By Isabela Carvalho
After several conferences shaped by restrictions and tensions between governments and social movements, this COP had active voices in the discussions from grassroots organizations, Indigenous peoples, and traditional communities.
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By Charlotte Ireland, Associate Researcher, Department of English, University of Birmingham
The bestselling British author Sophie Kinsella “peacefully” died two days before her 56th birthday on December 10, 2025. Across more than 30 books published between 1995 and 2024, Kinsella became one of the most commercially successful writers of popular women’s fiction. Her novels were the books readers packed for holidays, lent to friends and read on commutes – stories that created a sense of connection through shared experience.
Born Madeleine Wickham, she was one of Britain’s most successful novelist.…
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By Francesca Spiga, Research Fellow in Research Synthesis, University of Bristol
Monika Halicka, Senior Research Associate in Evidence Synthesis, University of Bristol
Cannabis dependence is on the rise, according to the latest data on drug use and dependence published by NHS England.
Although cannabis use has remained stable over the past decade in England and Wales, dependence on the drug…
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By Richard Butler, Professor of Palaeobiology, University of Birmingham
In 2025, dinosaurs were everywhere. In May, the BBC revived their landmark series Walking With Dinosaurs, while July saw the release of Jurassic World Rebirth, the seventh film in the extinction-proof Jurassic Park franchise.
Rising auction prices for dinosaur skeletons were a rich source of media headlines and academic concern. And a record-breaking number of visitors (6.3 million in 2024–2025) flocked to the Natural History Museum in London, where dinosaurs are…
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By Michal Chmiel, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
According to advertisers, at least, as soon as Halloween is over, the spirit of the bauble-decorated trees takes hold and overwhelms us with the urge to spend money.
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By Olga Cam, Lecturer in Accounting, University of Sheffield
Mohammad Rajjaque, Senior University Teacher , Accounting and Financial Management Division, University of Sheffield
The holiday season brings celebration and gift-giving, but it also ushers in something less festive: financial stress. In the UK, retailers now shape much of the spending calendar, with Black Friday one of the busiest shopping events of the year.
This year on Black Friday weekend, Nationwide building society alone saw more than 31.2…
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By Harry Radzuan, Lecturer in Project Management, London South Bank University; University of Manchester
Jiaying Xue, Research assistant, London South Bank University
Siti Intan Nurdiana Wong Abdullah, Senior Lecturer, Marketing, Nottingham Trent University
Imagine cycling from your hotel to a historic site, hopping on an electric bus to a museum and strolling to dinner. That’s a blueprint for sustainable tourism.
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By Harry Radzuan, Lecturer in Project Management, London South Bank University; University of Manchester
Across the UK, millions of households are struggling to afford to heat their homes. Energy poverty has risen sharply since 2021, with around 6 million households unable to keep warm without cutting back on essentials.
At the same time, the UK faces a race to meet net zero by 2050, including delivering 70GW of solar power by 2035 (that’s enough energy to power…
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By Tobias Hillenbrand, PhD candidate, Innovation, Economics, Governance and Sustainable Development, UNU-MERIT, United Nations University
We identified a strong correlation between how humanitarian someone generally is, and the compassion that respondent expressed toward the refugees.
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By Paul Hunter, Professor of Medicine, University of East Anglia
With flu season arriving early and NHS leaders encouraging people with symptoms to wear masks in public, a question arises: do masks actually work against the flu?
The short answer is that the evidence remains surprisingly weak. Studies conducted before the COVID pandemic generally found that masks made little to no difference in the spread of flu in everyday settings. There is little reason to think this has changed, although the COVID pandemic has taught us more about when masks can be helpful in reducing the spread of respiratory diseases.
This matters because flu cases…
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