Kids of All Ages

From musical instruments and games to play pieces that encourage balance and dexterity, these toys will engage your child’s mind and body.

The Best Vacuum for Pet Hair—We Tested Many to Find Which Ones Work Best (2026)

Cordless, handheld, robot, and traditional—we tested them all to find the vacuum that’s fantastic for fur.

Sinfonia of London/Wilson review – night of Technicolor masterpieces from one of the finest orchestras on the planet

Royal Albert Hall, London Verdi’s La Forza del Destino felt vital, cellist Jonathan Aasgaard was immaculate in Walton’s Concerto but it was John Wilson’s wizardly conducting through Respighi’s Roman Trilogy that brought the audience to their feet Another Sinfonia of London Prom, another five-star concert. Admittedly this programme of Technicolor masterpieces played into the wizardly hands of John Wilson, a conductor whose respect and enthusiasm for the golden age of MGM is legendary. None of this was movie music, however, and Hollywood panache is only a part of what makes this hand-picked ensemble one of the finest orchestras on the planet. First, there’s that full-fat sound, where every musician is a potential soloist, yet the blend is to die for. Then there’s the parade ground discipline and a willingness to follow Wilson – who seldom lingers – into the very fires of Mordor. The spirit, too, is palpable. Whole sections sway as one, occasionally with broad grins on their faces, such is their delight in the music making. Continue reading...

‘It’s not rocket science’: a day in the life of a Nasa behavioral health scientist

Dr Suzanne Bell helps astronauts perform in a high-stress environment. To do that, she wakes up at 5am – without an alarm Tell us: what impact have GLP-1s had on your relationships? Dr Suzanne Bell, an organizational psychologist, leads the Behavioral Health and Performance Laboratory at Nasa’s Johnson Space Center. What’s your morning routine? Continue reading...

Ken Turner, the 100-year-old artist who flattened a Tesla with a tank: ‘I’m not a revolutionary, I’m a simple rebel’

The painter, sculptor and performance artist has devoted his life to making art available to the masses. Now with a new exhibition, the centenarian discusses inequality, inspiration, and why he won’t be stopping any time soon ‘Life is short, art long,” says Ken Turner, reading from a book of aphorisms by ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. And he’s half right, really, because at 100 years old – and very possibly the world’s oldest performance artist – art might have been long, but life hasn’t been all that short for him, either. And he has filled those years to the brim with radicalism, experimentalism and a singular dedication to pushing ideas as far as he can make them go. In the 1960s, Turner moved from painting towards a socially conscious form of public art, creating giant inflatable sculptures that visitors could inhabit and interact with decades before immersive art became a thing. He was taught by Fernand Léger, he was mates with John Berger, he made frames for Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff. Last year, he drove a tank over a Tesla in a performance meant as a damning indictment of corporate greed and rising fascism. His has been a life of rebellion and revolution, of obstinately following his own artistic path no matter what obstacles he encounters, no matter how much easier it would have been to walk down a more well-trodden one. Continue reading...

BBC's Fake or Fortune uncovers 'enormously important' painting worth £100,000

The painting by the 18th Century Scottish artist Katherine Read is thought to be worth more than £100,000.

10 Best Meal Delivery Services, Tested by an Ex-Restaurant Critic

Here are the best delivery services and meal kits in 2026, including Martha Stewart’s meal service, a GLP-1–supportive plan, and a budget-friendly option.

Elon Musk says Grok Imagine will make ‘historically accurate’ AI adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey

The billionaire says the AI-generated film will stay true to Homer’s original, after repeatedly criticising Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster over its casting choices Elon Musk has said his AI platform Grok Imagine will make a “historically accurate” adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey, after the success of Christopher Nolan’s blockbusting treatment which the SpaceX founder has regularly criticised over its casting. In a post on X, Musk said: “Before this year ends, Grok Imagine will make a full-length movie of The Odyssey that is historically accurate and true to the art of Homer.” Musk also linked to a post containing a three-minute clip of footage that the user said had been generated from Grok Imagine, showing a scene between Odysseus and the nymph Calypso. Continue reading...

China’s Open AI Models Are Challenging Silicon Valley’s Playbook

As access to Anthropic’s and OpenAI’s frontier models becomes more restricted, Chinese labs are pitching their open-source alternatives as stable, accessible, and increasingly capable.

Curiosity Blog, Sols 4954–4960: Celebrating Our Rover Engineers Past and Present

Written by Lucy Thompson, Senior Research Scientist, University of New Brunswick, Canada Earth planning date: Friday, July 27, 2026 As an APXS uplink lead and strategic planner, I have the privilege of working with the rover engineers most days that I am on operations. The APXS instrument measures the chemistry of rocks, unconsolidated materials and […]

NASA Announces New Spacecraft Technology Demonstration Mission at Moon    

NASA is working with industry to advance the next phase of cislunar infrastructure for the agency’s Artemis program and Moon Base, including orbital assets and demonstrations. Under a contract awarded to Advanced Space, the agency’s CAPSTONE 02 mission will demonstrate rendezvous and proximity operations, autonomous navigation, and cislunar communication capabilities while continuing to characterize the […]