What to See in the Night Sky: November–December 2026
Your UK guide to Mars and Jupiter, the Leonids, Uranus at opposition, the Geminids and the winter solstice—with dates, viewing advice and realistic expectations.
Corrosion
The AI Threat Begins with Human Decisions
AI does not need to become all-powerful to cause harm. The evidence shows why autonomy, staffing, supervision and accountability must be treated as human responsibilities.
AI Should Support People, Not Replace Accountability: What Anthropic’s Warning Tells Us
Anthropic’s AI risk warning raises urgent questions about human oversight, workplace expertise and the difference between present harms and speculative existential scenarios.
When Everything Becomes a Subscription, What Do We Actually Own?
From printer ink and creative software to games and connected cars, recurring access is changing what ownership means. What still works when the payments—or the servers—stop?
Jiaxuan Zhang: Asking Where Quantum Probability Comes From
A profile of Oxford researcher Jiaxuan Zhang, her work on the Born rule and Sleeping Beauty, and the wider debate over where quantum probability comes from.
Why Political Orders Fall: From Ancient Empires to Modern States
From Achaemenid Persia and Rome to the Ottoman Empire and modern regimes: what actually ends when a political order falls, and how much does ideology explain?
Climate Overshoot: What Returning to 1.5°C Would—and Wouldn’t—Repair
What UNEP’s return pathway really requires, why cooling would not reverse every loss, and how to check climate headlines against the scientific evidence.
A Question of Democracy — Part 2: Elon Musk and the Power Beyond the Ballot
Money, platforms and essential infrastructure: examining how Elon Musk’s overlapping sources of influence test democratic accountability—and where that influence has limits.
When Contempt Masquerades as Explanation: The Problem With the Daily Mail’s Riot Commentary
Sarah Vine’s riot commentary turns legitimate concern for victims into a sweeping political indictment. Readers deserve evidence, explanation and individual accountability.
A Question of Democracy — Part 1: Beyond the Labels
Who really has political power? A substantial examination of ownership, markets, China, party choice, campaign finance and whether democratic claims withstand scrutiny of citizens’ actual influence.