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Editor's note
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American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr and Irish Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor McGregor meet in an unprecedented grudge match in Las Vegas tonight. Mayweather is unbeaten in the ring, while McGregor has never actually fought in one professionally. McGregor does have incredible martial arts skills, and youth on his side. Here however, a neuroscientist says they probably won’t be much help.
Yet this is more than just a fight between two men, it’s a struggle between two sports. In the red corner is young upstart UFC. In the blue is boxing – an ageing veteran looking increasingly uncertain on its feet. Whichever fighter comes out on top tonight, UFC is likely to be the biggest winner in this lucrative event.
If you want more martial arts after those two are finished slapping each other about, new Chinese blockbuster Wolf Warriors 2 is worth a watch. This is, in many ways, standard action hero fare. It’s got superfluous weaponry, plenty of slow motion high kicks and a whole gaggle of hostages in need of rescue. But the film also tells us a huge amount about how China sees the rest of the world in real life – and about its shifting foreign policy priorities.
The latest episode of the Anthill podcast is here to tickle your funny bone too. We’re investigating humour this month, from the gags that had the Victorians in stitches
to the eternal mystery of why kids can’t stop laughing about poo.
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Laura Hood
Politics Editor, Assistant Editor
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Top story
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Steven Paston/PA Wire/PA Images
Merim Bilalic, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Everything we know about the way experts’ brains work tells us that Mayweather is likely to win the fight.
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The Anthill Podcast
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Will de Freitas, The Conversation; Annabel Bligh, The Conversation; Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Miriam Frankel, The Conversation; Holly Squire, The Conversation
In this episode of the podcast, we take in the history of Victorian humour, why kids find poo so hilarious and whether academics should try and be funny.
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Justin H G Williams, University of Aberdeen
The serious science of toilet humour.
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Bob Nicholson, Edge Hill University
Have you heard the one about the Victorian sense of humour?
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Kate Fox, University of Leeds
From Obama to street protests, humour is being used to make some very serious points.
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Environment + Energy
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Dénes Csala, Lancaster University; Sgouris Sgouridis, Masdar Institute
Energy will become more and more integrated with artificial intelligence and the internet of things.
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Tom Baxter, University of Aberdeen
Why go to all that bother when you can just half-fill the kettle?
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Jane Feeney, Trinity College Dublin
It is a delicate – and dangerous – moment for one of the world's most ecologically important nations.
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Business + Economy
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Robert O'Neill, University of Huddersfield
Millions of dollars will be made by both sides from the fight but does boxing have more to lose than UFC in this big money head-to-head?
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Science + Technology
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Adam Hargreaves, University of Oxford
Some animals seem to have missing genes – but the reality is a lot more intriguing.
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Wendy Hall, University of Southampton
Despite claims of scientific differences, the real reason behind the lack of women in computing is cultural, not biological.
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Kevin Arbuckle, Swansea University
Venom from lizards such as the Komodo dragon has the potential to treat heart attacks, strokes and blood clots.
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Arts + Culture
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Katarzyna Kosior, University of Southampton
They are too well-behaved on Westeros – real-life queens often resorted to tears, temper tantrums and toilet humour.
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Tom Harper, University of Surrey
New film has broken China's box office record while projecting soft power for Beijing.
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Education
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Gijsbert Stoet, Leeds Beckett University
It was widely reported boys beat girls in A-level results, but my analysis shows this isn’t actually the case.
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Politics + Society
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Cordelia Freeman, University of Nottingham
After a fierce debate, one of the most restrictive reproductive laws in the world has been eased.
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Kevin Waite, Durham University
Displaying Confederate statues in a carefully curated museum would help end a toxic debate about the difference between remembering and venerating.
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Chris Allen, University of Birmingham
Criticisms that Peter Kosminsky's drama about Islamic State is propaganda are wide of the mark.
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Anthony J Pickles, University of Cambridge
His particular brand of foolery is proving highly effective – and destructive.
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Sam Poyser, Aberystwyth University
Volunteers are leading the investigation into a vicious UK animal killer.
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Health + Medicine
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Sheila MacNeil, University of Sheffield
The actress knows it's not all about creams.
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Simon McCarthy-Jones, Trinity College Dublin
The symptoms of 'schizophrenia' are very real, but experts are looking for a better way to define them.
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Featured events
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Jubilee Library City Centre, Brighton , Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom — The Conversation
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New Town Theatre, Freemasons' Hall, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, City of, EH2 3DH, United Kingdom — Bangor University
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University of Stirling, Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, United Kingdom — University of Stirling
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University of Brighton, Brighton , Brighton and Hove, BN1 9PH, United Kingdom — University of Brighton
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