Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto – an expansive show of how the designer used fabric and shape to free the feminine form: The UK’s first exhibition dedicated to the work of French fashion designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel has opened at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A). It is a reworking of the original Chanel exhibition …
Women used to be more likely to vote Conservative than men but that all changed in 2017 – we wanted to find out why: Shutterstock/AJP In many nations in the immediate post-war period, women were more often supporters of rightwing parties than men. This “traditional” gender gap was supposedly underpinned by women’s greater religiosity and …
France used 10% less electricity last winter – three valuable lessons in fighting climate change: French authorities dimmed public lights in December 2022 to avert energy shortages. Jerome Labouyrie/Shutterstock Measures which help people use less energy at home, while travelling or at work could significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions according to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel …
School concrete crisis: how Raac has been used well beyond its expiry date: More than one hundred schools in England have been fully or partly closed just days before the start of the new academic year, due to concerns over the safety of concrete roof panels. Problems with what the construction industry terms “reinforced autoclaved …
Charms and rituals are used by criminals in Nigeria – should police deploy spiritual security too?: Crime is among the major challenges confronting Nigeria as a nation. The pervasiveness of crime has repeatedly called into question the effectiveness and efficiency of the Nigeria Police Force. This is despite their exclusive reliance on modern policing strategies …
Ukraine war: Australian-made cardboard drones used to attack Russian airfield show how innovation is key to modern warfare: Ukraine has reportedly used cardboard drones built from flatpack kits to attack a Russian airfield. Sypaq Innovative design choices can have a massive impact in the theatre of war, so it is important to understand the principles …
South Africa’s traditional medicines should be used in modern health care: South African traditional healer Gogo Kamo uses technology to treat her patients remotely. Getty Traditional medicines are part of the cultural heritage of many Africans. About 80% of the African continent’s population use these medicines for healthcare. Other reasons include affordability, accessibility, patient dissatisfaction …
What Technology is Used in Home Automation?: Introduction Home automation, once a concept limited to sci-fi novels and futuristic movies, has seamlessly integrated into our daily lives. As technology continues to evolve, our homes are becoming smarter, more efficient, and, most importantly, more comfortable. The allure of a home that responds to our needs, learns …
Science experiments traditionally only used male mice – here’s why that’s a problem for women’s health: unoL/Shutterstock If you have ever taken a medicine, then you have benefited from research in animals. But ten years ago, if you looked at a scientific report involving mice or rats, it would probably have used only male animals. …
Umlungu: the colourful history of a word used to describe white people in South Africa: Wreck of the British ship Charlotte in Algoa Bay, South Africa, 1854. The Print Collector/Heritage Images via Getty Images In South Africa “umlungu” is a word that’s commonly used to refer to white people. It comes from isiXhosa, the language …
United Nations wants to resurrect a global disarmament mechanism last used in the 1980s: In the wake of the Russian invasion and war in Ukraine, the United Nations (UN) appears to be preparing to resurrect a global disarmament process which was discontinued more than 30 years ago. On July 18, the UN secretariat released its …
AI can reinforce discrimination — but used correctly it could make hiring more inclusive: Shift Drive / Shutterstock Hiring is normally featured as a prime example for algorithmic bias. This is where a tendency to favour some groups over others becomes accidentally fixed in an AI system designed to perform a specific task. There are …
Ketone drinks: why we’re testing the effects of this supplement used by elite athletes on older adults: Ruslan Huzau/Shutterstock Ketone drinks are used by elite athletes to improve focus and enhance performance. But could they also help people to live healthier for longer? Considered “super fuels” among some endurance athletes and health enthusiasts, ketone drinks …
Biting flies are attracted to blue traps – we used AI to work out why: Flies which feast on blood – such as tsetse and horse flies – inflict painful bites and spread debilitating diseases among people and animals alike. So a lot of work has gone into designing the most efficient traps to control …
The materials used by humans now weigh more than all life on Earth – here’s four graphs that reveal our staggering impact on the planet: Yantian Port, Shenzhen City, China. Weiming Xie/Shutterstock The extent of humanity’s influence on the planet has become increasingly clear in recent years. From the alarming accumulation of plastic waste in …
Kenya at 60: how the British used street names to show colonial power: Signwriters rush to replace colonial street names with news ones in April 1964, a few months after Kenya’s independence on December 12, 1963. AFP via Getty Images Place names, along with other urban symbols, were used as a tool of control over …
AI is already being used in the legal system – we need to pay more attention to how we use it: shutterstock Artificial intelligence (AI) has become such a part of our daily lives that it’s hard to avoid – even if we might not recognise it. While ChatGPT and the use of algorithms in …
Reusable nappies can reduce the environmental footprint of parenting – but only if they’re used with care: Disposable nappies are a major source of plastic pollution. New Africa/Shutterstock Around the world, another 45 babies are born every ten seconds. Each of these babies will require nappies that need to be changed frequently. So it’s understandable …