This is the hottest autumn on record – and it’s impacting the climate system and human society: We are still getting used to a “new normal” of devastating summer heatwaves. But the effects of a warming climate are being felt throughout the year, and recent autumn months have been further off the charts than ever. …
How music heals us, even when it’s sad – by a neuroscientist leading a new study of musical therapy: Sangoiri/Shutterstock When I hear Shania Twain’s You’re Still The One, it takes me back to when I was 15, playing on my Dad’s PC. I was tidying up the mess after he had tried to [take …
Projects funded by the World Bank Group’s private sector arm fuel armed conflict – it’s time to reform the system: To what extent does private investment help developing countries to reduce conflict and violence and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals? This is a hotly debated issue. Most international institutions such as the World Bank …
Africa-US trade: Agoa deal expires in 2025 – an expert unpacks what it’s achieved in 23 years: African governments are seeking an extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) beyond 2025. The law was enacted in 2000 to “encourage increased trade and investment between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa”. We asked David …
Nigeria’s women vice-chancellors: I know what it’s like to be one, and why there are so few: The secretary-general of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors in Nigeria recently disclosed that only 38 women have been vice-chancellors of universities in Nigeria since 1960, out of more than 720 in total. The Conversation Africa asked Ekanem Braide, the …
Madagascar’s 2023 presidential election is crucial for the island’s future, but it’s off to a rocky start: Madagascar is set to elect its president on 16 November 2023, for the next five years. There’s a lot at stake. I’ve studied Madagascar’s politics – focusing on democratisation and political transitions – and believe that this election …
It’s time to limit how often we can travel abroad – ‘carbon passports’ may be the answer: Shine Nucha/Shutterstock The summer of 2023 has been very significant for the travel industry. By the end of July, international tourist arrivals globally reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels. In some European countries, such as France, Denmark and Ireland, …
Why it’s so hard to be young in Britain right now: Cast of Thousands/Shutterstock If you’re taking the first steps in your career right now, you’re doing so in the face of a high cost of living and an increasingly inaccessible housing market. You may well be facing the reality that you will be worse …
Schools know sharing sex ed lessons with parents is vital – it’s something they already do: Media_Photos/Shutterstock The education secretary Gillian Keegan has written to schools in England stating that they should be sharing relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) teaching materials with parents and carers, even if copyright contracts with external providers of school …
TB vaccine: WHO expert explains why it’s taken 100 years for a scientific breakthrough, and why it’s such a big deal: The BCG vaccine for TB has been used for 100 years. It is largely effective for children under five, but less so in older people and can’t be used on patients who have certain …
Israel-Hamas war: will the US and Iran be drawn into a broader conflict? It’s Tehran’s move: Washington has sent a warning to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, about Iranian anti-US provocation in the Middle East. This has been going on sporadically for years, but from October 17 to October 25 there was an increase, …
Here’s what’s driving the record autumn heat (it’s not just carbon emissions): Climate scientists have detected a striking jump in global temperatures during 2023. September was 1.75°C above Earth’s pre-industrial average temperature and a whole half-degree celsius warmer than the previous hottest September. These observations have been variously described as “shocking”, “mind-blowing” and “gobsmacking” by …
Debating the ‘success’ of multiculturalism misses the point – it’s simply part of life in Britain today: Diwali in Trafalgar Square: a celebration of multicultural Britain. Lara Ra/Shutterstock Suella Braverman – the home secretary in one of the UK’s most ethnically diverse cabinets in history – has declared that multiculturalism has failed. Speaking to an …
Nagorno-Karabakh: the world should have seen this crisis coming — and it’s not over yet: As a result of the Azerbaijani attack on the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19 and the forced exodus that followed it, this region will soon be empty of Armenians – for the first time in more than two millennia. …
Threats of failure motivate some students – but it’s not a technique to use on the whole class: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock It is the start of a new academic year, and a fresh group of students will be beginning study towards their GCSEs. After two years, they will be taking exams with important consequences: the …
Nine women share what it’s like to have a miscarriage: Most miscarriages happen in the first 12 weeks, known as early pregnancy. pexels/alex green Miscarriage is a common woman’s health experience, but one that affects people differently. Ten years of studying miscarriage has taught me that no two women will have the same experience, and …
Ukraine war: beware all the talk of ‘breakthroughs’ or ‘gamechangers’ – it’s going to be a long, bloody and costly struggle: From some of the headlines of late, you might be forgiven for assuming that the worst was past for Ukraine’s assault troops. That recent advances by Ukrainian forces constitute “breakthroughs” or “breaches” and that …
Tears, compromise, divorce – what it’s like to leave the UK because of Brexit: Shutterstock/NicoElNino Nicole and Hemmo have two children. Our team visited them at home just a few days before they moved to the Netherlands. Piles of boxes filled every room of the house, ready to be shipped over the coming days. Althought …