All articles by barbara speed
barbara speed
These maps guess at the connections between 24,000 of the universe's galaxies
Scientists know a certain amount about the universe. They know that planets form solar systems around stars, which then form…
The man who voiced the "Mind the Gap" announcement has died
Sad news this morning, folks – Phil Sayer, a voice artist whose tones can be heard restraining over-keen passengers across London’s…
"It's a complete circus": meet the woman campaigning against letting agent fees
Whenever Vicky Spratt, features editor at women’s website The Debrief, wrote or published pieces about housing, she found something familiar…
Why do the signs at King's Cross St Pancras, London's biggest tube station, seem to take you the long way round?
Kings Cross St Pancras Underground station is, as you’ll know if you’ve been inside it, a bit of a nightmare.…
The City of London has a photographer in residence, and the results are as ridiculous as you'd imagine
London, eh? Home to millions of people, and almost as many cultures and backgrounds. But today, we’re not here to…
Prime property: Where is the most expensive real estate in the world?
OK, so it’s not a question many of us will need to ask ourselves, but bear with me: if you…
A German rail operator is introducing woman-only carriages. Is this progressive or depressing?
Germany just became the first western European country this century to introduce women-only carriages on a part of its public transport network. There’s…
Twitter grew out of founder Jack Dorsey's obsession with cities
Twitter turned ten this week, and, naturally, much has been made of the birth of the social network. But in…
How a map can predict the risk of wildfires near cities across Europe
The thing about natural disasters is that they’re rarely as natural as they seem. Of course, earthquakes, landslides, and wildfires…
Former Toronto mayor Rob Ford dies aged 46. Here are his greatest hits
Rob Ford – businessman, transit fan, football coach, and from 2010-2014 the most colourful mayor Toronto ever had –…