Rather than hoping for the emergence of some new ‘party of the left,’ EMMA DENT COAD sees a broad alliance of local parties and community groups as a way of reviving democratic progressive politics
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Viruses: a new form of ‘life’?
The Science and Society team report on recent discoveries in the biology of viruses
In the second of two articles, DANIEL POWELL looks behind the headlines celebrating Ukrainian resistance to a complex reality of neonazi battalions, forced conscription and sabotaged peace deals
ANSELM ELDERGILL draws attention to a legal case on Tuesday in which a human rights group is challenging the government’s decision to allow the sale of weapons used against Palestinians
The obfuscation of Nazism’s capitalist roots has seen imperialism redeploy fascism again and again — from the killing fields of Guatemala to the war in Ukraine, writes PAWEL WARGAN
From Workers’ Memorial Day to May Day rallies, TOM MORRISON examines the real challenges facing the labour movement as Reform UK’s glossy literature exploits legitimate grievances in traditional left strongholds
Calls have been made for the return to Venezuela of a two-year-old girl currently being held in the US, after being separated from her family by immigration officials, reports SUSAN GREY
VIRUSES get a bad rap. Most of us only really think about them when they cause diseases, such as Ebola. They’re viewed as the quintessential hangers-on: bits of genetic material floating around that must leech off living cells to multiply and reproduce. As such, they’re often thought of as not “really” alive.
Indeed, the three of us can dimly remember from school a ridiculous mnemonic for the seven signs that supposedly distinguish life from non-life: “MRS NERG” (or “MRS GREN,” depending on your teacher).
Knowing that viruses fail on a number of those arbitrary metrics — eg R for respiration — would help you pass your biology GCSE.
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A maverick’s self-inflicted snake bites could unlock breakthrough treatments – but they also reveal deeper tensions between noble scientific curiosity and cold corporate callousness, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
Science has always been mixed up with money and power, but as a decorative facade for megayachts, it risks leaving reality behind altogether, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
A small Japanese trial has reported some positive results for stem cell therapy to treat spinal-cord injuries
Man-made canals like Panama and Suez face unprecedented challenges from extreme weather patterns and geopolitical tensions that reveal the fragility of our global trade networks, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
