Arts + CultureLove stories of the Berlin Wall – couples reunited via tunnels, hot air balloons and zip wiresKelly Hignett, Leeds Beckett UniversityWhy Aristotle would hate Valentine’s Day – and his five steps to loveJanset Özün Çetinkaya, University of Nottingham and Ian James Kidd, University of NottinghamFour symbolic moments in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime showNatalia Rodríguez Vicente, University of EssexThese five short video games work like poems – and they’re ideal for Valentine’s DayJordan Magnuson, University of SouthamptonFantasy writer Brandon Sanderson has retained rare control over screen adaptations of his Cosmere universeCassie Brummitt, University of NottinghamRead more Winter OlympicsWinter sports scream glamour, but women’s ski-wear falls short when it comes to actually skiingTamsin Johnson, Nottingham Trent UniversityWhat Olympic athletes see that viewers don’t: Machine-made snow makes ski racing faster and riskier – and it’s everywhereKeith Musselman, University of Colorado Boulder and Agnes Macy, University of Colorado BoulderAs the climate changes, what does the future hold for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games?Daniel Scott, University of Waterloo; Madeleine Orr, University of Toronto, and Robert Steiger, University of InnsbruckClimate change threatens the Winter Olympics’ future – and even snowmaking has limits for saving the GamesSteven R. Fassnacht, Colorado State University and Sunshine Swetnam, Colorado State UniversityFilm, TV + theatreBridgerton: three true tales of love at first sight at Regency masquerade ballsMeg Kobza, Newcastle UniversityWhy Emerald Fennell was so well placed to adapt Wuthering Heights – period drama expert explainsShelley Galpin, King's College LondonTaxi Driver at 50: Martin Scorsese’s film remains a troubling reflection of our timesAlexander Howard, University of SydneySouth African novelist Lauretta Ngcobo is the subject of a tender and urgent new filmTinashe Mushakavanhu, Harvard UniversityBooks + poetryWhat a Renaissance plate reveals about a woman who shaped literary historyMaria Clotilde Camboni, University of OxfordHow much can we really know about Jane Austen? Experts answer your questionsAnna Walker, The ConversationAli Smith’s Glyph is an exhilarating and excoriating follow-up to GliffSarah Annes Brown, Anglia Ruskin UniversityHow interwar fiction made sense of an increasingly noisy worldAnna Snaith, King's College LondonSomething GoodSo much to catch up on. Your time is precious. Get our expert picks of film, TV, music, exhibitions, books and moreSubscribe to our arts newsletterIndustry’s Faustian pact, a Welsh detective drama, and the return of Bridgerton – what to watch, read and listen to this weekAnna Walker, The ConversationNetflix’s killer new Agatha Christie mystery – what to watch and see this weekJane Wright, The ConversationA story about North Korea and Japan, an exhilarating political film and a funny spy thriller – the three best releases of 2025Anna Walker, The Conversation; Jane Wright, The Conversation, and Naomi Joseph, The ConversationPersuasion, Paddington and Patti Smith: what to listen to, read, see and sing along to this weekJane Wright, The ConversationHistoryForget flowers: lovers in 18th- and 19th-century Ireland exchanged hairLeanne Calvert, University of LimerickMy unsung hero of science: Frank Malina – fearless rocket engineer, groundbreaking artist and communist ‘traitor’Stephen Roddy, University College CorkOlives have been essential to life in Italy for at least 6,000 years – far longer than we thoughtEmlyn Dodd, School of Advanced Study, University of London; Macquarie UniversityNot an artefact, but an ancestor: why a German university is returning a Māori taongaMichael La Corte, University of Tübingen and Annika Vosseler, University of TübingenMedieval women used falconry to subvert gender normsRachel Delman, University of OxfordArt + exhibitionsRediscovered photograph sheds light on Jeanne Duval – Manet’s Lady with a FanMaria C. Scott, University of ExeterUK earmarks £1.5 billion in arts funding until 2030 – expert panel respondsAdam Behr, Newcastle University; Charlie Gregson, Nottingham Trent University, and Wanja Kimani, University of the Arts LondonV&A East: the spirit of the 19th-century cultural campus of ‘Albertopolis’ lives onBill Sherman, School of Advanced Study, University of LondonMartin Parr: an astute and uniquely British photographerMark Durden, University of South WalesEmily Ryalls’ Divine Archives explores women’s collective and individual experiences with painJessica Mary