Ian Sample

When Jenny, a 50-year-old marketing and branding professional from Cambridge, went for her shingles vaccine last year, an entirely different disease was on her mind.

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan has incurred condemnation from human rights groups and politicians on all sides. But according to Coltan Scrivner, an author and psychologist at Arizona State University and expert on morbid curiosity, people are still likely to watch in large numbers. He explains why we are drawn to dark and disturbing content, and Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample how consuming this kind of material can harm observers’ mental health

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan has incurred condemnation from human rights groups and politicians on all sides. But according to Coltan Scrivner, an author and psychologist at Arizona State University and expert on morbid curiosity, people are still likely to watch in large numbers. He explains why we are drawn to dark and disturbing content, and Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample how consuming this kind of material can harm observers’ mental health

Experts say the technology could help terrorists and nation states with production but that significant hurdles remain

Experts say the technology could help terrorists and nation states with production but that significant hurdles remain

Workers have always been monitored by their bosses, first through output targets, and then via computer software labelled ‘bossware’. But AI is transforming the capabilities of these systems, processing huge volumes of data to provide minute-by-minute accounts of activity, and productivity. To find out more, Ian Sample hears from UK technology editor Robert Booth. He explains which sectors are adopting this approach, why they are doing it, and how it could end up being counterproductive.

Adult excavated in an Iraqi Kurdistan cave died more than 70,000 years ago and bears ‘kill shot' shoulder wound

After decades of discussion, quibbling and worrying about clocks in computer systems, the world's official timekeepers have voted to replace what many viewed as a tiresome correction: the leap second.

Delegates from 69 countries approve clock changeover after decades of debate – but switch may not take effect for thousands of years

Dr Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, speaks to Ian Sample about why governments are so worried and what measures could be put in place to reduce the risks