By Will Smith, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, University of Nottingham
Domestic animals have long been some of our closest companions. While dogs, cats, horses, cattle and chickens have all played major roles in human history, domestic pigeons may be a little less familiar. But they are no slouch when it comes to cultural importance.
Charles Darwin wrote about domestic pigeon diversity to explore his theories of evolutionary change. Contemporary biologists have trained teams of…
(Full Story)
|
By Nicola McEwen, Professor of Public Policy and Governance, University of Glasgow
“A vote for the SNP is a vote for a referendum on independence. Based on the 2011 precedent, an SNP majority at this election is a mandate for the transfer of powers to the Scottish parliament to enable an independence referendum to be held.”
So said the SNP manifesto. Yet as the party failed to win a majority in May’s Scottish election, where does this leave the independence movement?
The SNP won a convincing victory, reflected both in its 58 seats and by being streets ahead of its…
(Full Story)
|
By Caradee Yael Wright, Chief Specialist Scientist (Public Health), South African Medical Research Council
Natasha Naidoo, Specialist Scientist, South African Medical Research Council
Climate change is making southern Africa hotter. While much attention has focused on climate impacts like droughts, floods and food insecurity, another crisis is unfolding quietly inside classrooms. Research has shown that some schools are becoming dangerously hot places for children to develop, learn and play.
Hot…
(Full Story)
|
By Brandon Marc Finn, Research Scientist at the School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan
In Agbogbloshie, Ghana, thousands of young women and men burn electronic waste to extract minerals at a cost to their health. They need more protection.
(Full Story)
|
By Neekhil Bhowoniah, Lecturer in International Finance and Economics, University of Mauritius
Mauritius is a small African island where natural disasters like floods, cyclones and other extreme weather events have become frequent and intense. They are expected regularly.
Rising sea levels, flash floods and tropical cyclones cause annual direct damage of US$113…
(Full Story)
|
By Mulumba M Agaba, Researcher, University of Liverpool
Uganda’s environmental impact assessment system is meant to protect the environment from harmful development projects. For nearly 30 years, the law has required developers applying for approval to consider alternatives to their proposed projects, such as different sites, designs, technologies or even whether the project should go ahead at all. This is intended to make sure that the least environmentally damaging option is chosen. Biodiversity and environmental impact assessment researcher Mulumba M. Agaba examined…
(Full Story)
|
By Mehra Balsara, PhD Student, Department of Biology, Carleton University
Antoinette Ludwig, Research Scientist and Veterinary Epidemiologist, Université de Montréal
Catherine Cullingham, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Carleton University
Marc Avramov, PhD Candidate, Department of Biology, Carleton University
As a dead crow tested positive for West Nile virus in Ontario this week, Canadians may be wondering: just how prevalent are such mosquito-borne viruses in Canada, and how risky is the summer camping trip?
Mosquitoes are the most dangerous animals on Earth, carrying many…
(Full Story)
|
By Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy, University of Westminster
This exhibition is not about British, or even English landscapes, but about how a broad range of British artists responded to the landscapes they chose to depict.
(Full Story)
|
By Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Politics; Director, Lau China Institute, King's College London
The European Union (EU), along with the other major countries in Europe, should be a geopolitical force to be reckoned with. In 2024, the EU was the second-largest economy in the world after the US and before China.
There is also nothing comparable to the trading links between these three players. In 2025, bilateral trade in goods between the US and China was US$414 billion (£307 billion). The EU and…
(Full Story)
|
By Samir Ramzy, Researcher, Helwan University
Three years into the civil war in Sudan that began on 15 April 2023, a coalition of civilian, political and armed factions has launched a new peace initiative.
Announced in the Kenyan capital Nairobi in May 2026, the roadmap seeks to end the conflict and revive Sudan’s stalled transition to
(Full Story)
|