The weird and wonderful sky at night

In one of the coldest winters on record, German forces mounted a desperate final roll of the dice to drive the Allies back. Cut off and encircled by the enemy, one city and its defenders held the line for over a week

Predicting the future is considered a fool’s game. But it’s one many of us like to play. And seeing as we asked a selection of experts about the biggest breakthroughs of the century so far (p38), we c

How she turned rejection into lifelong fortune, favour and independence

Dreda Say Mitchell is a powerhouse. Fierce and fabulous company – open, vibrant, forthright and highly intelligent – but with her combination of drive and determination, you wouldn’t mess. You can tel

Many birds have fabulous plumage to attract mates or send warning messages. Some of the colours in their feathers are produced by microscopic structures on the feather surface that absorb and reflect

Alfred and Bede. These are the two figures who tower over the first half-millennium of the history of Anglo-Saxon England. There’s a reason for that, of course: they wrote this history. The Venerable