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Coronavirus: the pandemic is changing our brains – here are the remedies
The novel coronavirus is affecting our brains, whether we've caught it or not. Teo Tarras/Shutterstock Whether you have contracted COVID-19 or not, your brain is likely to have changed over the past few months. The virus itself can cause a number of neurological problems, along with anxiety and depression. TheContinue Reading
Coronavirus face masks: an environmental disaster that might last generations
Chris Redan/Shutterstock Face coverings are now a legal requirement in many public spaces around the world. But even before they became compulsory, masks were causing litter problems on land and at sea. One February beach clean in Hong Kong found 70 masks along 100 metres of shoreline, with 30 moreContinue Reading
After its general election, Trinidad & Tobago’s racist underbelly is showing · Global Voices
‘The people, not politicians, move the political needle on issues’ Screenshot of a line from Trinidad and Tobago’s national anthem, which reads, “Here every creed and race finds an equal place,” taken from a YouTube video by Hardeo Roopan. On August 10, Trinidad and Tobago held its general elections. TheContinue Reading
Here’s why we crave food even when we’re not hungry
Our “food reward” system can seriously undermine our ability to resist temptation. Roman Samborskyi/ Shutterstock Food cravings are very familiar to most people. We may see or smell food and want to eat, or sometimes we suddenly feel like eating something delicious. These intense desires occur even when we’re notContinue Reading
Major quantum computational breakthrough is shaking up physics and maths
Quantum computers may be more trustworthy. Yurchanka Siarhei/Shutterstock MIP* = RE is not a typo. It is a groundbreaking discovery and the catchy title of a recent paper in the field of quantum complexity theory. Complexity theory is a zoo of “complexity classes” – collections of computational problems – ofContinue Reading
COVID-19 and pregnancy: what we know about what happens to your immune system
It's possible that changes to the immune system during pregnancy protect parent and child from COVID-19. Syda Productions/Shutterstock Any new infectious disease poses unique challenges to people who are pregnant during an outbreak. The effects of Sars, Zika and influenza in pregnancy highlight the potential immediate and longer term detrimentalContinue Reading
Why are more small boats crossing the English Channel – and why are border forces struggling to stop them?
Kirsty O'Connor/PA The number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats has increased significantly – up to 4,343 this year compared with 857 in the same period last year. The number of lurid headlines calling for action has also increased significantly but the issue is not always wellContinue Reading
The pandemic is an opportunity to change our health behaviour for good
A return to pre-pandemic normal life seems impossible for the foreseeable future. In the absence of control measures, it would result in the rapid spread of coronavirus and many deaths. About 70% of a population needs to be immune to establish herd immunity, a level of immunity in the populationContinue Reading
Forensic breakthrough helps explain how innocent people’s clothing fibres could end up at crime scenes
Zoka74/Shutterstock Every time you put on a coat, hug somebody or sit on a sofa you leave behind tiny little fibres from your clothing. You also pick up fibres left behind by other people. This movement of fibres is known as fibre transfer and forensic scientists can use this toContinue Reading
Hong Kong’s press freedom is on life support thanks to the new security law
When more than 200 police officers raided the headquarters of Hong Kong’s biggest – and only – pro-democracy mass-circulation newspaper, Apple Daily, on August 10, many people feared this spelled the end of press freedom in the territory. Earlier that day, they had arrested the paper’s owner, 72 year-old tycoonContinue Reading