The struggle to unplug: why Kiwis find it so hard to disconnect from the internet
By Alex Beattie Et Al
In an age when connectivity is constant, many New Zealanders find it hard to unplug from the internet. Despite a desire to switch off, the reality of disconnecting is challenging. Soon it might even come at a...
To address the growing issue of microplastics in the Great Lakes, we need to curb our consumption
By Lewis Alcott Et Al
You would be hard-pressed to find a corner of the world free from microplastics, plastic particles measuring less than five millimetres. They contaminate our drinking water, accumulate in the food we eat and have been...
Your world is different from a pigeon’s – but a new theory explains how we can still live in the same reality
By Catherine Legg
The human eye registers three colours of light: red, green and blue. But pigeons (and many other animal species) can also see a fourth colour, ultraviolet.
The four-dimensional colour space pigeons see may contain...
AI tutors could be coming to the classroom – but who taught the tutor, and should you trust them?
By Kathryn MacCallum Et Al
The government recently announced ambitions to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in New Zealands classrooms. But as the technology rapidly changes, it is not clear how this would work or what it will mean for...
Older people’s risk of abuse is rising. Can an ad campaign protect them?
By Joseph Ibrahim
Elder abuse is an emerging public health and safety issue for communities of high-income countries.
The most recent data from Australias National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study, which surveyed 7,000 older people living in...
Creating a gender-inclusive entrepreneurial landscape will help women fit in and thrive
By Alexandra Dawson Et Al
Entrepreneurship, the act of starting or running a new business, is a key driver of economic growth, wealth and societal health. While women are increasingly becoming entrepreneurs across the globe, the field remains...
How AI bots spread misinformation online and undermine democratic politics
By Sophia Melanson Ricciardone
Consider a typical morning routine: coffee in hand, you peruse Twitter (now rebranded as X) to catch up on the news. Headlines appear among a flurry of tweets on everything from memes about political leaders to cultural...
How remote work poses unique challenges to public sector employees
By W. Dominika Wranik Et Al
The dispute last year between the federal Treasury Board and the Public Service Alliance of Canada over remote work arrangements raised a lot of questions about a one-size-fits-all approach. Those questions need...
How stress might be the root of problems like pain, ulcers and a broken heart
By Dan Baumgardt
The English actor Kate Beckinsale recently lost her stepfather. She experienced such intense grief at the loss that it burned a hole in her oesophagus, causing her to vomit copious amounts of blood. Beckinsale spent six...
The colourful history of the Olympic opening ceremony
By Catherine Baker
If youre planning to tune in to the Paris Olympics, you probably arent just looking forward to the feats of sporting excellence youll be hoping to catch the cultural spectacle of the opening ceremony, too. These flashy...
Cheesemaking is a complex science – a food chemist explains the process from milk to mozzarella
By John A. Lucey
Cheese is a relatively simple food. Its made with milk, enzymes these are proteins that can chop up other proteins bacterial cultures and salt. Lots of complex chemistry goes into the cheesemaking process, which can...
Ukraine’s war has been devastating for animals – but they’ve also given the nation reason for hope
By Iryna Skubii
Russias war in Ukraine has caused immense suffering to the civilian population. Tens of thousands are believed to have been killed, though an exact figure is impossible to know. Russias aggression has also sparked the...
‘Kamala IS brat’: how the power of pop music has influenced 60 years of US elections
By Prudence Flowers
Hours after United States President Joe Biden announced he was dropping out as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, British musician Charli XCX endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, tweeting kamala IS brat.
The...
Who will win Olympic rugby sevens gold? Our algorithm uses 10,000 simulations to rank the teams
By Niven Winchester
The speed, skill and flair on display in rugby sevens makes it an ideal Olympic sport. The Paris games should be no exception, especially given Frances own great rugby tradition.
While the conventional 15-a-side game...
Is your child’s photo on their school Facebook page? What does this mean for their privacy?
By Karley Beckman Et Al
If you search most primary or high school websites, you will likely find a images of happy, smiling children.
Students images are also used publicly for school newsletters, social media accounts and other school...
People with disability know bodies can be funny – so it’s OK that you’re laughing at the Paralympics TikTok account
By Shane Clifton
Our bodies are delightfully ridiculous.
When God created humanity, they knew our short lives would be full of pain, hardship and horror. So they created our bodies absurdly clumsy, squidgy and bouncy, messy and noisy,...
