By Amirali Aghazadeh, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
When NASA scientists opened the sample return canister from the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample mission in late 2023, they found something astonishing.
Dust and rock collected from the asteroid Bennu contained many of life’s building blocks, including all five nucleobases used in DNA and RNA, 14 of the 20 amino acids found in proteins, and a rich collection of other organic…
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By Matthew Jordan, Professor of Media Studies, Penn State
News of Netflix’s bid to buy Warner Bros. last week sent shock waves through the media ecosystem.
The pending US$83 billion deal is being described as an upending of the existing entertainment order, a sign that it’s now dominated by the tech platforms rather than the traditional Hollywood power brokers.
As…
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By Jenalee Doom, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Denver
Melissa Nevarez-Brewster, Ph.D. student in Developmental Psychology, University of Denver
Inadequate sleep can have negative downstream effects on everyday cognitive functioning and mental health, which can then lead to even worse sleep.
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By Theodore J. Kury, Director of Energy Studies, University of Florida
How many data centers will be built – and how much electricity they’ll need – is uncertain. Being prepared costs money, but so does being unprepared.
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By Hannah Bunting, Senior Lecturer in Quantitative British Politics and Co-director of The Elections Centre, University of Exeter
Voters are undecided and no party is polling particularly well. All is not well for the UK prime minister – but talk of his imminent removal may be premature.
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By Naomi Walker, Associate Lecturer in English Literature, The Open University
When Jane Austen died in July 1817, aged just 41, she was buried in Winchester Cathedral. I moved to the city in 2025. As a lecturer in English literature, I have long researched and taught Austen’s novels, so I was keen to visit her final resting place.
Austen’s grave bears the words: “The benevolence of her heart, the sweetness of her temper, and the extraordinary endowments of her mind obtained the regard of all who…
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By Kapil Yadav, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Royal Holloway, University of London
Every year during December and January, in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, rural communities carry out traditional burning on steep hill slopes to regenerate grass. These carefully timed burns, which take place when fuel stocks are low, are needed to support livestock and, indirectly, agriculture in the region.
Similar practices are observed among Indigenous and traditional groups in other regions, highlighting the importance of controlled burning in supporting livelihoods, maintaining biodiversity,…
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By Mikael Fauvelle, Associate Professor and Researcher, Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University
A major mystery has surrounded the Hjortspring boat ever since its discovery: where did these invading warriors from the 4th century BC come from?
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By Vlad Glăveanu, Professor of Psychology, Business School, Dublin City University
Misrecognition of ADHD symptoms meant many not only waited years for diagnosis – it also had a serious impact on their sense of self.
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By Oladayo Bifarin, Senior Lecturer School of Nursing and Advanced Practice, Liverpool John Moores University
Dan W Joyce, Professor of Connected Mental Health, Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, University of Liverpool
After waiting more than a year to see an NHS specialist, Sam’s assessment for ADHD took less than two hours. It happened over video, involved a short checklist and brief history, and ended with a swift decision.
Within weeks, Sam had a diagnosis, a prescription and a discharge letter back to the GP. But when symptoms worsened and medication side-effects appeared a few months later, no one seemed sure who was responsible for follow-up. As we know from our clinical and research work, stories like this are…
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