Tag Archives: SHUTTERSTOCK

08Oct/24

Can Kemi Badenoch claim to have ‘become working class’ while working in McDonald’s – and why would she want to?

Michael Rees, Nottingham Trent University

Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch recently caused controversy by claiming that while she was born to a middle-class family, she “became working class” when working in McDonald’s to earn money while she was in college. In fairness to Badenoch, having a diversity of experience is an admirable attribute for an MP – something you wouldn’t associate with someone like recently deposed Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg for example.

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18Jul/24

Some say a shot of olive oil can prevent a hangover – here’s what the science says

Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

The search for alcohol hangover cures is as old as alcohol itself. Many cures and remedies are sold, but scientific evidence for their effectiveness is lacking.

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29Jun/24

Election 2024: these are the races to watch

Oliver Heath, Royal Holloway University of London and Humphrey Southall, University of Portsmouth

As the country gears up for the election, all eyes are on the bellwether constituencies that historically reflect the broader national mood.

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09May/24

Does ejaculating often reduce your risk of prostate cancer?

Daniel Kelly, Sheffield Hallam University

In terms of men’s health issues, prostate cancer features high on the agenda. It’s the second most diagnosed cancer in men globally – closely followed by lung cancer. And it’s the most common cancer in men in the UK.

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09May/24

OpenAI’s content deal with the FT is an attempt to avoid more legal challenges – and an ‘AI data apocalypse’

Mike Cook, King’s College London

OpenAI’s new “strategic partnership” and licensing agreement with the Financial Times (FT) follows similar deals between the US tech company and publishers such as Associated Press, German media giant Axel Springer and French newspaper Le Monde.

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11Mar/24

‘Bengali Cockney, Black Cockney, East End Cockney, Essex Cockney, Jewish Cockney, Sylheti Cockney’: why community languages matter

Christopher Strelluf, University of Warwick

In response to a community petition, Tower Hamlets council in east London has designated Cockney as a “community language”. This recognition paves the way for the borough to actively challenge the linguistic discrimination that speakers of “non-standard” English dialects face.

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19Feb/24

History’s crisis detectives: how we’re using maths and data to reveal why societies collapse – and clues about the future

Daniel Hoyer, University of Toronto

American humorist and writer Mark Twain is believed to have once said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”

I’ve been working as a historian and complexity scientist for the better part of a decade, and I often think about this phrase as I follow different strands of the historical record and notice the same patterns over and over.

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12Feb/24

How AI could change our relationship with religion

Sreevas Sahasranamam, University of Glasgow

Science and faith are often kept in two distinct boxes that hardly ever intersect. However, I believe that as AI becomes more mainstream, it will fundamentally alter our engagement with faith and spirituality.

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02Feb/24

Playing a musical instrument or singing in a choir may boost your brain – new study

Michael Hornberger, University of East Anglia

Generations of parents have told their children to practice their musical instruments. Parents have good reason to keep on top of their children’s musical education, since learning an instrument is not only associated with better educational attainment but also cognition (thinking) and even intelligence scores in children. But does this musicality translate to better cognition later in life?

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17Jan/24

What happens to your liver when you quit alcohol

Ashwin Dhanda, University of Plymouth

According to Greek mythology, Zeus punished Prometheus for giving fire to humans. He chained Prometheus up and set an eagle to feast on his liver. Each night, the liver grew back and each day, the eagle returned for his feast. In reality, can a liver really grow back? Continue reading