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Around the world, cards and apps are the default way to pay – but nowhere is the transition away from cash more obvious than in Sweden. The Bank of Sweden notes that the amount of cash in circulation in the country has halved since 2007.

Modern computers are a triumph of technology. A single computer chip contains billions of nanometre-scaled transistors that operate extremely reliably and at a rate of millions of operations per second.

Every year in the highlands of Ethiopia, when the rain returns after a parched dry season, a dazzling sight unfolds. Vast fields of a plant known as the Ethiopian red hot poker revive from their crinkled, withered state, and bloom into fiery torch-like flowers. From June to November, these bright…

From vegetarians craving meat to changes in sexual preference, some organ transplant patients report changes to their personality reflecting those of the organ donor. A 2024 study claims to challenge “conventional views of memory and identity” by suggesting organs carry memories and emotions and that the findings raise “ethical and…

The incoming US president, Donald Trump, is clearly committed to bringing loyal allies into his top team, even if they have little political experience. The most important factor appears to be allegiance to the Trump flag.

Christmas can be a time of togetherness, fun and relaxation. Yet, it can also bring unique challenges – particularly for those who may struggle with food anxiety, weight concerns or an eating disorder.

Although most people in the UK are worried about climate change, disagreement about what to do can be polarising, especially at Christmas when norms around travel, presents and waste are at the forefront of people’s attention. People who are concerned about climate change and environmental sustainability can feel separated from…

A physicist, a chemist and a mathematician walk into a bar. It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but in my case, it was the start of an idea that could reshape how scientists think about the history of the Moon.

The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, while a stark reflection of frustration with the American health insurance industry, also highlights a longstanding and contradictory cultural fascination in the United States with street justice and punitive criminal justice.

The act of handing over hard-earned cash has long been associated with pain. And historically, research has also found that consumers tended to spend less using cash rather than a payment card.

400,000 years ago, early humans in Europe, Asia and Africa lived alongside giant straight-tusked elephants, far bigger than their modern-day cousins. Their evolution has long been a mystery to palaeontologists, but an extraordinary, enormous and near-complete skull is helping us uncover an obscure episode in the evolutionary history of these…