The Conversation

It may already be too late to stop Antarctic ice sliding into the ocean. Credit: EPABy Eelco Rohling, University of SouthamptonIce sheets respond slowly to changes in climate, because they are so massive that they themselves dominate the climate conditions over and around them. But once they start flowing faster towards the shore and melting into the ocean the process takes centuries to reverse. Ice sheets are nature’s freight trains: tough to start moving, even harder to stop.

Phil Mickelson tees off at Gleneagles. Credit: EPABy Tony Westbury, Edinburgh Napier University Medinah Country Club, Chicago, Ryder Cup 2012. There were six short feet between Martin Kaymer and the 18th hole. This was the moment. No other player, no spectator, none of the many millions watching on television would have dared breathe. The seconds stretched as the German composed himself for his final shot.

Volcano season. Some think it's the time of the year. Credit: EPABy Robin Wylie, University College London

Healthy food might be bad for patients. Food for thought. Photo by By Amanda Squire, Cardiff Metropolitan University

UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and actor Emma Watson launched the HeForShe Campaign at the United Nations headquarters in New York, September 20th. Credit: EPA/JASON SZENESBy Evita March, Federation University AustraliaIn less than a week since actor Emma Watson’s stirring United Nations speech on gender inequality, two big things have happened – but you’ve probably only heard about one of them.

Taking over one neuron at a time. Credit: viipeer, CC BY-NC-SABy Nick Bostrom, University of Oxford

Sympathetic or jealous? Credit: Belly by ShutterstockBy Arthur Brennan, St George's, University of LondonHarry Ashby, the 29-year-old security guard who was signed off work with morning sickness, cravings, a growing stomach and breasts during his girlfriend’s pregnancy, was told he had Couvade syndrome.

Surprises in the dark. Credit: NASA GSFC, CC BYBy Rene Breton, University of Southampton

An example of unidirectional cause and effect: bad weather means umbrella sales rise, but buying umbrellas won't make it rain. Credit: Mariusz Olszewski/Flickr, CC BY-NC-NDBy Jonathan Borwein (Jon), University of Newcastle and Michael Rose, University of Newcastle

Australian Football League. Credit: Deirdre/FlickrBy Steve Ellen, Monash UniversityIt’s Grand Final season – it might seem that nothing else matters about now.Writing about the psychology of football is like writing about the psychology of love. A fool’s business. Nothing (so far) has quite made sense of how 100,000 people turn up to shout and scream, cry and gasp, and pin their fortunes on a bunch of athletes running around crashing into each other at the limits of human endurance.It’s just good honest fun. Well, mostly honest.Fan passion

'To be, or not to be' male or female? Maxine Peake plays Hamlet. Credit: Jonathan Keenan/Royal Exchange TheatreBy Mareile Pfannebecker, University of ManchesterThe ghost, in this autumn’s Royal Exchange Theatre production of Hamlet, is in the light bulbs. Hung over the stage, they flicker and hum as they mark Old Hamlet’s movements. They also set the scene for the production: this is an indoors, domestic Hamlet, with Fortinbras and the wars cut out to focus on family politics.