Oral retinoids can harm unborn babies. But many women taking them for acne may not be using contraception

By Antonia Shand Et Al

Oral retinoids are a type of medicine used to treat severe acne. Theyre sold under the brand name Roaccutane, among others. While oral retinoids are very effective, they can have harmful effects if taken during...

Ancient DNA from an extinct native duck reveals how far birds flew to make New Zealand home

By Nic Rawlence Et Al

Ask a bird lover if they have heard of the extinct giant moa or its ancient predator, Haasts eagle, and the answer will likely be yes. The same cant be said of New Zealands extinct, but equally unique, mergansers a group...

Why the New Yorker blocked UK website readers from its Lucy Letby story – an expert explains

By Polly Rippon

A 13,000-word article in The New Yorker magazine about convicted murderer Lucy Letby is blocked to UK online readers. Conservative MP David Davis claimed preventing members of the UK public reading the essay seemed in...

Infected blood scandal – what you need to know

By Emma Cave Et Al

The infected blood scandal has been hailed the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS. Over 3,000 people have died as a result of receiving contaminated blood products in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, and it is...

Slovakia’s polarised politics: Robert Fico warned a politician could be violently attacked weeks before assassination attempt

By Tomas Sniegon

Slovak society is in shock after a 71-year-old man fired five shots at the prime minister, Robert Fico, while he was greeting a small crowd after a meeting. Some members of the coalition government immediately blamed...

Extreme heatwaves in south and south-east Asia are a sign of things to come

By Neven S. Fučkar

Since April 2024, wide areas of south and south-east Asia, from Pakistan to the Philippines, have experienced prolonged extreme heat. Covering some of the most densely populated regions in the world, the series of...

What is pasteurization?

By Kerry E. Kaylegian

Recent reports that the H5N1 avian flu virus has been found in cows milk have raised questions about whether the U.S. milk supply is safe to drink. According to the federal Food and Drug Administration, the answer is yes,...

College sports fandom shows how a shared goal can bring people together

By Amy Parsons

After Colorado State University beat Virginia in the first round of March Madness, the campus erupted in celebration. A few days later, when the team lost to Texas, Rams groaned in shared disappointment. Between and around...

Kenya’s flood evictions may violate the law - scholar

By Smith Ouma

Recent floods in Kenya have left at least 270 people dead, displaced more than 200,000 and destroyed property, infrastructure and livelihoods across the country. In Nairobi, hundreds of people in informal settlements were...

Why gymgoers should be wary of using testosterone supplements to boost their gains

By Colin Michie

The desire for a sculpted physique is driving some amateur gymgoers to experiment with synthetic steroids specifically, testosterone supplements. This trend is largely being driven by social media, with thousands of posts...

The joy of birdwatching: research shows it can improve mental health and foster a sense of wellbeing

By Jolanta Burke1

The mental health benefits of being in nature have long been acknowledged, whether through activities like listening to birdsong or taking a walk in the park. While birdwatchers are often portrayed as boring, it turns...

The King’s first portrait – understanding the image Charles wants to project for his reign

By Gabriele Neher

It looks as if many people are seeing red when it comes to the first official portrait of King Charles III. Reactions to Jonathans Yeos monumental portrait have certainly been mixed. Fundamentally, this is the most...

The budget has earmarked $8.6 million for live music. Is it enough to save the flailing industry?

By Catherine Strong Et Al

Leading music organisations have praised the federal budget for its investment in the live music sector. The budget includes A$8.6 million for a program called Revive Live: to provide essential support to live...

Nuclear subs are coming to Australia

By Ian Lowe

For decades, Australia has exported uranium but not used it, other than in the Lucas Heights research reactor. But change is coming. We now face a rapidly deepening commitment to the nuclear industry, through nuclear...

After 180 years, new clues are revealing just how general anaesthesia works in the brain

By Adam D Hines

Over 350 million surgeries are performed globally each year. For most of us, its likely at some point in our lives well have to undergo a procedure that needs general anaesthesia. Even though it is one of the safest...

Out with the old: Blue- and white- collar job labels aren’t cutting it anymore

By Nachum Gabler

The old way of classifying jobs as blue- or white-collar is no longer relevant in Canadas modern labour market. Our 21st century economy and workforce are too complex to boil jobs and work categories down to a simple blue-...

