Ghana’s national health insurance users often end up paying as much as those who don’t belong. So why join?: Ghana's national healthcare system is designed for all. But there are pitfalls. Getty Images Health financing is a challenge any country has to deal with to provide good healthcare services. It’s especially important for developing countries …
Depression isn’t just sadness – it’s often a loss of pleasure: No longer enjoying the things you used to can also be a symptom of other mental health conditions. fizkes/ Shutterstock It’s often thought that if someone is depressed, they will feel sad or low most of the time. But what many don’t realise is that …
Ivy, dandelions and other common wildflowers are often seen as weeds – but they’re a crucial resource for pollinating insects: A bumblebee flying over a blooming bramble bush. Legonkov Vladimir Since the end of the second world war, factors such as more intensive farming and urbanisation have reduced the abundance of wildflowers in Britain. In …
Stem cell therapies: why they’re expensive, unproven and often dangerous: Rogue clinics selling stem cell therapies are popping up everywhere. There are thousands of them around the world, and they claim to be able to cure everything from autism to cerebral palsy. The highest concentration of stem cell therapy clinics is in the US, Mexico, …
Male rhesus macaques often have sex with each other – a trait they have inherited in part from their parents: Male same-sex sexual behaviour was widespread in a population of rhesus macaques. Sam Edwards, CC BY-NC-ND Homosexual behaviour is not limited to humans. Biologists have reported homosexual behaviour in many species of wild animal, ranging …
Young-onset Alzheimer’s can be diagnosed from as early as 30 – and the symptoms are often different: Alzheimer’s disease is often thought of as a condition that only affects the elderly. But around 3.9 million people worldwide aged 30-64 live with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease – a form of dementia in which symptoms appear before the …
Businesses that address social or environmental problems often struggle to survive: 3 things that can help them: Social entrepreneurs play an important role in alleviating poverty. Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images Social enterprises are organisations that promote social or environmental issues as their core business. They are useful to societies in lots of ways. They can help …
The British public often has unexpected opinions about welfare spending – here’s why: Shutterstock The soaring costs of energy and food have diminished the value of incomes for millions, leaving the majority of Britons significantly poorer. Wages have failed to recover since the 2008 financial crash and public services have suffered in availability and quality. …
Loan sharks: new data reveals they are often work colleagues or ‘friends’: 'Are you sure you don't want more?' Alex Segre Malai Gambrill doesn’t sound like your typical loan shark. She was a woman in her early 50s working in a hospital in Gillingham, not far from London. She lent £3,000 to a colleague and …
Gwen John: often dismissed as a timid recluse, this unique and uncompromising artist painted relentlessly on her own terms: The quiet Welsh painter Gwen John was not like any other artist, male or female – she was genuinely unique. She was neither an heiress, like most unmarried modernist women, nor a conventional academic artist, like …
Ethical non-monogamy: what to know about these often misunderstood relationships: Pressmaster/Shutterstock Imagine Sarah and John have been in a monogamous relationship for five years. Although they love each other, Sarah, who is bisexual, has recently started feeling an attraction to her coworker, Andrea. This has led to several sexual encounters, leaving Sarah feeling guilty. However, …
Why prey animals often see threats where there are none – and how it costs them: For a nervous horror fan, an evening watching HBO’s hit post-apocalyptic television show The Last of Us might be followed by a restless night under the duvet. The silhouette of a coat slung over the back of a chair …
Joy is good for your body and your mind – three ways to feel it more often: There are many things you can do every day to get a bit more joy in your life. Ground Picture/ Shutterstock Joy is an emotion experienced by many but understood by few. It’s usually mistaken for happiness, yet …
Men often don’t see mess like women do – changing that could make housework more equal: Even men who want to do their fair share of chores often fail to pull their weight. Koldunov/Shutterstock Picture a professional couple, Jack and Jill, who are committed to a relationship in which household responsibilities are shared evenly. Now …
Scammed: why the rich, famous and experts get duped more often than you think: The typical reaction to learning about how people have lost money to a con artist is “how could anyone be so gullible?” But it’s the wrong question. Fraudsters fool even the most clever and admired experts by playing on their psychological …
Tigers in South Africa: a farming industry exists – often for their body parts: Tigers in South Africa are being intensively farmed for commercial trade. Hristo Vladev/NurPhoto via Getty Images A tiger escaped from a residence and roamed the countryside outside Johannesburg, South Africa, for four days this month. It attacked a man and killed …
Medical jargon is often misunderstood by the general public – new study: Students learning medicine must learn a whole new language to allow them to express their clinical impressions to others accurately. In time, this becomes second nature and soon they can be heard babbling away confidently and sounding quite the part. Communication skills are …
Wildfires often lead to dust storms – and they’re getting bigger: Firefighters battling to extinguish a wildfire. Ververidis Vasilis/Shutterstock Wildfires affect large areas of the Earth’s surface and many of their effects occur at an alarming speed. The fires that consumed half of Australia’s Kangaroo Island in 2019 left a trail of animal corpses in …