Small modular reactors have promise. But we found they’re unlikely to help Australia hit net zero by 2050
By Ian Lowe Et Al
Australias clean energy transition is already underway, driven by solar, wind, batteries and new transmission lines.
But what about nuclear? Opposition leader Peter Dutton last month committed to building nuclear...
The votes of Venezuelans abroad are being suppressed
By Tyler Valiquette Et Al
In this ultimate election year, 64 countries will be heading to the polls. Among them is Venezuela, which will hold its presidential election on July 28. Venezuelans across the country will be voting in the election that...
Social robot or digital avatar, users interact with this AI technology as if it’s real
By Brigitte Viljoen Et Al
Humans are interacting more than ever with artificial intelligence (AI) from the development of the first social robots (a robot with a physical body programmed to interact and engage with humans) like Kismet in the 1990s...
Debunking 5 myths about antidepressants
By Natalina Salmaso
During my work as a clinical psychologist and neurobiologist, I have spoken with many individuals who are considering taking antidepressant medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Many ask me...
Running for US president is a costly business – here’s how the candidates raise money
By Steven Daniels
It costs a lot of money to become president of the United States. The 2020 presidential election cycle involved campaign expenditure of US$14 billion (11 billion) an amount that will almost certainly be beaten in November...
The past, present and uncertain future of the UK’s steel industry
By Phil Tomlinson Et Al
The last few years have been troubling for the British steel industry. High energy costs, a wave of cheap Chinese imports, plant closures, the COVID pandemic and financial struggles have all taken their toll.
Steel is a...
Five possible vice-presidents and what they might say about the Democrat ticket
By Katie Gaddini
With President Bidens announcement that he will not run for re-election in November, all eyes have turned to his replacement. Many top Democrats, including Biden, have endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris, leading to...
Six ways to look after your brain health in your 20s and 30s
By Jitka Vseteckova Et Al
Dementia is not an inevitable consequence of ageing. Its thought that around 40% of dementia cases could be prevented (or at least delayed) by changing certain lifestyle habits.
There are now 12 known modifiable risk...
Nasa’s science mission spacecraft are at risk from hackers, but a new law could help protect them
By Sharon Lemac-Vincere
Nasas missions are some of the most technologically advanced and critically important endeavours. From the Mars Rover explorations to the Artemis missions to the Moon, the space agencys projects push the boundaries of...
Leishmaniasis: this neglected tropical disease is spreading fast, and Europe is nowhere near prepared
By Christopher Fernandez-Prada
In recent decades, Europe has seen a worrying increase in cases of vector-borne tropical diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya. The climate directly affects the spread and distribution of pathogen-transmitting...
PhDs are important for South Africa’s growth: more support for doctoral candidates who work full-time is key
By Zama Mthombeni
South Africas government and higher education sector have invested a lot of time and money over the past two decades to enhance the countrys research output and cultivate the next generation of researchers.
Though there...
Sure, 2024 has had lots of news – but compared with 1940, 1968 or 1973, it’s nothing exceptional
By Philip Klinkner
History usually happens at a leisurely pace, with major events months or even years apart. But this year, it seems like someone has pushed fast-forward, with significant events coming on a weekly or even daily basis. One...
Lincoln called for divided Americans to heed their ‘better angels,’ and politicians have invoked him ever since in crises − but for Abe, it was more than words
By Donald Nieman
Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, community leaders, clergy and politicians including President Joe Biden have called on Americans to tone down white-hot political rhetoric. Some have invoked the words...
Retaining flavor while removing caffeine − a chemist explains the chemistry behind decaf coffee
By Michael W. Crowder
For many people, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is the start of a great day. But caffeine can cause headaches and jitters in others. Thats why many people reach for a decaffeinated cup instead.
Im a chemistry...
Athletes looking for a competitive edge may find it within their gut microbiome
By Christopher Damman
When milliseconds can mean the difference between silver and gold, endurance athletes in sports like marathon running, cycling, rowing and swimming optimize every aspect of their physiology for a competitive edge.
Many...
Counter-drug strategies in Central America are worsening deforestation, threatening many species of birds
By Amanda D. Rodewald
Activities associated with cocaine trafficking threaten two-thirds of the most important landscapes in Central America for 196 forest bird species, including 67 migratory species. This is the key takeaway from a study that...
Unequal access to quantum information education may limit progress in this emerging field − now is the time to improve
By Bethany Wilcox Et Al
Quantum information science uses the physics that describes the smallest particles such as electrons or photons to potentially revolutionize computing and related technologies. This new field can be used for a wide range...
