Doing laundry by hand sheds just as many microfibres as machine washing – new research: Most of the world washes their clothing by hand. elJad/Pixabay, CC BY-NC-SA Between 6,500 and 87,000 tonnes of microfibres are shed during domestic laundering every year in the UK. Many of these minuscule fibres end up in rivers and oceans, …
Tiny and mysterious: research sheds light on sub-Saharan Africa’s seahorses, pipefish and pipehorses: A giraffe seahorse (_Hippocampus camelopardalis_). Louw Claassens, Author provided Seahorses are considered fabled creatures by many; something that only exists in old mythical tales of the ocean. But these curious animals really exist – and they’re not the only members of the …
How antidepressants, ketamine and psychedelic drugs may make brains more flexible – new research: Juan Gaertner/Shutterstock The first-line pharmacological treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) are antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs). But a significant proportion of people don’t respond to these drugs. Given that major depression is a global mental health …
Increasing melting of West Antarctic ice shelves may be unavoidable – new research: Evgeny Kovalev SPB/Shutterstock The rate at which the warming Southern Ocean melts the West Antarctic ice sheet will speed up rapidly over the course of this century, regardless of how much emissions fall in coming decades, our new research suggests. This ocean-driven …
Artificial coral reefs showing early signs they can mimic real reefs killed by climate change – new research: Alexey UW/Shutterstock Earth’s average temperature in September 2023 was 1.75°C above its pre-industrial baseline, breaching (if only temporarily) the 1.5°C threshold at which world leaders agreed to try and limit long-term warming. Persistent warming at this level …
Hitting snooze on your alarm might not actually make you more tired in the morning – new research: No need to worry if you like to hit 'snooze'. DG FotoStock/ Shutterstock If you like to press snooze on your alarm a few times before getting up in the morning, you’re not alone. According to some …
Elon Musk is an ‘engineer’ but Bill Gates is a ‘leader’ – new research shows founder personality can dictate startup success: From Elon Musk’s supreme confidence to Jeff Bezos’ ability to make smart decisions under pressure, some of the most successful entrepreneurs are known for their distinctive personalities. But these traits aren’t just interesting side …
Scientists can’t agree on when the first animals evolved – our research hopes to end the debate: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock There are estimated to be nearly 8 million species of animals living today, making up the majority of Earth’s documented biodiversity and inhabiting almost all of its environments. However, for most of Earth’s history animals were completely …
Bank CEOs set the tone from the top when it comes to risky behaviour — new research: KeyStock/Shutterstock Metro Bank positioned itself as “a fresh start to banking” when it launched in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. It was set up in 2010 as a challenger to the “big five” banks dominating …
Deaths and abuse in UK immigration detention – my research shows extent of mental health problem: The death of 39-year-old Frank Ospina, a Colombian man in immigration detention in the UK, shocked his family. Ospina was awaiting deportation, and his mental health appeared to deteriorate rapidly. He is thought to have taken his own life …
Baby formula preparation machines might not reach NHS recommended temperatures for killing bacteria – new research: The NHS recommends using water heated to at least 70C for mixing with formula powder. 279photo Studio/Shutterstock When you have a new baby, it can feel as though there are suddenly thousands of things to worry about. One of …
Humans got to America 7,000 years earlier than thought, new research confirms: The footprints come from a group of people of different ages. National Park Service When and how humans first settled in the Americas is a subject of considerable controversy. In the 20th century, archaeologists believed that humans reached the North American interior no …
Women take fewer risks because they think about losing more than men, research suggests: Roman Tarasevych/Shutterstock One difference between men and women has been well documented by economists, psychologists and biologists – that women are tend to be more cautious and take fewer risks. Evidence has also been gathered about how this difference affects women’s …
Discrimination is the biggest career obstacle for women of colour in the NHS – new research: Photoroyalty/Shutterstock In March 2023, NHS midwife Olukemi Akinmeji won an employment tribunal case against the hospital in Kent where, as an employee, she had faced race discrimination and victimisation. That same month, Michelle Cox, a healthcare manager and senior …
Female animals teach each other to choose unusual males – new research: alexroch/Shutterstock My friend recently changed their favourite celebrity crush from Anna Kendrick to Lily James. While some people could see the attraction, others might not. So, what is it that attracts us to potential mates? A new study suggests that female animals learn …
Mercury: shrinking planet is still getting smaller – new research: Perspective view of a lobate scarp on Mercury named Carnegie Rupes, colour-coded according to surface altitude. The crater near the middle is nearly 40 km across. NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington Planetary scientists have long known that Mercury has been shrinking …
Donald Trump’s truth: why liars might sometimes be considered honest – new research: According to fact checkers, Donald Trump made more than 30,000 false or misleading claims during his presidency. That’s around 20 a day. But, according to several opinion polls during his presidency, around 75% of Republican voters still considered Trump to be honest. …
Age, not class, is now the biggest divide in British politics, new research confirms: Shutterstock/Hyejin Kang “Class is the basis of British politics; all else is embellishment and detail.” So wrote Peter Pulzer, the former Gladstone professor of politics at the University of Oxford in the 1960s. Nowadays, however, it is age, not social class, …