Cancer drug pollution is a growing global concern

By Valérie Langlois Et Al

As incidence of cancer increases globally, the use of cancer drugs is also growing at a rate of approximately 10 per cent per year in developed countries. Pharmaceuticals significantly contribute to the improvement of...

Why do American rappers see Drake as not Black enough?

By Alexandra Boutros

The epic beef between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake has once again demonstrated the linguistic acrobatics of rap culture. The feud has seen both artists release multiple tracks where they lyrically diss each other....

Delays in western aid have put Ukraine in a perilous position

By James Horncastle

Russia recently began another offensive against Ukrainian forces, this time in the Kharkiv region. This attack was not a surprise development Russian forces had been preparing themselves over several months for the...

Gaza update: why neither ceasefire talks nor the Rafah offensive appear to be working

By Sam Phelps

Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, addressed his countrymen on Monday as the country marked its 76th day of independence. His narrative was predictably defiant. He trotted out his usual line that the war would not...

Gaza: what ceasefire negotiations tell us about how each side judges its progress in the war

By John Strawson

In all conflicts, the period preceding a ceasefire agreement is the most dangerous, as each side tries to gain the best military position before the fighting ends. The long, drawn out negotiations aimed at bringing a halt...

Latest inflation figures are good news

By Christopher Decker

The U.S. economy is slowing, but not crashing. In the dismal science, this is what counts as good news. Thats the message I took away from the latest inflation data, released May 15, 2024, which showed U.S. consumer...

How supermarkets are changing their branding to make you think they’re cheaper

By Melisa Mete

UK shoppers have specific preferences when it comes to their favourite supermarkets. MS was voted as the best in a recent survey, followed closely by German discounter Aldi (Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsburys were next). Aldis...

Why cheap renewables are stalling

By Jack Marley

Last summer, the northern hemisphere was the hottest it has been for 2,000 years. The warnings of climate scientists are at fever pitch: halt the burning of coal, oil and gas or risk catastrophic warming of at least...

What Honda’s big electric vehicle announcement in Ontario really means

By Dimitry Anastakis

In retrospect, the turnaround and just how fast it happened is difficult to believe. In 2010, Ontarios economic future looked grim. Tied as it had been for more than a century to the automobile industry, the...

Ukraine war: why the Russian army is still using morse code more than a century after its invention

By Tony Ingesson

Modern warfare is awash with cutting-edge technology from AI to drones to hypersonic missiles yet one technology that is more than a century old is still proving its worth: morse code. The staccato streams of tones...

Britain is not as broken as everyone seems to think

By John Bryson

According to many politicians and commentators, the UK is in a very sorry state. Ahead of the general election expected this year, Labour leader Keir Starmer has pledged to fix broken Britain. He has spoken of his vow...

How to buy a good pair of sunglasses

By Jacobo García Queiruga Et Al

Nowadays you can buy a cheap pair of sunglasses just about anywhere from supermarkets and petrol stations to corner shops and online fashion retailers, but such ubiquity may prompt doubts as to the protection they can...

Belief in democracy is on the decline in Africa

By Vladimir Chlouba

Democracy in Africa has not had a good year. Military juntas from Mali to Niger appear to have cemented their grip on power. Sudans democratic dreams were dashed when the countrys two most powerful strongmen opted for war....

Why banks consider renewable energy to be a riskier investment than fossil fuels

By Matteo Gasparini

The financial sector is among the worlds most heavily regulated industries and for good reason. Financial rules, which force banks to hold capital in reserve when making riskier investments, are designed to prevent...

It’s OK to mow in May − the best way to help pollinators is by adding native plants

By Christina Grozinger Et Al

Its a simple idea: Stop mowing your lawn in the month of May to let flowers in the lawn, such as dandelions and clover, grow and support bees and other pollinators. No Mow May was started in 2019 by Plantlife, a...

Gurdwaras, mosques, temples and churches: how faith groups are reviving England’s old cinemas

By Kate Jordan

On the corner of Powis Street and Woolwich High Street in south-east London stands a large brick building. Its curved exterior and wide canopy over the entrance immediately signals that it is a cinema. Looking up,...

Black holes are mysterious, yet also deceptively simple − a new space mission may help physicists answer hairy questions about these astronomical objects

By Gaurav Khanna

Physicists consider black holes one of the most mysterious objects that exist. Ironically, theyre also considered one of the simplest. For years, physicists like me have been looking to prove that black holes are more...

