Arts & Humanities

From Charlemagne to Obama: Unifying ancestries and Western European genealogy

What do Britain’s Prince George and former American President Barack Obama have in common? The answer: they are both descendants of Charlemagne, the 9th-century Holy Roman Emperor. Reagan W Moore, Emeritus Professor at the School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA is creating a genealogical history of the Western world. Based on the […]

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Health & Medicine

A matter of choice: Free to choose medicine in the 21st century

The US Food and Drug Administration’s system for medicine approval is lengthy and expensive, and only 1 in 12 drugs in human clinical trials obtain approval. Bartley J Madden of the Madden Center for Value Creation at Florida Atlantic University proposes an alternative free to choose medicine (FTCM) pathway. He suggests that with the advice of their doctors, patients should […]

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Engineering & Technology

How could we build a liveable space habitat?

In the not-too-distant future, humanity will be faced with the challenge of building permanent homes in space. For this to happen, space habitats will need to closely replicate Earth’s gravity, while dealing with the threat of radiation and meteorites from outer space. Through his research, Werner Grandl at Space Renaissance International in Italy considers how these challenges could be overcome. Through […]

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Education & Training

University workplace health promotion programmes: Getting the balance right

Workplaces have a role to play in their employees’ health and mental wellbeing. Health promotion programmes are supposedly designed with this in mind, admittedly with other priorities. But how effective are they, and do they measure up to accepted guidelines? Dr Hayden McDonald of Australia’s Torrens University and colleagues examined workplace health promotion programmes at leading Australian universities – diverse […]

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Biology

Challenging shrimp bacterial diseases with phytobiotics

Whiteleg shrimp, a prized species in aquaculture, faces severe threats from emerging bacterial diseases, with acute hepatopancreatic necrosis (AHPND) posing a significant risk. Traditional reliance on antibiotics to combat this disease, although effective, raises concerns about antibiotic resistance. Dr Carla Hernández-Cabanyero and Dr Belén Fouz of the University of Valencia, Spain, have pioneered a One Health approach, introducing two cutting-edge […]

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Biology

What Lake Sturgeon genetics reveal about population structures

The freshwater fish Lake Sturgeon experienced drastic population declines across North America beginning approximately 150 years ago. Although commercial harvest has since ceased, many populations have been slow to recover. Stocking programs have been used to help recover the species, but they need to be approached cautiously as populations of fish that have been isolated for thousands of years may […]

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Arts & Humanities

The paradox of Western hegemony of human nature

The world faces unprecedented social and environmental challenges that demand a coordinated, global response. However, such a response is hampered by a conundrum. The challenges are partly the outcome of Western notions of what it is to be human, yet those very notions will probably dictate the spirit and strength of how the challenges are addressed. Dr Michael Zichy, a […]

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Arts & Humanities

Blurred boundaries: Art in the age of social media

What divides ‘serious’ or high art from ‘popular’ art? And has the line between these become more blurred in the digital era? These questions are asked by Professor Hans Abbing, a practising visual artist and professor of art sociology and economics at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. In his book The economies of serious and popular art: […]

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Health & Medicine

A role for ultraviolet radiation in multiple sclerosis

There are more cases of multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition caused by impaired immune responses, in northern countries compared to southern countries. Dr George E Davis, who is affiliated with the Riverview Psychiatric Centre, Maine, USA, has explored the links between latitude, MS, and UV radiation. He puts forward the idea that UV radiation levels during month of conception offer […]

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Arts & Humanities

Green baize gladiators: Bridge as a mindsport for all

Electronic sports, or esports, have evolved the concept of ‘sport’, especially around the mental acuity needed to play. Professor Samantha Punch at the University of Stirling, together with Dr David Scott at Abertay University, Scotland, see similarities in the card game bridge. They are helping establish a new academic subdiscipline – the sociology of mindsport. In the process, Punch and […]

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