Editor's note

“All the world’s a stage”, Shakespeare wrote, each life a play, its “acts being seven ages”. We recognise how life moves through different phases from childhood, to adult life, to the second childhood of old age the Bard so memorably conjures. But as we age our appetite changes too. Nutrition expert Alexandra Johnstone argues that, from our youth to the time we become “sans taste, sans teeth”, we must recognise and respond to these changes to guard our health.

The idea that the Earth is flat, once common, seemed to have been consigned to the past centuries ago. But it is now an increasingly held belief – so much so that flat earthers have just held their first ever UK Convention. Education lecturer Harry Dyer watched the whole thing and considers what the flat earth movement means for science and knowledge in a post-truth world.

A plague of toxic caterpillars has infested oak trees throughout London and may spread beyond the capital. These caterpillars eventually grow into oak processionary moths, but for now their hairy backs can give you a nasty rash. Callum Macgregor has previously written about his love of moths, yet even he finds it hard to summon much sympathy for this invasive species.

And transhumanists believe that technology will enable humankind to transcend the physical limitations of our bodies. But in a world where the benefits of technology aren’t enjoyed equally by all, in the latest edition of our long read podcast In Depth, Out Loud, we consider a more dystopian vision of this future.

Michael Parker

Membership Editor

Top stories

What we eat, how much and how often changes over our lives. milsamil/Shutterstock

How a better understanding of the seven ages of appetite could help us stay healthy

Alex Johnstone, University of Aberdeen

Shakespeare wrote of the 'seven ages of man', and our appetite for food changes as we age too – with implications for our health.

dsom/Shutterstock.com

I watched an entire Flat Earth Convention for my research – here's what I learnt

Harry T Dyer, University of East Anglia

A public meeting of flat earthers is a product and sign of our times.

Sarah2 / shutterstock

I'm a moth lover but London's 'toxic caterpillars' worry even me

Callum Macgregor, University of York

The oak processionary moth established itself in the UK a decade ago, ahead of the parasitoids that would normally keep its numbers in check.

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