By Emily Thrift, PhD Candidate and Doctoral Tutor in Ecology, University of Sussex
For many people, “plastic pollution” calls to mind pictures of turtles and other marine life drowning in single-use plastic bottles and discarded fishing nets. My own research looks at how the same story is playing out on land.
Plastics are increasingly found in small mammals, insects and the soil. But how it moves through these ecosystems – and the damage it might be doing – is still poorly understood.
My own research into this started during my masters degree. I wanted to find out if plastic pollution was affecting UK mammals – and the results were startling.…
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By Folahanmi Aina, Lecturer in Political Economy of Violence, Conflict and Development, SOAS, University of London
Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap), one of the most powerful global affiliates of the Islamic State jihadist organisation, is in the middle of its largest offensive against the Nigerian military in years.
The group has overrun security positions in Borno state, a region of north-east Nigeria, a dozen times in the past few…
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By Jon Roozenbeek, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Cambridge
Sander van der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology in Society, University of Cambridge
Yara Kyrychenko, PhD Candidate, Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab, University of Cambridge
In May 2025, a post asking “[Am I the asshole] for telling my husband’s affair partner’s fiancé about their relationship?” quickly received 6,200 upvotes and more than 900 comments on Reddit. This popularity earned the post a spot on Reddit’s front page of trending posts. The problem? It was (very likely) written by artificial intelligence (AI).
The post contained some telltale…
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By Nitin Deckha, Lecturer in Justice Studies, Early Childhood Studies, Community and Social Services and Electives, University of Guelph-Humber
We live in a time of growing anxiety and fear, where the disruptive forces of artificial…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Secondary school girls in a classroom in a middle secondary school in Sédhiou, southern Senegal. Photo by Elin Martínez. © 2017 Human Rights Watch Every day, children are subjected to various forms of violence, including humiliating, degrading and deeply harmful acts, in and around schools, often by the very teachers and education personnel who should be protecting them. In many contexts, students and school staff see many of these abuses as normal, further cementing the impunity that surrounds them.On May 20, 2025, Education Ministers and state representatives from…
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By Mong Palatino
“What kind of nation do we want to be? One where journalists are silenced by outdated laws? Or one where the truth, even when inconvenient, is allowed to breathe?”
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By Isabel Pedersen, Professor of Communication and Digital Media Studies, Ontario Tech University
Concerns about privacy, consent and memory raised by artificial intelligence will become more urgent as more advanced models enter the market.
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By Sean Campbell, Investigative Journalist, The Conversation
Topher L. McDougal, Professor of Economic Development & Peacebuilding, University of San Diego
A yearlong investigation shows the depth of the gun trafficking problem and how ATF oversight of gun dealers can reduce trafficking to Mexico – when the agency has resources.
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By Tim Smyth, Head of Group: Marine Processes and Observations, Plymouth Marine Laboratory
A marine heatwave has been building in the ocean surrounding the UK during an exceptionally warm and dry spring. In other words, the sea surface temperature has been within the top 10% of records for each day of the year since at least the beginning of 2025.
How can we know the temperature of the sea surface over such a large area? Throughout April and May 2025, scientists have been able to map and monitor the seas surrounding the UK via satellites, buoys and other floating devices,…
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By Michelle Spear, Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol
Tears are usually seen as a sign of sadness or pain, but it’s not uncommon for people to cry during life’s most joyful moments: weddings, births, reunions, sporting triumphs, or even just an unexpected act of kindness.
These “happy tears” seem contradictory, but they offer a fascinating window into how the human brain handles intense emotion.
Crying is a complex biological response to emotional overload – and it doesn’t discriminate between good and bad feelings. Whether triggered by grief or elation, tears are often the result of our brain attempting to process more than…
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