"In 1854, when a US magazine used the phrase 'climate changes' in relation to deforestation, they couldn’t have imagined that this would be one of the most pressing matters facing the human race in 2026."
The always-brilliant Michael Rosen on the history of the word "climate" in our latest edition:
Independent, ethical, evidence-driven journalism is needed more than ever.
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Genetic data collected in hospital rooms, wastewater, prisons, care homes and detention centres can and is being used for people’s benefit.
But it could also be used against them
"The French new wave made art driven by love and ambition, not money. That attitude can seem like a luxury in our time. But one thing still rings true: art made to be true art, rather than merely revenue-generating content, is what people will still be watching decades from now"
From "moral climate" to "climate action", poet and author Michael Rosen digs into the changing uses and meaning of the word "climate" in the latest edition of his language column for New Humanist:
For people leaving religious groups, the loss can feel all-consuming - of relationships, beliefs, sometimes even livelihood.
But increasingly, there's help out there.
And over time, says one exvangelical, "losing your religion may start to feel less like a loss and more like an opportunity"
Governments are gathering pathogen genomics data, and there are concerns that well-intentioned public health authorities might be required to share that data with other agencies – for example, immigration and crime agencies.
This form of state control is known as biopower
Jason Burke's history of "the extremists who hijacked the 1970s" is a rollicking tale – but also a cautionary fable
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Exciting developments in genomics are helping us curb disease outbreaks.
But the same science could be used for genetic surveillance or discriminatory practices.
Do the benefits outweigh the risks?
When Olga Koch started gaining a profile as a stand-up comedian, she noticed she was becoming the object of parasocial relationships.
Intrigued by this weird phenomenon, she ended up going to Oxford to study it.
This is what she found:
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"There is a difference between revolutionaries and revolutionists.
Revolutionaries are zealous, but also organised and methodical, which is why they sometimes win. Revolutionists, by contrast, are essentially grandstanders and cosplayers, vastly more interested in means than ends"
"The French new wave made art driven by love and ambition, not money. That attitude can seem like a luxury in our time. But one thing still rings true: art made to be true art, rather than merely revenue-generating content, is what people will still be watching decades from now"
Even in prison, Belarusian dissident women haven’t given up.
The future of the country may still be in their hands
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A recent film about the nouvelle vague prompts comparisons with today's content creators, finds @samiraahmeduk.bsky.social
How Aurore Dupin - better known as George Sand - went from a rural childhood in the aftermath of the French Revolution to become one of France's first great women writers
Many of you will remember the small band of extremists who dominated attention in the 1970s - from Andreas Baader to Carlos the Jackal.
But what did they really achieve?
The science of pathogen genomics is helping us control disease outbreaks and improve care for people living with HIV/AIDS.
But the data it yields is also being used in harmful ways.
So where do we go from here?
Independent, ethical, evidence-driven journalism is needed more than ever.
If you enjoy what you read in New Humanist, please consider supporting us with a subscription.
They start from just £10 a year, and every single one helps us to continue our work.
Thank you
“In my head I don’t think hell exists, but actually there’s a part of me that feels terrified that I’m going to burn in eternal torment. I can feel it in my body. That’s not an easy thing to tell someone.”
Meet the therapists helping people rebuild their beliefs after leaving religious groups:
"If one personality exemplifies the revolutionist, it is Andreas Baader, a drifter who dominated West Germany’s Red Army Faction.
Burke describes Baader as 'uninterested in politics and unmoved by progressive causes'. He was, however, extremely keen on fast cars, women, drink and drugs"
