| Read time: 7 minute(s)

Debate of the Week: Have we missed our chance to stop global warming?

IN THE NEWS: A new report has warned that the world is on track to hit a 1.5C temperature increase by 2027. Wildfires spread across Canada. Floods deluge Italy. Droughts cause havoc in France and Spain. And it all takes place in the same week. This may be only the start. Extreme weather events are […]
| Read time: 6 minute(s)

Debate of the WEEK: Do we need to relearn the art of hanging out?

IN THE NEWS: Loneliness is being described as the “modern leprosy”, a debilitating personal and social problem. But what is so hard to solve about being alone? Loneliness can feel like a universal, and ubiquitous, emotion. Almost 50% of adults report feeling lonely at least some of the time in the UK, with 3.3 million […]
| Read time: 6 minute(s)

Debate of the WEEK: Can you really change your character?

IN THE NEWS: An age-old psychological myth has been busted, as scientists gather increasing proof that we can change our personality at will. It can feel like a lottery. Are you an extrovert? Congratulations! You have a greater chance of being happy. Are you conscientious? Brilliant! You have a higher life expectancy. But people who […]
| Read time: 5 minute(s)

World’s Oldest Mouse? A Pocket Mouse Named Pat

A tiny mouse at the San Diego Zoo has set a new world record for the oldest known living mouse. The mouse, named Pat, turned nine years and 209 days old last Wednesday. Pat is a Pacific pocket mouse, which is the smallest kind of mouse in North America. He weighs about as much as […]
| Read time: 6 minute(s)

DEBATE OF THE DAY: Is predicting the future a skill we can learn?

IN THE NEWS: Is predicting the future a skill we can learn? Another disaster has shaken some of the world’s most vulnerable people. Some think we can use science to predict and prevent them. On Friday 3 February, a Dutch researcher, Frank Hoogerbeets, tweeted out a map of southern Turkey. In the caption he wrote: […]
| Read time: 6 minute(s)

Debate of the WEEK: Should we spend more time with our friends?

IN THE NEWS: Good relationships are the secret to happiness, say scientists. But more and more people today are spending the majority of their time alone. “Lumberjacks know the secret of happiness”. It is a bold claim. But according to a survey by the Bureau of Labour Statistics, lumberjacks are some of the happiest people […]
| Read time: 6 minute(s)

Debate of the Week:Will the protests succeed?

In THE NEWS: The people of China have been worn down by Covid-19 restrictions, censorship and economic woes. Now they want to take back control of their own lives. “We want to be citizens, not slaves.” That is the rallying cry of thousands of Chinese protesters who have taken to the streets in recent days. […]
| Read time: 9 minute(s)

Five ways to practice gratitude this festive season.

For many people, the festive season can bring on the blues. Science shows that, while it’s no fix-all, nurturing gratitude can help by shifting our attention to what’s positive. For some it’s instinct, others have to practise it, but giving thanks is good for our bodies, minds and our relationships. Scientists at the University of […]
| Read time: 7 minute(s)

Debate of the Week: Do mushrooms rule the world?

IN THE NEWS: The largest living organism on our planet lives under a forest in Oregon. It glows eerily in the dark, and scientists believe it’s about 2,500 years old. A huge organism is growing beneath your feet. Every second, it tangles further into the soil, building an extraordinary invisible web. Fungi are all around […]
| Read time: 6 minute(s)

Debate of the Week: Do we all have superpowers?

IN THE NEWS: A Scottish woman who can smell Parkinson’s has inspired experts to create a new test for the disease. Now, scientists are looking for others with amazing secret talents. The mystery was finally solved. Les and Joy Milne had come to their first Parkinson’s disease support-group meeting. “I walked into the room,” says […]