By Chris Miller, Postdoctoral fellow, Nonreligion in a Complex Future project, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Douglas Ezzy, Professor of Sociology, University of Tasmania
Lori G. Beaman, Distinguished University Professor, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
As religious affiliation declines, the rituals and guidance it once provided around dying have disappeared for many people. Death doulas fill that gap.
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By Emmanuelle Veuillet, Associate professor, University of Juba
When civil war broke out in South Sudan in December 2013, civil servants found themselves at the centre of a deep political and economic crisis.
The state was, and remains, the largest employer, surpassing private companies and NGOs. In 2015, the approved national budget accounted for 465,041…
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By Matthew Benson-Strohmayer, Research Fellow & Sudans Research Director, London School of Economics and Political Science
South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011 was meant to close the chapter on one of Africa’s longest civil wars: the north-south war that preceded it. Formally, it did. But independence did not end the deeper struggles over power, revenue and coercion inside the newly independent state.
South Sudan returned to war in 2013, watched a 2015…
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By Aryan Karimi, Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of British Columbia
Sophie Xiaoyi Liu, PhD Candidate in Sociology, University of British Columbia
Thomas Kemple, Professor of Sociology, University of British Columbia
Canada likes to describe itself as a multicultural success story — a place where people from radically different backgrounds live side by side without much of the social turmoil seen elsewhere.
The usual explanation credits Canada’s points-based immigration system, its official multiculturalism policy or some deeper national tolerance for people’s differences.
To test this multicultural narrative, we…
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By Siamand Hesami, Lecturer in Accounting and Finance, Bournemouth University
The long summer holidays can be an expensive time for families. The cost of day trips to theme parks or zoos or soft play centres quickly adds up.
Discounts sound like a good idea. So this summer, the UK government has slashed the VAT rate from 20% to 5% on admission to a wide range of family activities.
They’ve even given the policy a catchy name: Great…
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By Bleddyn Bowen, Associate Professor in Astropolitics, Space Research Centre, Durham University
Scott Mackie, Postgraduate Researcher, Durham University
The defence investment plan sets out the UK government’s funding choices for the British armed forces. Over a year late, it allocates an additional £15 billion to the ministry of defence.
Its priorities are the nuclear deterrent and submarine programmes, a sixth generation fighter jet and an expansion of autonomous systems and guided weapons.
Across land, sea and air, the…
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By James S. Crampton, Professor of Paleontology and Stratigraphy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
New Zealand’s well-documented fossil and living marine fauna allows scientists to explore drivers of extinction risk that are relevant globally.
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By Maria Izquierdo-Pulido, Catedrática del Departamento de Nutrición, Ciencias de la Alimentación y Gastronomía, Universitat de Barcelona
Isabella Parilli Moser, Profesora lectora e investigadora del Departamento de Enfermería Fundamental y Clínica, Universitat de Barcelona
Maria Fernanda Zeron Rugerio, Profesora Lectora del Departamento de Enfermeria Fundamental y Clínica. Facultad de Enfiermeria. Universidad de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona
Magnesium has become one of the most popular supplements on the market. People take it for a whole host of reasons, ranging from better sleep to reducing stress, preventing muscle cramps, boosting energy levels and preventing deficiencies.
Social media has made it even more popular, meaning many people now take it in search of a simple, straightforward way to feel better. Magnesium does have real physiological effects, but these are often confused with clinical benefits that have not been firmly established in healthy people.
So, what does the science say?
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By Narmin Nahidi, Assistant Professor in Finance, University of Exeter
The hottest days show how poorly prepared our homes and energy systems are for the current climate – and the climate to come.
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By Tim Bale, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London
Lone Sorensen, Associate Professor of Political Communication, University of Leeds
Parveen Akhtar, Senior Lecturer: Politics, History and International Relations, Aston University
Speaking from the Reform UK party headquarters in Milbank, London, Nigel Farage revealed that he will be stepping down as MP for Clacton – only to stand again for the same seat. Farage referenced allegations about his finances and insisted that he has “done nothing wrong”. Academic experts examine the motivations behind this move.
Self-pity and self-obsession
Tim Bale, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London.
In what must rank as one of the…
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