Bradley, University of SheffieldMusicBruce Springsteen’s Streets of Minneapolis: how digital circulation boosts the impact of a protest songAdam Behr, Newcastle UniversityMen rule the Grammys as women see hard drop in wins at 2026 awardsLuba Kassova, University of WestminsterAs Marmite Morrissey returns, let’s talk about the actual musicGlenn Fosbraey, University of WinchesterBob Weir: the Grateful Dead co-founder reinvented rhythm guitar and the art of the jamMax Bowden, University of EssexRethinking the ClassicsMalorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses uses critical dystopia to challenge us to build a better futureBlanka Grzegorczyk, University of Cambridge; Manchester Metropolitan UniversityThe story of Apollo and Daphne in Ovid’s Metamorphoses needs a new translation for the #MeToo eraAlison Habens, University of PortsmouthCaravaggio’s Medusa: why we need to look the Gorgon in the eyeMarie-Louise Crawley, Coventry UniversityAnimal Farm at 80: why the animals really matter in Orwell’s parable about communismCharlotte Sleigh, UCLRead more in this series SportWhy returning to sport after childbirth is tougher than it looks for triathlete mothersEleri Sian Jones, Bangor UniversityWe studied the walking habits of young men in Cape Town and London – and debunked a mythBradley Rink, University of the Western Cape and Gina Porter, Durham UniversityHow walking football is helping older adults stay fit, connected and competitiveIan Varley, Nottingham Trent University and Philip Hennis, Nottingham Trent UniversityBlood, bruises and belief: how England’s women’s rugby team embody physical and mental enduranceHelen Owton, The Open UniversityState of the artsThe BBC once made the arts ‘utterly central’ to television – 100 years later they’re almost invisibleJohn Wyver, University of WestminsterInside Uganda’s video halls, ‘video jokers’ transform Hollywood blockbusters into local entertainmentDamien Pollard, Northumbria University, NewcastleWhy British Museum has ended 15-year Japan Tobacco deal – and what it means for future partnershipsAllen Gallagher, University of Bath; Duncan Thomas, University of Bath, and Sophie Braznell, University of BathAfter the licence fee? Three alternatives to the BBC’s current modelDeborah Wilson David, Nottingham Trent UniversityRead more Climate storytellingHow scientists and artists can collaborate to cut through ‘ecofatigue’ and inspire positive actionIan Williams, University of SouthamptonClimate storytelling often ignores young people – arts-based research can change thatBobby Smith, University of WarwickHow politics, technology and the environmental crisis turned these movies into horror films in 2026Alexander Sergeant, University of WestminsterHow romanticised images of London fog shaped the way we see polluted airMichelle Henning, University of LiverpoolRead more in this series Pop cultureBad Bunny is a controversial pick for the Super Bowl – and that’s the pointBelinda Zakrzewska, University of Birmingham; Flavia Cardoso, and Jannsen Santana, TBS EducationWhat the Beckham family feud reveals about social media and our love of ‘mess’Carolina Are, London School of Economics and Political ScienceValentino: the Italian designer who broke into French haute couture with his elegant style and signature redNaomi Braithwaite, Nottingham Trent UniversityI was a designer for RuneScape – its comeback reveals how old games can be rejuvenatedMatthew Holland, Anglia Ruskin UniversityBig ideasWalking through the North York Moors National Park – a place of adventure, conservation and healingTom Ratcliffe, York St John UniversityEx Machina: could “superintelligence” challenge the idea of creativity as a uniquely human activity?Anthony Downey, Birmingham City UniversityMost read this week1.Not an artefact, but an ancestor: why a German university is returning a Māori taongaMichael La Corte, University of Tübingen and Annika Vosseler, University of Tübingen2.Rediscovered photograph sheds light on Jeanne Duval – Manet’s Lady with a FanMaria C. Scott, University of Exeter3.The five best TV shows about the American revolution – recommended by a historianStuart Salmon, University of Stirling; University of Edinburgh4.Bruce Springsteen’s Streets of Minneapolis: how digital circulation boosts the impact of a protest songAdam Behr, Newcastle University5.Bad Bunny is a controversial pick for the Super Bowl – and that’s the pointBelinda Zakrzewska, University of Birmingham; Flavia Cardoso, and Jannsen Santana, TBS Education6.Medieval women used falconry to subvert gender normsRachel Delman, University of Oxford