By James Poulter, Associate Professor of Genomic Medicine, University of Leeds
In a little over ten years, organoid models – miniature, lab-grown clusters of cells that imitate real organs – have transformed how we study human development and disease while accelerating drug discovery. As a bonus, they’ve reduced our reliance on animal testing.
Among these models, brain organoids – 3D, brain-like structures grown from stem cells – have progressed from simple cell clusters to sophisticated models that mimic important aspects of brain development and function.
Recent breakthroughs have made them more complex: some organoids now show electrical activity…
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By Ines Branco-Illodo, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of Stirling
Teresa Pereira Heath, Associate Professor, Marketing, University of Minho
This year’s Christmas advert from UK department store John Lewis is notable for its emotional impact and captivating storytelling. In it, a middle-aged former raver is gifted a vintage vinyl record by his son. The focus is on this fairly modest gift, which quietly speaks a language of love amid the noise and excess of the festivities.
The gift, seemingly secondhand, carries meaning far beyond its monetary value, illustrating that the social benefits of gifting are available without heavy environmental…
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By Muhammad Wakil Shahzad, Associate Professor and Head of Subject, Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Plastic bottled water is popular despite health risks and environmental costs but decentralised technologies could cut plastic waste while improving water safety.
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By Elena Mainer Pardos, Profesora e Investigadora Universidad San Jorge. Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte., Universidad San Jorge
Rafael Albalad Aiguabella, Personal Docente e Investigador - Ciencias de la Salud y del Deporte, Universidad San Jorge
Teenagers’ bodies change fast. Bones grow, muscles develop, and balance is altered. Adolescence can be a time of high energy, but it is also a delicate period for movement control.
Many teenagers lose coordination as they grow. They trip easily or lose accuracy in tasks they once mastered, but this is a question of biology rather than clumsiness. Their bodies change faster than their brains can…
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By Laurence Grondin-Robillard, Professeure associée à l'École des médias et doctorante en communication, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
‘Rage bait’ is the Oxford Word of the Year which makes sense as anger, indignation and violence have become the raw materials of the internet.
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By Alicia Bartolomé, Investigadora Doctora en Etología y Bienestar Animal, Universitat de València
Reptiles get a bad rap. As symbols of evil or villainy in Western culture, they are often linked to sin and betrayal, an association that dates all the way back to the origins of Judeochristian theology. This is not the case in all cultures though. Many other traditions see crocodiles, snakes and turtles as gods, guardians or symbols of transformation.
Despite this rich cultural history, a lot of popular belief surrounding reptiles is still negative. It is difficult to specify how much of this stems solely from folklore, as our aversion to reptiles is rooted in a mix of social and evolutionary…
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By Asbel Bohigues, Profesor de Ciencia Política, Universitat de València
Catalan politics are now, it seems, a far cry from 2017’s infamous, unauthorised independence referendum. It was violently repressed by national police forces, led to widespread rioting, triggered a constitutional crisis in Spain, and saw leaders like Carles Puigdemont flee the country.
The 2024…
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By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
A new report shows 33 of the 113 deaths in custody in 2024–25 were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. It’s the highest number in 40 years.
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By Human Rights Watch
(Geneva) –Iranian authorities are escalating their repression of Baha’is, with a recent series of harsh prison sentences and asset confiscations, the Bahá'í International Community (BIC) and Human Rights Watch said today. Iran’s judiciary has been leading the persecution of Baha’is, amid increasing public incitement to discrimination by state officials, hate propaganda, and disinformation targeting the religious minority community.“Iranian authorities are relentlessly persecuting Baha’is, depriving them of the most basic human rights in what amounts to ongoing crimes against humanity –…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Protesters gather daily in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, after the authorities announced they were halting negotiations on joining the European Union. Demonstrators are demanding the release of political prisoners and snap elections, Tbilisi, Georgia, June 22, 2025. © 2025 Sebastien Canaud/NurPhoto via AP Photo Georgia’s ruling party has introduced new legislation that would dramatically weaken protections for peaceful assembly, further shrinking democratic space and flouting basic human rights standards guaranteed by the country's constitution and international…
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