By Anna Stubbendorff, Postdoctoral Fellow, Nutrition Epidemiology, Lund University
The food pyramid began in 1970s Sweden as a budget eating guide. Its redesigns since show how food advice is shaped by more than nutrition science.
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By Michelle Comber, Lecturer in Archaeology, School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies, University of Galway
Popular media, from computer games to movies, often portrays medieval life as being dominated by fighters and farmers. In these depictions, there’s little evidence of a world beyond political struggle and simple subsistence.
Leisure activities are often overlooked, despite the fact that they existed in one form or another at most – if not all – levels of medieval society. The intangible nature of much of the evidence, often coupled with poor preservation of physical objects, can help explain this.
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By Ed Armston-Sheret, Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research, School of Advanced Study, University of London
Ernest Shackleton is one of the most well-known polar explorers in history. He’s mostly remembered for his incredible leadership following the sinking of his ship Endurance in the Weddell Sea in November 1915, which saved his life and the 27 others on board.
Yet had you known Shackleton in 1895, his future fame as an Antarctic explorer would have seemed highly unlikely. At the time, he was an unknown officer in the merchant navy, and Antarctica meant little to him. He had never even put on a pair…
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By Meena Mehta Kotecha, Visiting Fellow, Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science
Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of everyday life and work. AI can generate information, summarise evidence and perform calculations. However, it does not remove the need for critical thinking and conceptual understanding.
Employers still need people who can evaluate outputs, recognise errors, interpret evidence and make decisions based on evidence. For example, an AI system might produce a convincing answer or graph. A person still needs to decide whether the information is accurate. Confidence with numbers, graphs and large data sets therefore remains essential.
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By Adam Hart, Professor of Conservation Ecology, University of Gloucestershire
Anne Goodenough, Professor of Applied Ecology, University of Gloucestershire
Twelve years after a study into why starlings murmurate, researchers are asking the public to help discover whether these spectacular displays are changing.
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By Dave Newell, Professor of Integrated Musculoskeletal Care and Head of the Centre of Pain and Active Inference Research, Health Sciences University
Giacomo Rossettini, Musculoskeletal physiotherapist, School of Physiotherapy, University of Verona
Jorge Esteves, Visiting Professor, Centre for Pain and Active Inference (PAIn) Research, Health Sciences University
Jenny’s back pain usually settles within a few weeks. This time, 12 weeks have passed and it still intrudes on her life. Getting dressed hurts. Sitting through work is difficult. And something else is becoming harder to ignore: worry.
Why hasn’t it gone away? Is something seriously wrong? Will it ever get better?
Social media offers plenty of alarming possibilities. Jenny starts monitoring every twinge. Each painful movement seems to confirm that something must be wrong.
Jenny is fictional,…
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By James Fox, Research Associate in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, University of Glasgow
First you are shown a new hack to keep wine from spoiling. Then a dog lovingly devoted to its owner. Immediately in tow there are methods to repair broken glass and remove acne, a tip for weight loss, a cake recipe and an astrological reading of your future. But this is not your TikTok or Instagram feed – it’s the contents of a book written nearly four-and-a-half centuries ago.
The English writer Thomas Lupton’s book A…
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By Andrew Geddes, Professor, European University Institute
Clare Llewellyn-MacRae, Senior Lecturer in Governance, Technology and Data, University of Edinburgh
Eleonora Milazzo, Research fellow, European University Institute
Roderik Rekker, Assistant Professor, Radboud University
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Policymakers do listen to research, but evidence is only one part of the decision-making process. Public opinion, political pressures, values and competing priorities also shape migration policies.
How research is communicated matters. Evidence that is presented neutrally can help to build trust among citizens whose concerns and values must also be weighed in the balance.
Researchers can have greater impact by acting as honest brokers by presenting credible…
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By Marshia Akbar, Research Lead on Labour Migration at the CERC Migration and Integration Program, TMU, Toronto Metropolitan University
Devaanshi Khanzode, Quantitative Researcher, Global Migration Institute, Toronto Metropolitan University
Canada’s manufacturing revival depends on skilled immigrant workers, yet tariff-related layoffs and policy gaps are pushing many out of the sector.
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By Henry H. Prown, Assistant Lecturer in the Department of History, Classics, and Religion, University of Alberta
For communities encountering silencing in the wake of forced famine or mass atrocity, the ongoing battles over Holodomor recognition and remembrance offer insight.
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