poetry and science

A tightly stacked wall of yellow metal ballot boxes from the 2007 Philippine Barangay Elections in Davao. Each box is labelled either “VALID BALLOTS” or “SPOILED BALLOTS” in embossed capital letters. One box near the centre features a glass window, standing out among the otherwise solid fronts. The boxes are weathered, with some showing signs of rust, dents, and faded paint.

Disposition

Democratic countries are linked to kinder personalities and greater wellbeing than autocratic regimes.

Close-up photo of a vial labelled "M-M-RvaxPro," a measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. The vial has a blue cap and white label with blue text, placed on a dark textured surface. The vaccine is intended for injection via intramuscular (IM) or subcutaneous (SC) use.

Refusal Archive

Falling childhood vaccination rates in the US risk widespread disease resurgence, hospitalisations, and deaths.

A large wildfire burns across the hills behind a suburban neighbourhood in Santa Clarita, California, at night in October 2007. Bright flames and smoke fill the sky in the distance, while the foreground shows rows of illuminated homes under a dark sky. 

Ash Weight

Wildfire smoke exposure is linked to increased mental health emergencies, especially among children, women, and people from Black and Hispanic backgrounds.

A carrion crow flies low over tall, dry grasses at Ouaisné Common, Jersey. Its wings are mid-beat, splayed and slightly curved, revealing layered black feathers with a subtle gloss. The bird’s head is slightly tilted, and its beak points forward, giving a sense of focused motion against the soft, blurred background of beige grass.

Crowsight

Crows instinctively recognise geometric patterns, suggesting shared evolutionary intuition.

Rows of industrial computer units mounted on blue metal shelving inside a cryptocurrency mining facility operated by Genesis Mining in Iceland. Each unit has visible cooling fans, and the space is brightly lit with exposed wiring and ventilation ducts along the ceiling.

The Cost of Crypto

Bitcoin mining in the US causes widespread air pollution, affecting millions due to fossil fuel use.

A world map showing global terrestrial water storage anomalies for December 2019. The map uses shades of brown and blue to illustrate areas with below-average (brown) and above-average (blue) water storage compared to the long-term average from 2003 to 2019. Large parts of North and South America, southern Africa, Australia, and parts of Asia display significant water deficits (brown), while areas such as Canada, northern Eurasia, and parts of Southeast Asia show above-average storage (blue). The background is a dark navy grid indicating global latitude and longitude lines

Drying the Spine

The climate crisis is not just altering weather – it is rewiring Earth’s hydrological systems.

A sharp silhouette of a praying mantis is shown in profile, perched on a slender twig, with the setting sun forming a glowing, circular backdrop. The mantis’s spiked forelegs are raised in a characteristic pose, while its antennae extend forward. The golden-orange light creates a soft gradient, fading into dark at the edges, casting a dramatic, almost ethereal effect around the insect.

Truing the Sun

Many insects navigate using the sun, adjusting for time, season, and place. They may do so through brain waves and simple maths, revealing nature’s elegant solutions.

A dense bloom of translucent moon jellyfish drifts in greenish-blue water. Their round, bell-shaped bodies and delicate, trailing tentacles create a shimmering, ghostly pattern on the surface. Light reflects off the water, accentuating the jellyfish's almost ethereal appearance as they float in unison.

Where Resistance Grows

Jellyfish blooms fuel bacterial growth, increasing antimicrobial resistance gene spread – a risk to ocean and human health.

A war-damaged street in the Christian quarter of Aleppo, Syria, showing collapsed buildings with shattered facades and debris filling the roadway. Rubble, broken furniture, and twisted metal are strewn across the scene. Survivors navigate the destruction, some standing on the wreckage, while others move cautiously through the ruins. Sunlight filters through the open space where buildings once stood, casting long shadows over the devastation.

Held in the Blood

Violence alters DNA across generations, with trauma-linked genetic changes in Syrian refugees showing inherited effects and prenatal exposure accelerating ageing.