Demolishing buildings is bad for the planet – here’s an alternative
By Ana Rute Costa Et Al
The construction industry is not on track to decarbonise by 2050 and uses more resources than most. In 2020, the UK produced a staggering 59.1 million tonnes of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste. Despite most...
Would you pay to quit TikTok and Instagram? You’d be surprised how many would
By Peter Martin1
Social media is a problem for economists. They dont know how to value it.
It has long been argued that it ought to be in the national accounts as part of gross domestic product. One 2019 study estimated Facebook alone...
‘Dark leadership’ is a threat to Canada’s tourism industry
By Frederic Dimanche Et Al
Its summer and that means high season and busy times for the tourism sector. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, over 285 million tourists travelled internationally from January to March 2024, an...
US says it wants Palestinians to have a country of their own – but its actions say otherwise
By Dennis Jett
Spain, Ireland and Norway recognized a Palestinian state in May 2024, bringing the total number of countries that do so to 144.
The United States is not one of them.
The U.S. has officially favored a two-state...
Why does traditional masculinity have such longevity, even among younger boys?
By Ashley Morgan
Weve all seen men lash out angrily when their masculinity is threatened not least in Hollywood movies. And the extent of such behaviour has also been uncovered in scientific research. But how, when and why does this...
With Biden gone, Trump will need a new attack plan for the younger Kamala Harris
By Christopher Featherstone
When Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential election race he changed the nature of the campaign. In the three weeks following the notorious presidential debate, Bidens withdrawal came to be seen as a matter of when, not...
Why Kamala Harris has a head start in the race to replace Joe Biden
By Dafydd Townley
Joe Bidens decision to step down from the 2024 campaign is yet another significant moment in this years US election, following on from the attempted assassination of Donald Trump the previous Saturday, July 13.
Not...
South Africa is trying to put a stop to the abuse of its intelligence agencies - what still needs fixing
By Jane Duncan
South Africas security laws are open to abuse by rogue intelligence operatives and politicians. These laws are meant to govern the conduct of covert activities by intelligence agencies and oversight mechanisms. But...
Biden Steps Down, Ushering in a Historic Shift in American Politics
By Thomas Klassen
In an unprecedented decision, Joe Biden has announced his resignation as president of the United States effective at noon on Jan. 20, 2025.
Biden becomes one of the few sitting American presidents who opted not to seek...
A global IT outage brought supply chains to their knees
By Sanjoy Paul
Fridays global IT outage caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike wrought havoc on business operations around the world.
Severe disruptions were reported in multiple countries, including...
Massive IT outage spotlights major vulnerabilities in the global information ecosystem
By Richard Forno
The global information technology outage on July 19, 2024, that paralyzed organizations ranging from airlines to hospitals and even the delivery of uniforms for the Olympic Games represents a growing concern for...
Long COVID puzzle pieces are falling into place – the picture is unsettling
By Ziyad Al-Aly
Since 2020, the condition known as long COVID-19 has become a widespread disability affecting the health and quality of life of millions of people across the globe and costing economies billions of dollars in reduced...
How conspiracy theories polarize society and provoke violence
By Kawser Ahmed
In todays technologically interconnected world, the ability to concoct and spread conspiracy theories has become easier than ever before. This became evident after the recent assassination attempt on former U.S. president...
Want to sleep longer? Adding mini-bursts of exercise to your evening routine can help – new study
By Jennifer Gale Et Al
Exercising before bed has long been discouraged as the body doesnt have time to wind down before the lights go out.
But new research has found breaking up a quiet, sedentary evening of watching television with short...
Why the stinky durian really is the ‘king of all fruits’
By John Charles Ryan
Theres little else in the food world that brings about as much social turbulence as the durian. This so-called king of all fruits is considered a delicacy across its native Southeast Asia, where durian season is currently...
Soccer and religion have more in common than you might think
By Hanna Tervanotko
People around the world have been captivated by two major soccer tournaments in recent weeks: The UEFA European Football Championship, which Spain won, and Copa América, which Canada finished fourth in.
Soccer...
Ukraine recap: the bleak prospect of a Trump-Vance White House
By Jonathan Este
Ukraine will no longer exist by 2034, or so says former Russian president and Kremlin attack dog, Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev didnt say so in as many words. But, reflecting recently on the outgoing Nato leader Jens...
