By Jill Timms, Assistant Professor in Sociology, University of Surrey
Anyone on the flower rota at England’s parish churches will now be reconsidering the way they do their arrangements, after Church of England leaders voted to use more seasonal and local flowers.
A motion to use sustainable flowers brought before the General Synod of the Church of England by the Bishop of Dudley, Martin Gorrick, was passed on February 12. The term “sustainable flowers” means using…
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By Rayna Denison, Professor of Film and Digital Arts, University of Bristol
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain is as much about animation as an artform as it is an adaptation of Belgian author Amélie Northomb’s book The Character of Rain (2000).
The French animated feature, co-directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, makes sophisticated use of animation style to interrogate the formation of the self in early childhood.
The film begins with Amélie telling us that she began as a god – a tube-like god – before being born into a “vegetative” state as a baby…
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By Christopher Holliday, Senior Lecturer in Liberal Arts and Visual Cultures Education, Department of Interdisciplinary Humanities, King's College London
This new exhibition is a real treat, providing a glimpse behind the scenes with some of Britain’s most beloved animated characters.
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By Gareth Dorrian, Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Space Science, University of Birmingham
A recent study showed that Mars was warm and wet billions of years ago. The finding contrasts with another theory that this era was mainly cold and icy. The result has implications for the idea that life could have developed on the planet at this time.
Whether Mars was once habitable is a fascinating and intensely researched topic of interest over many decades. Mars, like the Earth, is about 4.5 billion years old and its geological history is divided into different epochs of time.
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By Gaëlle Vallée-Tourangeau, Professor of Behavioural Science, Kingston University
Have you ever feared looking cheap or incompetent with your Valentine’s gift? Or perhaps you’ve dismissed the idea of exchanging gifts because you worried your partner would think it’s too corny.
If so, you’re not alone. But research suggests we may be missing out on an opportunity to strengthen our close relationships by rejecting this ritual entirely.
In romantic relationships, the act of giving serves as…
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By Naomi Joseph, Arts + Culture Editor, The Conversation
A proper adaptation of Wuthering Heights, a guide to love, games for love, a regency swoonfest and a modernisation of revenge tale.
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By Yashaswini Chandra, Lecturer in South Asian Art History, University of Edinburgh
Daniel Fountain, Senior Lecturer in Art History and Visual Culture, University of Exeter
Emma Barker, Senior Lecturer In Art History
Marius Kwint, Reader in Visual Culture, University of Portsmouth
Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy, University of Westminster
For Valentine’s Day, we asked five of our academic experts to tell us about the most romantic artwork they’ve ever encountered. From first dates to sleeping lovers, these are the paintings that have touched their hearts.
1. A Leisurely Ride by Nainsukh (circa 1740-1745)
At the heart of Nainsukh’s A Leisurely Ride, a court painting produced in the Pahari or Indian hill state of Jasrota in the mid-18th century, is an exchange of gaze which transfixes the moment.
In the painting, horses of varied hues stride across an Indian…
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By Laura Donnellan, Lecturer in Law , University of Limerick
The way hosts are now selected can be traced to the Salt Lake City scandal which exposed weaknesses in the bidding system in the late 1990s.
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By Christian Emery, Associate Professor in International Politics, UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies, UCL
After a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Donald Trump said he wanted talks with Iran to continue.
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By Luke Hodson, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick
The short, dark days of winter are never easy to get through. But for many people in the UK and across Europe, this winter has felt particularly gloomy because of the seemingly endless rain.
If you live in some parts of south-west England or the Welsh borders, at the time of writing it has rained every single day this year. Aberdeen, meanwhile, has just seen its first half-hour of sunshine for…
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