By Rachel Williamson, Senior Tutor in English, University of Canterbury
With less than a month to go, the telltale signs that Christmas is coming have begun appearing in shops and malls around the country. Fairy lights and tinsel adorn store displays while Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas plays on repeat.
Nowhere is the intersection of tradition and commercialisation more apparent than in the Christmas movie genre. Not surprisingly, the viewing of these films has become a holiday tradition in itself.
Oh. What. Fun. is Prime Video’s most recent foray into the festive season genre. In a self-referential gesture, wife, mother and grandmother…
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By Kyle Fiore Law, Postdoctoral Research Scholar in Sustainability, Arizona State University
Brendan Bo O'Connor, Associate Professor of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York
Stylianos Syropoulos, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Arizona State University
For years, philosophers and psychologists have debated whether empathy helps or hinders the ways people decide how to help others. Critics of empathy argue that it makes people care too narrowly – focusing on individual stories rather than the broader needs of society – while careful reasoning enables more impartial, evidence-based choices.
Our new research, forthcoming in the…
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By Louis Bayman, Associate Professor in Department of Film Studies, University of Southampton
This locked-room mystery offers a lifetime of stored resentments, jealousies and greed spill over into brutal hatred – a bit like a family Christmas then.
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By Carolyn Jackson, Professor of Gender and Education, Lancaster University
Mieke Van Houtte, Professor of Sociology, Ghent University
The UK government has committed to reducing the amount of time pupils spend in GCSE exams in England by up to three hours on average. This comes after recommendations to cut exam time were made in an independent review of the national curriculum and school assessment.
Professor Becky Francis, who led the review, has said: “Exams are currently…
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By Andrea Piovesan, Lecturer in Psychology, Edge Hill University
Have you ever thought a font looked “friendly” or “elegant”? Or felt that Comic Sans was somehow unserious? You’re not imagining it.
Typefaces carry personalities, and we react to them more than we realise. My work explores how the shapes of letters can subtly influence our feelings.
When we read, we are not just processing the words. We are also taking in the typeface, which can shape how we interpret…
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By Allen Gallagher, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Health, University of Bath
Duncan Thomas, Policy and Knowledge Exchange Lead, Department for Health, University of Bath
Sophie Braznell, Research Associate, Department for Health, University of Bath
Many other UK cultural institutions have already ceased entering into agreements with such companies, given the immense damage tobacco products do to public health.
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By Daniel Alge, Senior Lecturer in Criminology & Criminal Justice, Brunel University of London
Justice secretary David Lammy has announced one of the most significant changes to criminal justice in England and Wales in decades, by scrapping the use of jury trials for most offences that carry a likely jail sentence of less than three years.
Under the proposals, only the most serious offences such as murder, robbery and rape would continue to be tried by a jury. Most other cases would be heard by a judge alone. The reforms will also include creating new “swift courts”…
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By Alexandra Palombi, Professor in Occupational Therapy, Department of Health Studies, Royal Holloway, University of London
When actor Christina Applegate recently told her followers on Instagram that her legs were “busted” because stress makes her multiple sclerosis (MS) worse, many people with the condition immediately recognised the feeling.
Her comment summed up something researchers have been studying for decades and people with MS have been describing for even longer: stress, even from everyday situations, can trigger symptoms or make existing ones flare.
An…
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By Johnny Parr, Senior Lecturer, Sport and Exercise Science with expertise in psychophysiology and motor control, Manchester Metropolitan University
Most (72%) people with dyspraxia report high anxiety about falling – yet they’re not even mentioned in fall prevention guidelines.
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By Naomi Lott, Lecturer in Law, University of Reading
Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ recent budget included an investment of £18 million to be spent, over two years, on up to 200 playgrounds across England.
This new investment is the first significant policy step towards supporting children’s play since 2008, when the then Labour government introduced the first national play strategy. That strategy was scrapped just two…
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