By Jennifer Coates, Professor of Japanese Studies, University of Sheffield
How much do any of us really know about who we are? This question haunts director Kei Ishikawa’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel, A Pale View of Hills (1982).
The complex story follows “unreliable narrator” Etsuko from Japan to England. A Pale View of Hills starts in 1982, as Etsuko (Yoh Yoshida) packs up her English country house, preparing to move. Her daughter Niki (Camilla Aiko) arrives,…
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By Colin Davidson, Professor of Neuropharmacology, University of Lancashire
Paraxanthine is the main metabolite of caffeine. Studies suggest it can boost alertness and focus, but the research base is much smaller than for caffeine.
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By Katie Edwards, Commissioning Editor, Health + Medicine and Host of Strange Health podcast, The Conversation
Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol
From scooping to skincare, online trends are reshaping how we talk about periods. But menstruation is complex, varied and still under researched.
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By Rebecca Payne, Clinical Senior Lecturer, Bangor University
When six-year-old Seren was prescribed antibiotics, taking them four times a day quickly became a battle. The orange liquid tasted revolting, and much of it ended up on kitchen surfaces rather than in her mouth. Her mother was never sure how much she had actually swallowed, but was afraid to give her more in case the dosage was exceeded.
The final straw came on day five, when the bottle was knocked over and the remaining dose spilled across the floor. The family gave up. Seren never finished the course.
This is a situation I come across as a GP, which happens all too often…
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By Till Koglin, Senior Lecturer and Reader in Transport and Mobility Planning, Lund University
Across Scandinavia many people commute to work or school on their bikes during winter, despite snow and freezing temperatures.
For example, in the Stockholm region of Sweden around 34% of people cycle at some point during the winter months. Oslo in Norway has seen an increase of winter cycling recently. With 15…
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By Richard Sambrook, Emeritus Professor of Journalism, Cardiff University
The news agenda of the last few years has been relentless, from war in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran to political polarisation and violence. The constant flow of distressing images and developments can lead to anxiety and dread for readers and viewers. Many even avoid the news altogether.
For those whose job is to review and edit such stories in newsrooms, the impact can be even more distressing. Often it is younger journalists, working long shifts monitoring online images,…
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By Ola Demkowicz, Lecturer in Psychology of Education, University of Manchester
Girls said that visual platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, particularly reiterate gendered expectations for girls on how they should present themselves.
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By Leonardo Macelloni, Director of the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute and Center for Marine Resources and Environmental Technology, University of Mississippi
Critical minerals are found in several forms in the ocean, from potato-size nodules to brine pools. They are also in some of the least understood parts of our planet.
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By Diane Winston, Professor and Knight Center Chair in Media & Religion, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
The compulsion started soon after my marriage.
Long before e-books and audiobooks, I furtively read paperbacks whose covers of bosomy maidens and bare-chested men would have outed my obsession. Then, on a family car trip, my husband told my young stepdaughters why I liked sitting alone in the back seat.
“Diane is reading bodice rippers,” he said, citing the old-fashioned name for sexually explicit romance novels. Back then, they were my guilty pleasure.
More than 30 years later, I remain a fan of romance novels, but it’s no longer a craving I feel compelled…
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By Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Vice Provost and Dean of College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, Missouri University of Science and Technology
The war that began Feb. 28 hews to a familiar, dangerous pattern, writes an Iran expert, from deep, historical mistrust and incompatible strategic interests to miscommunication and misperception.
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