Editor's note

Once every few years, the internet delivers us a hero so awe-inspiring that we all feel a bit better just for having clicked on a few pictures. In their presence, we take a collective moment to consider the questions that really matter. And so it was this week, when we learned about Knickers, a staggeringly large cow who lives in Australia. Families and friends came together to gaze upon Knickers, lurking somewhat awkwardly amid a herd of regularly-shaped cow colleagues in a muddy field. And we all pondered: just how did Knickers get to be quite so vast?

If you’ve not yet seen images of this bumper-sized bovine, I’m excited for you. Join us as we enter a scientific investigation into Knickers and other overgrown animals. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and, if you’re anything like our science editor, you’ll say: “yep, that really is quite a big horse, actually.”

You may also have seen images of angry protestors wearing high-vis jackets and waving placards proclaiming that Emmanuel Macron is not quite all he was cracked up to be as president (a generous translation from the original French). They are the “gilets jaunes” and they’re making life slightly difficult for the once popular leader by blocking roads, smashing speed cameras and bricking up the entrances to regional tax offices. We found out what’s making them so irate.

Most modern humans are sporadically hit with the thought that their phone is listening to them. It’s time to come to terms with the fact that you’ve probably given it permission to harvest a terrifying amount of information from you.

Also this week, we’ve been looking at the economic costs of Brexit and exploring the virtual ecology of Red Dead Redemption 2.

Laura Hood

Politics Editor, Assistant Editor

Shutterstock

Knickers the giant cow: why do some animals grow so big?

Jan Hoole, Keele University

An internet-breaking 6'4" steer isn't the only animal to reach gigantic proportions.

Julien Warnard/EPA

Gilets jaunes: why the French working poor are demanding Emmanuel Macron’s resignation

Oliver Davis, University of Warwick

Who are the 'gilets jaunes', what do they want and how has France's political establishment responded to their populist challenge?

javi_indy/ Shutterstock

Are phones listening to us? What they can learn from the sound of your voice

Ian McLoughlin, University of Kent

AI advancements can learn a lot about us from our tone of voice -- which could have dark consequences for the future of personal privacy.

By Markus Schmidt-Karaca / Shutterstock

The economic cost of Brexit is unavoidable – but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it

Anand Menon, King's College London; Matthew Bevington, King's College London

Independent research estimates that Theresa May's deal could reduce UK GDP per capita by between 1.9% and 5.5% over ten years.

Wild game. Rockstar Games

Red Dead Redemption 2: Virtual ecology is making game worlds eerily like our own

Dr Umran Ali, University of Salford

Games have come a long way since their genesis in the 1970s. Today, games designers consult with ecologists and other experts to create worlds that feel alive and real.

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