Betelgeuse: star is continuing to behave mysteriously – here’s what would happen if it exploded: Betelgeuse, the bright, yellow star at the top of the picture, dimmed considerably in 2020 (as seen in second image) and has since brightened by 50%. H.Raab/Flickr, CC BY-ND The bright, red star Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion has shown …
Building a nutrition programme? Understanding how people behave is key: Riccardo Mayer/Shutterstock Undernutrition contributes to up to 45% of child deaths in African countries. At the same time, child obesity rates have doubled between 2006 and 2016. More than 40% of women of reproductive age are anaemic. And 13.7% of infants have low weight at …
From ghosting to ‘backburner’ relationships: the reasons why people behave so badly on dating apps: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock There’s no doubt that online dating and dating apps have transformed the way we initiate, form and end romantic relationships. We might also question whether the convenience of these apps has encouraged us to behave differently than we would …
COVID: how will people behave when self-isolation isn’t mandatory?: eldar nurkovic/Shutterstock The legal requirement to self-isolate when infected with the coronavirus will end in England on February 24, the UK prime minister has announced. It’s been two long years since the start of the pandemic, and during that time, our everyday behaviours have been subject …
Cats don’t avoid strangers who behave badly towards their owners, unlike dogs: Shutterstock/Chendongshan There’s an old stereotype about the difference between cats and dogs. Dogs are loving and fiercely loyal, they say, while cats are aloof and indifferent. Most cat people probably disagree – I certainly find it hard to believe, with my cat purring …
Chimpanzees in volatile habitats evolved to behave more flexibly – it could help them weather climate change: CherylRamalho/Shutterstock One of the reasons humans are so resilient is our ability to mould our behaviour to ever changing situations. It wasn’t so long ago that many of us hugged when we met. In the middle of a …
Moral science confirms people behave better when they think they’re being watched: Shutterstock If there exists one moral code that can be shared and agreed by almost all cultures and religions, then it must be the concept of “never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself”. This has come to be known …