
Climate, migration and conflict mix to create ‘deadly’ intense tropical storms like Chido
Cyclone Chido was an intense tropical cyclone, equivalent to a category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic. It made landfall in Mayotte, a small island lying to the north-west of Madagascar on December 14, generating wind gusts...
What the colour of your snot says about your immune health
Clear snot is usually the baseline. Dmitrii Pridannikov/ Shutterstock Ever wondered why the colour of your snot is different when youre sick? Youre probably not the first person to ask this question. There are actually...

What next for Syria? The danger of violence in post-war transitions
Images emerging from Syria over the past week have shown jubilation on the streets, as millions celebrate the end of 24 years of repression under Bashar al-Assad. It is rare for rebels to manage to tip the scales in their...
Who chooses to work, and who is forced to, after retirement?
fizkes/Shutterstock The state pension age in the UK is currently 66. Yet 9.5% of people aged 66 and older (1.12 million people) were still working, according to the most recent data from the UKs Annual Population Survey...
A short history of palm reading in the UK – and a guide to how it’s supposed to work
Wikimedia , CC BY In August 1676, a court in Hertford heard a case of fraud against Joseph Haynes, James Domingo and Domingos pretended wife Sarah. The three had been travelling between local towns telling fortunes....
Christmas can be stressful for many people – here’s what can help you get through the festive season
Stress during the holidays doesnt have to be inevitable. Kaspars Grinvalds/ Shutterstock Christmas is a season of joy and togetherness. But for many, its also one of the most stressful times of the year. Stress arises from...
Nurses need care too – how curbing self-sacrifice can prevent burnouts
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A/Shutterstock Reflecting on my mothers decade-long nursing career, I often wonder why so many nurses leave the profession after just a few years. In the UK, the shortage of nurses has reached...