By Y. Tony Yang, Endowed Professor of Health Policy and Associate Dean, George Washington University
Anthony Bald, Assistant Professor of Economics, California State University, Fullerton
Samantha Gold, PhD Student in Public Policy, Cornell University
When states prohibit parents from opting their kids out of vaccines for religious, philosophical or other nonmedical reasons, communities stay better protected against infectious diseases.
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By Serdar Yalçin, Assistant Professor of Art History, Macalester College
The earliest form of the signature came from ancient Iraq in the form of cylinder seals.
Mesopotamians, the ancient inhabitants of the land between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, are credited for many firsts in human history, including writing, urbanism and the state. Among these inventions, cylinder seals are perhaps the…
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By Bedassa Tadesse, Professor of Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth
The US-Africa preferential trade deal – in place for a quarter century – expired on 30 September 2025. It’s far from certain if the trade deal will be renewed and, if so, how. Through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), roughly 35 sub-Saharan African countries could export thousands of products to the American…
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By Christophe Premat, Professor, Canadian and Cultural Studies, Stockholm University
The term “Françafrique” describes the political, economic and military networks built to preserve French influence in Africa. It refers to a past era but many believe that it still shapes relations between France and its former colonies today.
The word was popularised by French economist, historian and activist François-Xavier…
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By Ndumiso Daluxolo Ngidi, Senior Lecturer, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Melusi Andile Dlamini, Lecturer in Anthropology, Rhodes University
Violence among learners in South African schools is a pressing concern. The minister of basic education told parliament in 2025 that hundreds of bullying cases had been reported in the first few weeks of the year. Since then, a series of alarming incidents have further drawn public attention.
While these occurrences mirror the high…
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By Aisling Pigott, Lecturer, Dietetics, Cardiff Metropolitan University
Some of the world’s healthiest and longest-living people follow the practice of “hara hachi bu” — an eating philosophy rooted in moderation. This practice comes from a Japanese Confucian teaching which instructs people to only eat until they’re around 80% full.
More recently, it’s been gaining attention as a strategy for weight loss. But while hara hachi bu might emphasise eating in moderation and stopping before you’re full, it shouldn’t really be as seen as a method…
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By Miguel Lurgi, Associate Professor in Computational Ecology, Swansea University
A study reveals that national parks and reserves often support more wildlife but not necessarily the ecological balance that sustains them.
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By Belinda Zakrzewska, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Birmingham
Flavia Cardoso, Assistant Professor
Maria-Carolina Zanette, Associate Professor of Marketing, Neoma Business School
Saulo Jennings, an acclaimed Amazonian chef and UN gastronomy tourism ambassador, was reportedly outraged when organisers of Prince William’s Earthshot prize asked him to prepare an entirely vegan menu. For Jennings, being told to exclude pirarucu – the region’s iconic giant freshwater fish – was not merely a matter of preference but a lack of respect for his culinary traditions.
Prince William founded the Earthshot prize to celebrate innovative solutions to the planet’s greatest environmental challenges.…
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By Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol
Keratin is the tough protein that forms hair, nails and hooves. It’s also responsible for something far stranger: human horns.
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By Hui-Ying Kerr, Senior Lecturer in Fashion Communication and Promotion, Nottingham Trent University
An upright young samurai, a cross-dressing sword-wielding maiden, a retired warrior, honour killings, killings not-so-honourable, and lovers of all kinds. Welcome to The Samurai Detectives, the first part of a series of popular historical mystery novels by Shōtarō Ikenami (1923-1990).
Originally written as a serialisation in the monthly magazine Shōsetsu Shinchō between 1972 and 1989, the series was published as 16 complete novels under the title, Kenkyaku Shōbai (Swordsman’s Business). Regarded as one of Ikenami’s…
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