Ants have been talking for a long time
Although the study of ants can be interpreted to suit any political or philosophical argument it can fuel organisational imagination, write Rox Middleton, Liam Shaw and Miriam Gauntlett
The welcome news that Cuba has finally been removed from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list is tempered by the fact that Donald Trump, the man who put it there, is returning to the White House, warns NATASHA HICKMAN
Thanks to impressive progress in Britain with wind and solar generation, clean electricity now costs a fraction of the price of gas — yet the current system keeps bills artificially high to protect fossil fuels, writes TOM HARDY
By spreading race-based conspiracy theories, the billionaire tycoon turned right-wing provocateur has been seriously undermining the case against those who really did let victims of the grooming gangs down, writes SOLOMON HUGHES
Many Western countries are grappling with deep political instability. What are the causes of this, and what could be a possible way forward? asks MARC VANDEPITTE
KEITH BENNETT explains why, despite its present meagre economic outcomes, an honest and fruitful partnership with China is worth pursuing
Nick Wright talks to photographer and author JANINA STRUK
COMPLEX multicomponent societies rely principally on communication. Researchers suggest that evidence of 100 million years of communication gives us a deeper insight into the evolution of ant sociality.
Emergent properties of groups occur when many things interact to produce effects that are not seen in the case of the isolated individual element.
From simple things like waves and crystals, to complex ones like swarms and consciousness, these effects are ubiquitous.
More from this author
Natural hydrogen gas could be a replacement for fossil fuels, but its extraction could see developing nations face familiar patterns of land loss and resource theft, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
Despite miraculous trial results showing new treatment could halt transmission, corporate greed and patent laws condemn millions to preventable infection and death, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
Rox Middleton, Liam Shaw and Miriam Gauntlett look at the history of lasers, from cat toys to modelling the explosion of stars
Lithium is crucial for batteries — but because deposits form only under rare geological conditions, its extraction is a geopolitical flashpoint between the imperial West and the rest of the world, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
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ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT examine how new genetic research reveals the rapid pace of human evolution in response to agricultural development, offering insights Marx would have found fascinating
ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT explore how metal nodules producing oxygen on the ocean floor complicate the search for extraterrestrial life and our understanding of Earth's early atmosphere
New research reveals how a billion-year-old antiviral defence links humans to deep-sea microbes, showcasing the remarkable conservation of life’s core machinery, explain ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
The news that a tiny fern on a Pacific island has the largest genome ever recorded demonstrates that bigger isn’t always better, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT