Research

Women with ADHD three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder – new research

Women with ADHD three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder – new research: PMDD causes symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, depressed mood and anxiety. LightField Studios/ Shutterstock Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has historically been under-studied in women. This means we still have a limited understanding of how the condition may uniquely affect …

What the hidden rhythms of orangutan calls can tell us about language – new research

What the hidden rhythms of orangutan calls can tell us about language – new research: Don Mammoser/Shutterstock In the dense forests of Indonesia, you can hear strange and haunting sounds. At first, these calls may seem like a random collection of noises – but my rhythmic analyses reveal a different story. Those noises are the …

Southern Africa’s rangelands do many jobs, from feeding cattle to storing carbon: a review of 60 years of research

Southern Africa’s rangelands do many jobs, from feeding cattle to storing carbon: a review of 60 years of research: South Africa’s rangelands have always had great value for the country. These areas offer more than just grazing for livestock. They provide services like purifying water, storing carbon and conserving biodiversity. The grassland biome (28%), along …

How dogs and cats are evolving to look alike and why it’s humans’ fault – new research

How dogs and cats are evolving to look alike and why it’s humans’ fault – new research: Africa Studio/Shutterstock Domestication has made cats and dogs more diverse, but also curiously alike – with serious implications for their health and welfare, new research shows. At first glance, Persian cats and pugs don’t seem like they’d have …

Why are women paid less than men? New research in South Africa shows the company you work for makes the biggest difference

Why are women paid less than men? New research in South Africa shows the company you work for makes the biggest difference: Why do women earn less than men? The usual suspects – occupation, hours, experience – explain some of it. But a powerful, often overlooked reason is simply this: where women work. The companies …

Wave energy’s huge potential could finally be unlocked by the power of sound – new research

Wave energy’s huge potential could finally be unlocked by the power of sound – new research: Water good idea. Andrei Armiagov Ocean waves have long been seen as having huge potential as a source of renewable energy. Waves produce an estimated 50 trillion to 80 trillion watts of power worldwide – nearly two to three …

Quantum effects make distant objects move together: new research finds this may happen with ripples in space

Quantum effects make distant objects move together: new research finds this may happen with ripples in space: An illustration of two black holes orbiting each other. Eventually they will merge, producing gravitational waves. Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images Galaxies, planets, black holes: to most people, everything about our Universe sounds and feels enormous. But while …

Living with multiple chronic conditions cuts lives short – but Africans are overlooked in research

Living with multiple chronic conditions cuts lives short – but Africans are overlooked in research: When a person suffers from two or more long-term health conditions at the same time this is known as multimorbidity. The World Health Organization says multimorbidity puts patients at greater risk and complicates primary care. It also drives up healthcare …

I research race in politics – Kemi Badenoch’s views on inequality should worry Black Britons

I research race in politics – Kemi Badenoch’s views on inequality should worry Black Britons: House of Commons/Flickr, CC BY-NC Kemi Badenoch has become the first Black leader of a UK-wide political party. But her ascent is unlikely to translate into meaningful gains for Black Britons. Badenoch’s record suggests she is uninterested in tackling the …

Opt-out laws designed to make organ donation easier may have actually made it harder, says research

Opt-out laws designed to make organ donation easier may have actually made it harder, says research: In 2020, England introduced an opt-out system for organ donation with the aim of making it easier for organs to be donated after a person’s death. The Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019 assumed that unless someone explicitly opted …

UK homeowners are reluctant to switch to low-carbon heating – our research points to how to change their minds

UK homeowners are reluctant to switch to low-carbon heating – our research points to how to change their minds: Photoroyalty/Shutterstock Cold climate countries are making significant efforts to transition from fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, to sustainable heating sources, such as heat pumps or district heating to cut greenhouse gas emissions. But fossil-fuel-based …

Why we haven’t evolved better knees – new research

Why we haven’t evolved better knees – new research: fongbeerredhot/Shutterstock The groans of pain as we get up from the sofa or the sound of crunching cartilage when taking the stairs are all too familiar. Many of us look down at our aching knees and curse them – wondering why they seemingly evolved to hurt so …

Most food waste happens at home – new research reveals the best ways to reduce it

Most food waste happens at home – new research reveals the best ways to reduce it: Kmpzzz/Shutterstock The EU and UK pledged to reduce food waste, in line with the UN’s goal to halve global food waste by 2030. With most (approximately 53%) of total food waste in European countries occurring in homes, this stage …

Extreme weather in South Africa is disrupting tourism – research tracks the impact on coastal areas

Extreme weather in South Africa is disrupting tourism – research tracks the impact on coastal areas: South Africa has experienced some extreme weather events in recent months. These have included floods and an uncommon tornado in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, floods in the Eastern Cape and mid-latitude cyclones in the Western Cape. Kaitano Dube, a …

Fish and chips on Mars: our research shows how colonists could produce their own food

Fish and chips on Mars: our research shows how colonists could produce their own food: sciencepics/Shutterstock Humans can’t help being fascinated by space. And that interest seems to be making the possibility of moving humanity to another planet, like Mars or the Moon, more distinct, with Nasa hoping to set up colonies in the next …

Depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder linked with ancient viral DNA in our genome – new research

Depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder linked with ancient viral DNA in our genome – new research: Hervs represent the remnants of infections from ancient viruses. james benjamin/ Shutterstock Around 8% of human DNA is made up of genetic sequences acquired from ancient viruses. These sequences, known as human endogenous retroviruses (or Hervs), date back hundreds …

Want to be an influencer? Our research shows what you need to know first

Want to be an influencer? Our research shows what you need to know first: Maridav/Shutterstock You’re hard at work, lying in a hammock, composing the perfect selfie on the beach. The turquoise sea sets off the idyllic sunset, and just visible though the fronds of a palm tree is the logo of the hotel which …

Big companies, like Nestlé, are funding health research in South Africa – why this is wrong

Big companies, like Nestlé, are funding health research in South Africa – why this is wrong: In 2021, the director of the African Research University Alliance Centre of Excellence in Food Security at the University of Pretoria was appointed to the board of the transnational food corporation Nestlé. At the time a group of more …