Paul Hunter, University of East Anglia
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the current monkeypox epidemic a global health emergency.
25Jul/22
Tag Archives: Creative Commons
22Jul/22
Debunking the myth of the ‘evil people smuggler’
Yvonne Su, York University, Canada and Corey Robinson, Durham University
In 2022, the number of forcibly displaced people surpassed 100 million worldwide. Nearly 1.5 million refugees will need resettlement in 2022, but less than one per cent of refugees will be resettled.
20Jul/22
Love Island’s Tasha is the show’s first deaf contestant – here’s what you should know about deaf accents
I sat down to watch the first episode of this year’s Love Island with my daughter as I was told that there was a deaf contestant appearing on the show. I don’t usually watch Love Island, but as a deaf person I was intrigued to find out more about how this contestant, Tasha Ghouri, would handle being the only deaf person on the show.
20Jul/22
Depression is probably not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain – new study
Joanna Moncrieff, UCL and Mark Horowitz, UCL
For three decades, people have been deluged with information suggesting that depression is caused by a “chemical imbalance” in the brain – namely an imbalance of a brain chemical called serotonin. However, our latest research review shows that the evidence does not support it.
07Jul/22
Boris Johnson: a terminal case of hubris syndrome
As Boris Johnson barricades himself in Number 10, apparently unwilling or unable to listen to the advice of close party colleagues who are calling on him to resign, how can we understand this bizarre melodrama?
As I watched Johnson’s appearance in front of the House of Commons Liaison Committee on the afternoon before his showdown with key members of his cabinet, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a deeper malady at play. It was as if an existential disconnect had settled across the comfortingly boring committee room.
04Jul/22
Higgs boson: ten years after its discovery, why this particle could unlock new physics beyond the standard model
Martin Bauer, Durham University and Stephen Jones, Durham University
Ten years ago, scientists announced the discovery of the Higgs boson, which helps explain why elementary particles (the smallest building blocks of nature) have mass. For particle physicists, this was the end of a decades-long and hugely difficult journey – and arguably the most important result in the history of the field. But this end also marked the beginning of a new era of experimental physics.
01Jul/22
Four ways to stop thinking the worst will happen when you’re stressed
Patricia Riddell, University of Reading
Imagine you have an interview for a new job tomorrow. Some people might think about what kind of questions they will be asked so that they can prepare, or imagine the interview going well. For others, the thought of an interview will cause them to toss and turn all night thinking of every worst case scenario possible – no matter how outlandish these may be. If you’re someone who has a tendency to do the latter, you are prone to catastrophising.
01Jul/22
How your brainwaves could be used in criminal trials
Michel Funicelli, Teesside University
American Kevin Strickland was exonerated after spending 42 years in prison for being wrongfully convicted of a triple murder in November 2021. His 1978 conviction was based on mistaken identification of an eyewitness. The eyewitness later said that police pressured her into identifying Strickland, and attempted to have her testimony recanted but failed. She died in 2015.
27Jun/22
Workers’ rights: how a landmark UN decision on safety and health will actually affect employees
Huw Thomas, University of Bristol
In what has been called the “biggest moment for workers’ rights in a quarter of a century”, the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted a safe and healthy work environment as one of its five fundamental principles and rights at work for all at its June 2022 international conference. This is the first extension of workers’ human rights in almost 25 years and it means governments must now commit to respect and promote the right to a safe and healthy working environment.
25Jun/22
Roe overturned: What you need to know about the Supreme Court abortion decision
Linda C. McClain, Boston University and Nicole Huberfeld, Boston University
After half a century, Americans’ constitutional right to get an abortion has been overturned by the Supreme Court.
The ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization – handed down on June 24, 2022 – has far-reaching consequences. The Conversation asked Nicole Huberfeld and Linda C. McClain, health law and constitutional law experts at Boston University, to explain what just happened, and what happens next.