Short bursts of physical activity during daily life may lower risk of premature death – new research: Short bursts of physical activity could be as simple as playing with your children or grandchildren. Prostock-studio/ Shutterstock Most of us know that regular exercise is important for our health and longevity. But with our busy schedules, many …
How to keep your home warm during very cold weather (on a budget) – and avoid dangerous heating ‘hacks’: Jevanto Productions / shutterstock A cold snap of Arctic weather dubbed the “Troll from Trondheim” has hit the UK. The combination of an energy price crisis and very cold weather has left many people worrying about …
Ebola: Uganda’s schools were closed for two years during COVID, now they face more closures — something must change: Extended school closures during the pandemic set Ugandan children far behind their peers. BADRU KATUMBA/AFP via Getty Images Children in Uganda missed out on more school because of the COVID pandemic than their peers anywhere else …
Young people without access to a computer had poorer mental health during the pandemic: New Africa/Shutterstock Adolescents (young people aged between 10 and 24) are particularly vulnerable to developing mental health disorders. Essentially this is because our brains are not fully developed until the end of adolescence. These mental illnesses that start in adolescence can …
How a photograph uncovered my grandmother’s republican activism during the Irish revolution: The executive of Cumann na mBan in February, 1922. The author's grandmother can be seen on the second row, third from the right. UCD/Sighle Humphreys archives The memories I have of my paternal grandmother, Máirín Beaumont, mostly involve sweets. She lived with me …
The magic of touch: how deafblind people taught us to ‘see’ the world differently during COVID: Toeizuza Thailand/Shutterstock As someone who is severely deaf and completely blind, I felt overnight I had lost a third sense, my sense of touch. To make matters worse, people around me faded away – voices had become so quiet …
Nobel economics prize: insights into financial contagion changed how central banks react during a crisis: Left to right: Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig. The Nobel Foundation This year’s Nobel prize in economics, known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences, has gone to Douglas Diamond, Philip Dybvig and former Federal Reserve Chair …
London marathon: what to eat before, during and after the race: The right fuel can make all the difference for your performance on race day. Charles F. Kaye/ Shutterstock After all the hours that have gone into training for a marathon, it would be a shame to fall at the last hurdle because you haven’t …
Red kite chicks born during droughts are scarred for life – study exposes hidden threat of climate change to wildlife conservation: Werner Baumgarten/Shutterstock Take a drive down England’s M40 motorway and chances are you’ll see a large bird with a forked tail overhead searching for roadkill: the red kite. The conservation status of this species …
Northern Ghana is underdeveloped because of underinvestment during colonial rule, not geography: Northern Ghana was treated as a periphery outpost by colonial administrators. Flickr Ghana’s most important development problem is arguably the disparity between the north and south of the country. The north is acutely underdeveloped, trailing the south in practically all metrics of development. …
Why it’s not safe to shower during a thunderstorm: The Met Office has issued several “yellow thunderstorm warnings” for the UK, highlighting the potential for frequent lightning. While your chance of getting struck by lightning is low, it’s important to know how to stay safe during a thunderstorm. Globally, about 24,000 people each year are …
Training cardio and weights during the same workout probably won’t hurt your ‘gains’ – here’s why: The 'interference effect' has long since been debunked. 4 PM production/ Shutterstock In the past, getting in shape was synonymous with strapping on a pair of trainers and going for a run. But these days, people who want to …
How your brain will help you save during the cost of living crisis: Supermarket sweep. Shutterstock/Song_about_summer The cost-of-living crisis continues. The UK rate of inflation is up yet again, and expected to rise further. And as energy, transport, fuel and groceries all get more expensive, there are fears that over 4 million British households are …
A nice South African City image: Farming during the rainy season in Gereida (South Darfur) Image by UNAMID Photo 25 July 2012. Gereida: A young boy goes back home with his family after all day farming the land outside Gereida (South Darfur) during the rainy season. Women, children and elder people living in camps usually …
Seven tips for exercising safely during a heatwave: Keep plenty of water on hand. JOBE LORDS/ Shutterstock When summer temperatures soar, the idea of working out might be the furthest thing from your mind. But just because it’s hot doesn’t mean you can’t still squeeze a workout in if you want to, though there are …
Mobile phones can enable learning during school disruptions. Here’s how: Mobile phones have the potential to provide educational instruction in resource-constrained contexts. shutterstock The COVID-19 pandemic placed enormous pressure on education systems worldwide. At the peak of the crisis, school closures forced over 1.6 billion learners out of classrooms. This exacerbated a learning crisis that …
Stronger democracies have seen fewer excess deaths during COVID – new research: Lucem_mecul/Shutterstock Through the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that an effective response to an emergency of this nature goes beyond the health system. While strengthening health infrastructure such as surveillance, testing and hospitals is key, we’ve also seen the use of non-pharmaceutical …
A cool South African City image: Farming during the rainy season in Gereida (South Darfur) Image by UNAMID Photo 25 July 2012. Gereida: A young girl farms the land outside Gereida (South Darfur) during the rainy season. Women, children and elder people living in camps usually farm the surrounding lands and let men work in …