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According to the rules of “doublethink” laid down in George Orwell’s dystopian classic 1984, war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength, and 2 + 2 = 5. In 2024 we might add the concept of “overshoot” – that we can avoid climate change while continuing to burn fossil fuels.
The concept promises that we can overshoot any amount of warming, with the deployment of planetary-scale carbon dioxide removal and solar geoengineering techniques dragging temperatures back down by the end of the century. In our latest Insights long read, three climate scientists argue that the extensive use of overshoot in the world’s net zero plans “not only cripples any attempt to limit warming to 1.5°C, but risks catastrophic levels of climate change as it
locks us into energy- and material-intensive solutions which for the most part exist only on paper”.
Also today, we consider why Banksy’s recent murals have captured the public imagination (it turns out it has a lot to do with our love of animals), and whether we’d be comfortable with food grown in human poo.
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Paul Keaveny
Investigations Editor, Insights
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Melting Antarctic glacier.
Shutterstock/Bernhard Staehli
James Dyke, University of Exeter; Robert Watson, University of East Anglia; Wolfgang Knorr, Lund University
The net zero approach of the Paris agreement has become detached from reality as it increasingly relies on science fiction levels of speculative technology.
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This mural at London Zoo was the ninth animal artwork in Banksy’s latest series.
EPA-EFE/Andy Rain
Nicholas Jenkins, University of the West of Scotland
The murals have captured the public imagination because they play with something beyond the world of pop art – our love, fear and fascination with animals.
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Human poo could potentially be an alternative to spreading animal manure on fields as a fertiliser.
Tsirikashvili Nodari/Shutterstock
Steven David Pickering, University of Amsterdam
A tale of two poos - attitudes towards the agricultural use of human excretion-based fertiliser differ between Japan and England as new research shows.
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World
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Roger J. Kreuz, University of Memphis
It wouldn’t be out of character if Kamala Harris’ running mate sprinkles ‘damn’ throughout his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
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Anna Barford, University of Cambridge; Kate Brockie, University of Cambridge; Niall O'Higgins, University of Salerno
Young people in Bangladesh are not alone in their struggle to get decent work.
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Politics + Society
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Laura Edwards, Bangor University
Novelist and activist Mrs Humphry Ward was dedicated to the cause of keeping women out of political life.
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Arts + Culture
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Sarah A. Son, University of Sheffield
The show charts the journey of a group of young men aged between 19 and 23 through a strict, 100-day training process, leading to their debut as a band called Dear Alice.
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Business + Economy
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Dr Damian Devlin, University of East London
With the summer holiday season in full swing, how are the UK’s airports coping? Recent technical problems caused widespread disruption - are we at risk of a repeat?
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Richard Whittle, University of Salford
Labour’s decision to cancel the UK’s next-generation supercomputer is just the tip of the iceberg.
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Education
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Chris Brignell, University of Nottingham; Stephen Lee, University of Nottingham
It’s possible even more young people would like to study maths but can’t find the right course.
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Harriet Axbey, Swansea University
University is often unpredictable but there are things autistic students can do to make the experience more positive.
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Health
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Belinda Lawford, The University of Melbourne; Giovanni E. Ferreira, University of Sydney; Joshua Zadro, University of Sydney; Rana Hinman, The University of Melbourne
Most people with knee osteoarthritis can control their pain and improve their mobility without surgery, according to updated treatment guidelines. Here’s how.
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Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University
From boosting energy to reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases, a few cups of coffee every day could be beneficial for your health.
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Science + Technology
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Aimee Drane, Swansea University
New research reveals that the human heart has evolved distinct structural and functional traits that set it apart from our closest great ape relatives.
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Cailbhe Doherty, University College Dublin
A new study reveals strengths and weaknesses of the gadgets we use to monitor our lives.
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