An obscure provision of Ohio law could keep Biden off the ballot there in November

By Jonathan Entin

President Joe Biden might not appear on the November 2024 presidential ballot in Ohio. Ohio law requires that presidential candidates be certified that is, the state must be notified that presidential candidates have been...

Term limits aren’t the answer

By Charlie Hunt

Theres no denying that the current Congress has been one of the most chaotic in recent memory. The paralysis in 2023 and 2024 over the selection of the speaker of the House helped lead to one of Congress most unproductive...

How companies calculate their carbon footprints

By Gianfranco Gianfrate

When it comes to slashing carbon emissions, the onus is often placed on individuals and their carbon footprint. But companies also have a major role to play. In fact, the biggest corporations have accounted for more than...

Funding might change, but Job-ready Graduates stays for now

By Gwilym Croucher

On one level, the 2024 federal budget brought few big surprises for universities. The two key measures were already announced leading up to May 14: the changes to HELP indexation and payments for nursing, teaching and...

Four ways EU laws affect the daily lives of European citizens today

By Joseba K. Fernández Gaztea

An Argentinian colleague recently posed a rather blunt question to me: How, pray tell, does your beloved European Union help you and me? Her doubts are valid. Given the bureaucratic immensity of the EU, it is not...

The budget is full of good news, but good news isn’t the same as good management

By Kate Griffiths

This years budget has something for everyone, with very little in the way of cuts and no new taxes. Its a classic good news pre-election budget. Whether it is too good to be true hinges on whether this budget...

Why is the government proposing caps on international students and how did we get here?

By Christopher Ziguras

The federal government is due to introduce legislation on Thursday to enable new caps on the number of international student places at educational institutions in Australia. These include universities, TAFEs and private...

Israel’s invasion of Rafah will not eliminate Hamas or end the war. So, what is Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan?

By Ian Parmeter

The Gaza war has now entered its eighth month and a resolution to the conflict still seems far off. Israel claims to have killed 13,000 Hamas militants so far. If that figure is correct, one can assume the number of...

Cheaper medicines and a new approach for mental health care

By Peter Breadon Et Al

Health was a centrepiece of last years budget, based on a new vision for Medicare. This year, there is less health reform, but the budget does set the foundation for a new approach to community-based mental health...

Protecting wildlife begins with understanding how best to counter wildlife crimes

By Lisa Kelly Et Al

Global biodiversity is declining, and human activities are mainly to blame. Indeed, 96 per cent of the worlds total remaining mammalian biomass the combined weight, or mass, of mammal organic life consists of either...

The 2023 Sir Paul Curran award for academic journalism goes to Barbara Sahakian

By Jo Adetunji

Barbara Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge and author of Bad Moves and Sex, Lies, Brain Scans, has spent her academic career finding out what makes us tick. If youve ever...

I’m pregnant. Do I need a multivitamin?

By Linda Gallo Et Al

Growing a healthy baby relies on getting enough nutrients while pregnant. But rather than following a healthy diet to provide those nutrients, were concerned too many people are relying on pink multivitamins. These...

From Bridgerton to Grey’s Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes is the queen of romance

By Rebecca TreleaseTrelease

Television producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes has come a long way since being a scriptwriter for the 2002 film Crossroads. Her production company Shondaland now shines in its delivery of romance shows, with...

A student’s visa has been cancelled for links to ‘weapons of mass destruction’

By Brendan Walker-Munro

Over the weekend, Queensland University of Technology PhD student Xiaolong Zhu became national news and not for a good reason. Zhu is a Chinese citizen, and his visa to study in Australia has been denied on the grounds of...

Green industry yes, conservation no: a budget for people, not for nature

By Timothy Neal

Last nights budget is another missed opportunity to arrest the poor and deteriorating state of the Australian environment. Subsidising green industry in Labors Future Made in Australia policy may offer economic...

From Barbie to Thomas the Tank Engine: How entertainment brands are adapting to Generation Alpha

By Aya Aboelenien Et Al

Growing up, did you play with hyper-sexualized Barbie dolls, boys-only Thomas the Tank Engine trains, or slim, white Disney princesses? If so, youre not alone, but this is no longer the case for Generation Alpha. Brands...

Weather risk can move markets months in advance

By Derek Lemoine

To understand how important weather and climate risks are to the economy, watch investors. New research shows that two long-range seasonal weather forecasts in particular can move the stock market in interesting...