Why are killer whales attacking boats?
Orcas – killer whales no less – are on the attack. They have declared war on humanity. They are systematically…
The surprising cultural life of orcas
Male killer whales are all mamas’ boys. That’s not a revelation; their curious and intense social lives have been studied…
The ethics of eating octopus
The questionable ethics of eating octopus
The rise and fall of mink
Mink keeps you warm. That’s a most acceptable bonus, but its prime function is status. This week, however, the focus…
Why whales sing: it’s a question of culture
Of course animals have culture
What’s the point of boxing?
Why do we box?
Maro Itoje is a national hero for our time
Sport is a paradox. It’s supposed to be. Sport divides, but then again, sport unites. The England rugby union team…
All hail the return of the crane
The RSPB regularly gets calls from people who have seen ‘a funny bird’. ‘It’s got a red head and it’s…
How Nike turned a protest about racial injustice into advertising
Every so often sport bursts its banks, spills from its usual courses and goes flooding incontinently onto the news pages.…
The agony of World Cup penalties
Last week, for the first time since 1996, and for the second time in nine attempts, England won a match…
The joy of bird-listening
Here’s a rum thing: you can tell the quality of a piece of land with your eyes closed. Your ears…
When does cricketing banter cross the line?
‘Good morning, my name’s Cowdrey.’ England batsman Colin, later Lord Cowdrey, to the Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson. ‘That’s not…
