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If you ask a British person how their summer was this year, there’s a good chance they’ll answer, “What summer?” For much of the country, July and August were something of a washout. But then we had that oddly long, hot September heatwave.
Of course, Britain is known for its unpredictable weather but there really was something off this summer – and not just in the UK. Europe’s typical Atlantic weather patterns were repeatedly “blocked” by a disrupted jet stream. And climate change means it’s more likely to happen in the future.
The Ig Nobel prizes were awarded at the end of last week for research that “makes you laugh, and then makes you think”. The literature prize went not to an author but this pair of psychologists, for their work investigating the strange opposite of deja vu.
And it’s been a year since Iran erupted in protest against the killing of a young woman in police custody. We review what’s changed, and what could happen next.
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Jack Marley
Environment + Energy Editor
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Lighthouse Imaging/Stockimo/Alamy Stock Photo
Tim Woollings, University of Oxford
An ‘omega block’ helped Storm Daniel wreak devastation in Libya.
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Cornelius Krishna Tedjo/Shutterstock
Akira O'Connor, University of St Andrews; Christopher Moulin, Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)
Ever looked at a familiar face and found it suddenly unusual or unknown? You may have had a case of jamais vu.
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Protests happened all over the world, calling for change in Iran, after Mahsa Amini’s death.
Philip Yabut/Alamy
Afshin Shahi, Keele University
People are gearing up for a potential resurgence of protests, while the state is preparing to suppress any sign of dissent.
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Politics + Society
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Dina Rezk, University of Reading
There are signs that the two rival governments are trying to work together in the disaster relief effort.
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Robert M. Dover, University of Hull
Both North Korea and Russia are highly equipped cyber nations, this deal has the potential for them to share technology.
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Charles Musselwhite, Aberystwyth University; Peter Merriman, Aberystwyth University
The Welsh government wants to make residential roads safer and quieter but not everybody agrees with dropping the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph.
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Arts + Culture
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Bethan Jones, University of York
What made the series successful was its ability to tap into contemporary cultural moments.
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Naomi Braithwaite, Nottingham Trent University
It was her design of Kate Middleton’s iconic royal wedding dress that brought Sarah Burton into the limelight.
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Business + Economy
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Conor O'Kane, Bournemouth University
Recent opinion polls show American are very gloomy on both the economy and Biden.
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Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, Anglia Ruskin University
Will you be happy to pay different prices at different times?
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Hossein Zarei, Coventry University
Even before Storm Daniel hit, Derna in Libya was in dire need of help. But it’s not always clear how best to help humanitarian organisations to deliver aid most effectively.
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Cities
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Louise Cooke, University of York
Traditional earthen building cultures are often wrongly described as ‘primitive’ and blamed for their own destruction.
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Health
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Sarah Steele, University of Cambridge
Nearly two-thirds of female surgeons in the UK have been sexually harassed.
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Duane Mellor, Aston University
Tony Blair has called on ministers to tighten food regulation, including adding levies to foods high in fat, salt and sugar.
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James Nicholls, University of Stirling
With drug policy a Westminster matter, Holyrood has sought to address drug harms as a public health issue rather than a criminal one. This new pilot is a critical milestone in taking a new approach.
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Science + Technology
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Renaud Foucart, Lancaster University
Apple has been forced to switch connections in its iPhone after the EU adopted a single standard.
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