By Jessica Robles, Lecturer in Social Psychology, Loughborough University
“Good weekend?”
“Bit hot today, isn’t it!”
“Back in the office again…”
We rely on small talk like this, and being good at it is even seen as a mark of conversational competence. Yet its content can feel superficial. Once you notice formulaic expressions such as “how are you” aren’t asking the question
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By Gareth Fisher, Associate Professor of Religion, Syracuse University
An anthropologist who conducted fieldwork among Falun Gong practitioners explains the movement’s beliefs and why its followers continue to resist the Chinese government.
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By Sara Harmouch, Research Fellow in Counterterrorism, George Washington University
Artificial intelligence may not create a new kind of terrorism, but it makes existing tactics cheaper, faster and easier. That is the central argument of a July 2026 report from the U.S.-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies.
It is a convincing argument, but it leaves one question unanswered: Are different terrorist groups thinking about the technology in the same way?
As a terrorism…
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By Allison Poulos, Associate Professor in the College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University
Jennifer Vanos, Associate Professor of Sustainability, Arizona State University
A rising number of school districts across the country are beginning their new academic years in July or August, raising the likelihood that kids and educators will encounter scorching days.
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By Katherine Shwetz, Lecturer in Medical Humanities, Rice University; University of Toronto
Recognizing the stories behind people’s concerns with vaccines can help public health advocates build a more inclusive approach to healthcare.
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By Kaya M. Anderson, PhD Student in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies and Migration and Ethnic Relations, Western University
As Canada continues to welcome newcomers, we should remember that behind every immigration policy are people whose knowledge, experiences and contributions deserve to be recognized.
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By Marilena Anastasopoulou, Assistant Professor, School of History, University College Dublin
At the height of the 2015 refugee crisis, a moment of human kindness captured the world’s attention. A young Syrian mother, newly landed by small boat on a beach in Greece, was struggling to feed her child when Militsa (Emilia) Kamvisi, who was then 83, offered to help. The two friends Kamvisi had been sitting with on a nearby bench – Maritsa Mavrapidou and Efstratia Mavrapidou, 85 and 89 respectively – joined in.
A photographer recorded the scene and the…
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By Felix Wiebrecht, Lecturer in Politics, University of Liverpool
Since being elected for a second term as Nicaraguan president in 2006, Daniel Ortega – the former Sandinista freedom fighter-turned-authoritarian leader – has extended his term of office several times. But last week he announced a new strategy for holding on to power.
He declared that there will no longer be elections in the Central American country. Making a speech to commemorate the anniversary of the 1979 revolution that toppled the Somoza dictatorship…
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By Lewis C. E. Mason, Lecturer in Microbiology, Kingston University
Scientists in Vermont have just discovered something that shouldn’t really be possible: a skin cancer that’s spreading from catfish to catfish. It’s only the fourth transmissible cancer ever found in nature.
Catfish now join Tasmanian devils, dogs and shellfish…
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By Primrose Freestone, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology, University of Leicester
That kitchen sponge sitting by your sink is not as innocent as it looks. It could be harbouring Salmonella enteritidis, E coli or Staphylococcus aureus – and there’s no way to tell just by looking at it or smelling it.
New research from Germany grew bacteria from sponges in the lab, analysed their DNA and examined them under powerful microscopes. It revealed that food-poisoning bacteria can grow inside everyday kitchen sponges and form sticky, protective layers that are hard to remove.…
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