By David Schwartzman, Research Fellow (Informatics), School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex
Flashing light can do more than illuminate a room. Delivered at specific rhythms and viewed through closed eyelids, it can produce vivid visual hallucinations, geometric patterns, bursts of colour and sometimes even full scenes in people with no underlying illness and no use of drugs.
These experiences are known as stroboscopic hallucinations. They offer a window into how the brain constructs perception and how conscious experience shifts when the signals reaching the visual system are altered.
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By Hannah Bunting, Senior Lecturer in Quantitative British Politics and Co-director of The Elections Centre, University of Exeter
Jessica C. Smith, Associate Professor, University of Southampton
Lotte Hargrave, Lecturer in Quantitative Political Science, University of Manchester
Hannah Spencer’s win in the Gorton and Denton parliamentary byelection was a momentous victory for the Green party. The party’s first-ever byelection win overturned a large Labour majority and put the general election winners into third place, behind Reform UK.
The Greens are eager to position it as a sign of things to come, particularly in the May elections. Here’s what voter trends in Gorton and Denton can tell us…
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By Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere, Associate Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
With dog attacks back in the headlines, the cycle of outrage has returned. But the evidence suggests deeper reform may be needed.
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By Steve Schifferes, Honorary Research Fellow, City Political Economy Research Centre, City St George's, University of London
The UK chancellor of the exchequer would not have wanted to deliver her spring statement against the background of a fresh threat to the world economy.
For while Rachel Reeves announced that she has the “right economic plan for the country” in a “yet more uncertain world”, the conflict in the Middle East will undoubtedly complicate the UK’s economic prospects. And the latest economic forecast by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), to which she was responding, may already be out…
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By Conor O'Kane, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Bournemouth University
In the annual State of the Union address in late February, the US president, Donald Trump, declared: “This is the golden age of America.” In a lengthy and wide-ranging address, the president told his fellow Americans that the nation was “bigger, better, richer and stronger” than ever before.
The US economy, and specifically the cost of living, was the key issue with voters in the 2024 presidential election. Exit…
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Tuesday, March 3rd 2026
On the fourth day of Israeli and United States airstrikes against Iran and amid growing violence and instability in the Middle East, the UN urgently called for protection of civilians and warned of growing displacement and humanitarian needs.
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By Amnesty International
Amid rapid expansion of regional hostilities across the Middle East following the ongoing joint United States-Israel attacks on Iran and the subsequent wave of Iranian retaliatory attacks across the region, Amnesty International is issuing an urgent call on all parties to protect civilians, adhere to international humanitarian law, in particular by ending unlawful attacks, such […] The post Urgent call to protect civilians and respect international law amid escalating regional conflict following US and Israeli attacks on Iran appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Jacobo Nájera
The Tor network is used by millions of users daily to securely access the internet, safeguard their right to information and freedom of expression, and avoid censorship or government surveillance.
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Aerial photo of the Pentagon building in Washington, DC, February 2, 2026. © 2026 Julia Demaree Nikhinson/ via AP Photo The United States Department of Defense’s decision on February 27 to reject the artificial intelligence company Anthropic’s ethical red lines for AI for military use is a clear sign that the Pentagon is unlikely to uphold meaningful safeguards on weapons’ development. Anthropic declined to allow the Pentagon to use the company’s products for fully autonomous weapons and mass surveillance of US citizens in fulfilling its Defense Department contract.Governments…
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By Daniele D'Alvia, Lecturer in Banking and Finance Law, Queen Mary University of London
When a conflict escalates, financial markets respond within minutes. That reaction is not just panic or speculation – it is a kind of collective judgement about what might happen next.
Tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran triggered a sharp jump in oil prices when Asian markets opened on Monday (rising by as much as 13% amid fears of supply disruption). Major Gulf indices fell steeply,…
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