By Guy Guppy, Lecturer in Performance Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Kingston University
Evidence that beetroot juice can improve athletic performance has long been inconsistent. While some studies reported benefits, others found little or no effect. Now, a new study, combining results from 33 studies, provides the clearest evidence yet that it can enhance exercise performance.
The meta-analysis included data from more than 500 professional and recreational athletes. The results showed that consuming beetroot juice before exercise made a measurable difference…
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By Ethem Ilbiz, Associate Professor of Global Politics and Cybersecurity Governance, University of South Wales
Atakan Yılmaz, Assistant Professor in in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Bahçeşehir University
Mike Edwards, Senior Lecturer in International Security and Risk Management, University of South Wales
When Alexander Litvinenko was murdered in London in 2006, poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 slipped into a pot of tea, the UK was shocked. Litvinenko, a former Russian intelligence officer who had become a critic of Vladimir Putin’s government, died after a highly publicised illness.
A later public inquiry concluded that his killing was probably approved at the highest levels of the Russian state. Yet the Litvinenko…
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By Catherine Clarke, Professor in the History of People, Place and Community, School of Advanced Study, University of London
“Netherfield Park is let at last!” go the famous opening words from Mrs Bennet in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. To her delight, the estate has been taken on by the eligible newcomer Mr Bingley – a “single man in possession of a good fortune” – who brings new marital opportunities for her five unmarried daughters.
In the beloved 1995 BBC television adaptation of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Edgcote House in Northamptonshire was chosen as…
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By Diane Watt, Professor of English, University of Surrey
Marie Maitland, a 16th-century Scottish gentlewoman, has for centuries been recognised as the likely scribe of the Maitland Quarto. This important manuscript, now held in the Pepys Library of Magdalene College, Cambridge, is an anthology of Scottish poetry by members of the noble Maitland family and their associates.
Maitland’s name appears twice on the first leaf and is also found in a partial anagram in the opening sonnet (“maid ane immortall”). By way of emphasis the anagram is repeated beneath the poem.
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By Chris North, Lecturer of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University
Sixty years ago, the United States and the Soviet Union were embroiled in a race to the Moon, which the USA won. The 21st-century lunar contest, with China stepping in for the Soviet Union, has many similarities, but key differences.
The Apollo astronauts planted the stars and stripes in lunar soil, bounced – and drove – around, set up experiments and collected scientifically valuable rock samples. Ultimately, however, there was no real plan to stay.
The new Moon race is different: space agencies…
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By Peter Stott, Science Fellow, Met Office, and Professor in Detection and Attribution, University of Exeter
London probably won’t disappear beneath the waves. But we still need to understand the most dangerous outcomes that remain possible – and avoidable.
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By Sam Hampton, Researcher, Environmental Geography, University of Oxford
Steve Westlake, Lecturer, Environmental Psychology, University of Bath
Extreme heat has become one of sport’s toughest opponents. This summer’s Fifa World Cup has once again raised concerns about players competing in dangerous temperatures. But football is far from alone.
Tennis players have battled through extreme heat at Grand Slam tournaments. Marathon races have been cancelled because of soaring temperatures.…
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By Amor Abdelkader, Associate Professor of Advanced Materials , Bournemouth University
Airline passengers are being warned not to pack power banks in their hold luggage ahead of the summer holiday travel period.
Devices with rechargeable batteries, like mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and smartwatches can be plugged into power banks on the go, where charging sockets may not be available. However, power banks are not danger-free or environmentally friendly.
The warning has come from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which believes that many travellers still aren’t aware…
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By Alex Brown, Associate Professor of Medieval History, Durham University
Memories of pandemics are often contentious. They can be disputed, uncomfortable and politically charged. As the COVID-19 pandemic begins to feel more distant, governments, communities and families have started asking how it should be remembered.
Efforts range from personal memorials for lost loved ones to official commemoration…
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By Daryl Sparkes, Senior Lecturer, Media Studies and Production, University of Southern Queensland
Sam Neill has died at 78. He was an actor who chose restraint and reason, embellishing his characters with a feeling of genuine realism.
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