Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie is a ‘feminist bimbo’ classic – and no, that’s not an oxymoron: The following article contains spoilers for Barbie. For some, Barbie is the ultimate “girlboss” – she’s glamourous, successful and owns her own DreamHouse. For others, Barbie represents an outdated female stereotype – a “blonde bimbo girl in a fantasy …
The Titan disaster could suggest deep sea diving is risky — history shows that’s far from the truth: A view of the seafloor from the Deep Rover 2 submersible. Jon Copley, Author provided The tragic death of five people when the Titan submersible imploded during its descent to the wreck of the Titanic has led …
Two in five children in care are placed outside their local authority – here’s why that’s a problem: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Since June 2022, a series of BBC investigations have made shocking revelations about terrible abuse and malpractice in a number of children’s homes run by the Hesley Group in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Among other things, the …
Abortion prison sentence shows the law is focused on foetuses – why that’s dangerous for women: Emituu/Shutterstock The imprisonment of a woman in the UK for taking abortion pills at 32-34 weeks of pregnancy has shocked many. Most people are still unaware that abortion at any stage of pregnancy is illegal in England and Wales, …
The government wants a ‘volunteer army’ to save social care – our research shows why that’s not possible: Peter Kindersley/Centre for Ageing Better, CC BY The UK government is recruiting a volunteer army for social care, to help with the sector’s record-high vacancy rate. There are currently a staggering 165,000 open posts, representing 10.7% of …
Slowing deep Southern Ocean current may be linked to natural climate cycle – but that’s no reason to stop worrying about melting Antarctic ice: The Weddell Sea helps power the great ocean conveyor, which moves heat, carbon dioxide and nutrients around Earth's ocean basins. Janelle Lugge/Shutterstock Our new research in the Antarctic suggests that the …
91% of sub-Saharan African workers don’t save for old age: why that’s a problem and how to fix it: Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest level of pension savings in the world Shutterstock Less than 10% of the workers in sub-Saharan Africa save for old age, the lowest rate for any region in the world. That …
Tender Photo: the newsletter that’s creating a new conversation about African photography: The brains behind the popular photography newsletter is Nigerian writer, editor, publisher, and art critic Emmanuel Iduma. Simone Padovani/Awakening/Getty Images Nigeria’s Emmanuel Iduma is many things: writer, editor, publisher, critic and photographer. In 2022 he combined these skills to introduce a newsletter, Tender …
People with personality disorders are more likely to sign up for psychology studies – here’s why that’s a problem: solarseven/Shutterstock Many psychological studies rely on participants to give up their time to take part in experiments or complete questionnaires. They take part because they get paid or because they are required to as part of …
Jacinda Ardern resignation has people wondering when to quit – but that’s the wrong way to think about burnout: Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock Jacinda Ardern’s resignation as New Zealand prime minister has sparked discussions about burnout and when is the “right time” to leave a job. Some have written admirably about Ardern’s decision to leave, …
Twitter has been important for disability activism – that’s being lost under Elon Musk: LightField Studios / Shutterstock Before purchasing Twitter, Elon Musk said that a public platform for free speech is a “societal imperative for a functioning democracy”. As part of this, he claimed that Twitter being “maximally trusted and broadly inclusive is extremely …
US politics: midterm elections have handed Joe Biden a divided Congress – history tells us that’s bad for good government: Contrary to the expectations of many observers, the “red wave” stopped at the House of Representatives and only delivered the Republican Party a small majority. The Senate, though, will remain under Democrat control. So the …
Ultra-processed foods: it’s not just their low nutritional value that’s a concern: Many everyday food products are ultra-processed. Jiri Hera/ Shutterstock In countries such as the UK, US and Canada, ultra-processed foods now account for 50% or more of calories consumed. This is concerning, given that these foods have been linked to a number of …
COVID vaccine: children aged 5-11 in England will no longer be offered a jab – here’s why that’s bad news: PattyPhoto/Shutterstock Several countries, including the US and Australia, recommend vaccinating children aged five to 11 against COVID. The UK was much slower to approve this compared with some other countries and labelled it a “non-urgent …
Seaweed is high in vitamins and minerals – but that’s not the only reason westerners should eat more of it: Dom O'Neill/Pixabay Edible seaweeds and algae – or sea vegetables – are a group of aquatic plants that are found in the ocean. Kelp, dulse, wakame and sea grapes are all types of seaweeds that …
‘Liberate the tractors’: the right to repair movement that’s regaining control of our devices: A software 'jailbreak' gave US farmers the power to repair their vehicles. Maksim Safaniuk/Shutterstock The software that runs John Deere tractors was successfully “jailbroken” at this year’s DEF CON hacker convention, enabling farmers to repair or retune their equipment without engaging …
Kenya declares William Ruto as its new president in an election drama that’s far from over: William Ruto speaks after being declared the winner of Kenya's close-fought presidential election. Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images Kenya’s William Ruto was declared the winner of the August 9 election in the midst of chaotic scenes last witnessed on …
Marikana massacre: South Africa needs to build a society that’s decent and doesn’t humiliate people: Hundreds of people gather on the small hill were some of the Marikana miners were shot by police in 2012. EFE-EPAS/Stringer On 16 August mine workers, activists and no doubt a few politicians will gather on the now infamous rock …