By Roopender Kumar, Lecturer in Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, UCL
The hydrogen atom: the universe built almost everything with it. Synthetic chemists are only just learning to use it in the lab.
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By Waqas Ali, Lecturer in Business Management and Research, Faculty of Arts, Business, and Social Sciences, University of Wolverhampton
OpenAI’s president, Greg Brockman, recently suggested that its advanced model, known as GPT-6 Astra, could mark the arrival of something called artificial general intelligence, or AGI.
If AI itself is often defined as the ability to simulate human intelligence, OpenAI defines AGI as an AI system that outperforms humans at most economically valuable…
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By Alex Brown, Associate Professor of Medieval History, Durham University
Stories of wandering spirits and the restless dead were common in the Middle Ages. These ghostly encounters were recorded in a wide variety of medieval literature.
Medieval ghost stories combined folklore traditions with religious doctrine. The widespread belief in purgatory – a place where souls were cleansed of sin before entering heaven – helped fuel the belief in…
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By Helen Rainford, Lead for Primary Care, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Lancashire
As a GP, I know that chest pain is one symptom that makes people worry. The immediate concern is that it’s a sign there’s something seriously wrong – such as a problem with their heart or lungs.
But these aren’t the only reasons that chest pain can happen. For many otherwise healthy people, especially those who exercise regularly, the sudden onset of chest pain may actually be caused by a painful, yet generally harmless, condition called costochondritis.
Costochondritis occurs when the tissue connecting the ribs to the breastbone becomes irritated. This causes pain at the…
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By Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy, Lancaster University
The shape of your bottom cannot tell you anything about your hormones, whatever recent social media posts claim. The only way to find out your levels of cortisol, oestrogen or anything else is a blood test.
A heart-shaped bottom, influencers say, signals healthy oestrogen, while an H shape means too much cortisol. In reality, buttock shape doesn’t reflect your circulating hormone…
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By Yashaswini Singh, Thomas J. and Alice M. Tisch Assistant Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University
Three times a week, Amber Titus wakes up at 5 a.m. to get ready for the 45-minute drive to the methadone clinic.
Titus, 38, and her husband live with their two young children in Bisbee Junction, Arizona, a rural community near the U.S.-Mexico border. The couple started taking methadone, a medication that treats opioid addiction, in early 2025.
“It’s been a godsend,” she said.
But accessing methadone is not easy. The closest place they can receive treatment is a clinic in Sierra Vista, about 30 miles from their home.
The clinic opens on weekdays…
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By Joscha Abels, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Institute of Political Science, University of Tübingen
While Elon Musk was on stage in Texas advertising a flying Tesla on October 16, his other venture, SpaceX, was reshaping geopolitics in Ukraine.
SpaceX operates Starlink, the satellite communication system that has played a crucial role in Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s full-scale invasion. Its military-grade spin-off, Starshield, has become a backbone of Ukrainian…
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By Benjamin Chrisinger, Assistant Professor of Community Health, Tufts University
Justin White, Associate Professor of Health Law, Policy and Management, Boston University
Stores in waiver states may need to update their checkout systems and train employees to prevent purchases that are no longer allowed with SNAP benefits – potentially a big burden for retailers.
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By Clin Lai, Postdoctoral Fellow in Artificial Intelligence and Society, Brandeis University
Roger Beaty, Associate Professor of Psychology, Penn State
A recent experiment found that people working with ChatGPT generated fewer unique ideas than those who collaborated with other humans.
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By Jeffrey Tolbert, Associate Professor of American Studies and Folklore, Penn State
He wasn’t a monster. He was just a man who survived a terrible accident. So why won’t western Pennsylvania let go of its ‘Green Man’ legend? A folklorist explains.
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