Why you should never take nutrition advice from a centenarian: Lizavetta/Shutterstock It’s a cliche of reporting on people who reach 100 years of age, or even 110, to ask them some variation of the question: “What did you do to live this long?” Inevitably, some interesting and unexpected answer is highlighted. Fish and chips every …
Is my water safe to drink? Expert advice for residents of South African cities: In early March 2024 the residents of Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city and the economic capital of the country, were hit by extended cuts in water supplies. This was a new low after months of continuous deterioration. Professor in the School …
AI could change how we obtain legal advice, but those without access to the technology could be left out in the cold: The legal profession has already been using artificial intelligence (AI) for several years, to automate reviews and predict outcomes, among other functions. However, these tools have mostly been used by large, well established …
Expert advice to help you keep your new year resolutions: Dirima/Shutterstock If you’re in need of some extra motivation to stick to your new year resolutions, there’s no better place to look than The Conversation’s archives. Our Quarter Life series is full of expert advice to help readers in their 20s and 30s navigate life’s …
What sunscreen is best? A dermatologist offers advice on protecting your skin: Sunburn is a sign that skin has experienced significant levels of damage. Ultraviolet light can change a person’s DNA structure, which can lead to cancer. At the same time, choosing from the multitude of modern sunscreens can be overwhelming. Health & Medicine editor …
Books on toddler sleep can give inflexible advice – parents should be reassured that one size doesn’t fit all: Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock If you are a parent of a young child, sleep may well have become an obsession for you. Toddlers often wake frequently during the night. Sleep deprivation is a real problem for parents. And parents …
Sex Education: a sex therapist’s advice on having a successful long-distance relationship: In the new season of Sex Education, Otis and Maeve, our favourite “will-they-won’t-they” couple (let’s be honest, Ross and Rachel aren’t quite as fun), are taking a chance on love again. However, as ever, things aren’t so easy. This time they have to …
Three steps for getting over social media envy – advice from a psychologist: iSOMBOON/Shutterstock In the past, you may have envied your neighbour when they bought a new car or went on holiday abroad when you could not. Although these feelings of envy would have been perfectly valid, they were isolated incidents that would last …
Chatbots for medical advice: three ways to avoid misleading information: We expect medical professionals to give us reliable information about ourselves and potential treatments so that we can make informed decisions about which (if any) medicine or other intervention we need. If your doctor instead “bullshits” you (yes – this term has been used in …
Polycystic ovary syndrome: losing weight can help but many sufferers are vulnerable to bad advice on social media: There are millions of #pcosdiet posts on social media. Krakenimages.com/ Shutterstock Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal condition which affects how the ovaries work, is thought to affect 20% of women worldwide. Yet despite how common the …
‘Girl math’ may not be smart financial advice, but it could help women feel more empowered with money: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock If you’ve ever calculated cost per wear to justify the price of an expensive dress, or felt like you’ve made a profit after returning an ill-fitting pair of jeans, you might be an expert in …
When being a new mum feels overwhelming, here’s some expert advice on what you need to know: Being a new mother can take a lot of adjustment. pexels?nappy We are sold the idea that becoming a new mother is the happiest time of your life. But for many women, the reality doesn’t fit that perfect …
AI could democratise nutritional advice, but safety and accuracy must come first: Antonina Vlasova / Shutterstock When you search online to see how people are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, you will quickly find that food requests are popular. More specifically, users are seeking help with menu planning to meet their personal …
Expert advice for budding UK entrepreneurs during a cost of living crisis: ImageFlow/Shutterstock Getting your foot on the career ladder can be a challenging experience. Looking for the right role within the right organisation or sector is often competitive, uncertain and stressful. These kinds of concerns may be partly what persuades some young people to …
Kids and screen time — an expert offers advice for parents and teachers: There's no expert consensus on whether screen time is good, bad or somewhere in between. Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock How much time did your child spend looking at a screen today? The answer likely depends on how old they are, what grade they’re …
‘Do the little things’: why St David’s advice is good for your mental health: Gwnewch y pethau bychain or “do the little things” is a saying attributed to St David, the patron saint of Wales. But what relevance does the advice of a sixth century monk hold in 2023? In modern times, doing the little …
The UK needs a national energy advice service: Viktoria Kurpas / shutterstock The UK government recently launched “It all adds up”, a campaign aimed at providing “simple, low or no-cost actions that households can take to immediately cut energy use and save money”. The campaign speaks to persistent calls to increase the assistance provided to …
GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study: Have you tried eating less and moving more? Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock The advice general practitioners give to patients with obesity in the UK was found to be “highly varied, superficial and often lacked an apparent evidence base”, according to a new study from the University of …