By Kimon-Andreas Karatzas, Associate Professor of Food Microbiology, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading
You pile your plate high at the buffet, savouring the freedom to try a little bit of everything. But while your tastebuds might be celebrating, your gut could be at risk.
From shared serving spoons to lukewarm lasagne, buffets can be a breeding ground for bacteria – and a hotbed for food poisoning. In the UK alone, millions of cases go unreported each year. So what makes buffets so risky, and what can be done to stay safe?
Food poisoning is a serious issue in the UK and…
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By Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University
The UK government’s new ten-year-plan to transform the NHS includes a focus on preventing ill health rather than treating illness. But to what extent should people depend on the state to help them make healthy decisions?
Some think any kind of nudge in that direction is symptomatic…
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By Kevin Guyan, Chancellor's Fellow & Director of the Gender + Sexuality Data Lab, University of Edinburgh
Categorising who you are on a dating app could be limiting your dating field and also who you think are.
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By Susan Ann Samuel, PhD Candidate, School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds
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By Yvonne Skipper, Senior Lecturer in Psychology (Education), University of Glasgow
Misinformation is found in every element of our online lives. It ranges from fake products available to buy, fake lifestyle posts on social media accounts and fake news about health and politics.
Misinformation has an impact not only on our beliefs but also our behaviour: for example, it has affected how people vote in elections and whether people intend to have vaccinations.
And since anyone can…
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By Rin Ushiyama, Lecturer in Sociology, Queen's University Belfast
Japan held elections for its upper house, the House of Councillors, on July 20. The vote proved a challenge for the conservative ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP), which has been reeling from corruption scandals, rising prices and US tariffs…
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By Jitka Vseteckova, Senior Lecturer Health and Social Care, The Open University
Lis Boulton, Visiting Research Fellow, Take Five to Age Well: Empowering the UK towards longer, healthier lives Project, The Open University
Most of us want to enjoy later life feeling strong, connected, and mentally sharp. But how often do we stop to think about whether the things we’re doing right now are helping us get there?
A new quiz – which we have developed as part of the Take Five to Age Well project, a free, expert-led, month-long challenge from The Open University and Age UK – makes it easier, and more empowering, to ask that question, reflect and take action.
Healthy ageing doesn’t depend on just one thing. Research shows…
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By Mark Westgarth, Professor, History of the Art Market, University of Leeds
A ceratosaurus fossil has sold for US$30 million in New York, infuriating many dinosaur experts. Here’s why they ought to think again.
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By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University
When we think about the side effects of medicines, we might think of nausea, fatigue or dizziness. But there’s another, lesser-known risk that can have lasting – and sometimes permanent – consequences: hearing loss. A wide range of prescription and over-the-counter drugs are known to be ototoxic, meaning they can damage the inner ear and affect hearing or balance.
Ototoxicity refers to drug or chemical-related damage to the cochlea, which affects hearing, and the vestibular…
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By Alexander Bowles, Glasstone Research Fellow, Plant Science, University of Oxford
As roses fill gardens and hedgerows this season, there is a story, millions of years in the making, unfolding beneath their petals.
Analysis of rose genomes and floral structure is revealing how the stunning diversity we admire is rooted in the genes of these plants, offering new insight into how the beauty in our world is built at the molecular level.
Modern roses are a riot of colour. Some roses are showy and fragrant while others are modest and understated. Jude the Obscure is coloured…
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