Social media and teenagers: what the evidence says
Xavier Lorenzo/Shutterstock Is the time teenagers spend on social media really damaging their wellbeing and mental health? Around the globe, youth mental health problems are on the rise. This has coincided with an ever increasing amount of time teenagers spend on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, X and Snapchat. In the public discourse at least, […]
How Iran gained the strategic upper hand in the war with the US and Israel
After three months of war with two of the world’s most technologically and militarily advanced countries, Iran has proved far more resilient than anticipated. Indeed, strategically at least, Tehran appears to now have the upper hand in the conflict. How has this situation come about? When the United States joined Israel to launch the latest […]
Love life: David Hockney, the artist who forced Britain to make room for colour, joy and queerness
Born in Bradford and shaped by northern art-school discipline, David Hockney brought a working-class, almost punk refusal to British art: do the work, trust the eye, do not ask for approval. Hockney made success look effortless: all colour, good humour, great glasses, cigarettes and smoky charm. But for a young gay artist from a northern […]
Women report poor sleep despite a good night’s rest — while men overestimate their own sleep quality
Men reported sleeping better than they objectively did, while the opposite was true for women. DimaBerlin/ Shutterstock Disturbed sleep is a common problem — and one that has many serious consequences beyond feeling tired the next day. Research has linked insomnia and poor sleep to early mortality and diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Women […]
AI robots can go rogue – a researcher on how easily it happens
Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock Earlier this year in Beijing, a humanoid robot crossed a half-marathon finish line in a blistering 50 minutes, 26 seconds. The feat immediately lit up global headlines for shattering the human world record by almost seven minutes. This performance came with many asterisks. The robot followed a pre-mapped track, stayed in its […]
The UK has the means to avoid climate policy being driven by culture wars
shutterstock Loredana Sangiuliano / shutterstock Climate policy has become one of the principle casualties of America’s political polarisation. The Trump administration, for instance, recently announced it is dismantling a key ocean monitoring system, despite growing scientific concerns about the rise of a “Super El Niño” and the prospect of disruption to key Atlantic Ocean currents. […]
What early modern literature can teach us about neurodivergence
Does it seem as though more people are coming out as neurodivergent these days? Perhaps you’ve heard complaints that social media – particularly TikTok – is driving a trend. Or maybe you’ve encountered the suggestion that neurodivergence has somehow become fashionable, a label people adopt for attention, status or belonging. For neurodivergent people, these claims […]
UK under-16 social media ban: what parents need to know
Vukasin Ljustina/Shutterstock The UK government has announced plans to introduce a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16. This follows a consultation on the impact of social media on young people’s mental health, wellbeing and safety. It represents one of the most significant interventions in children’s online lives since the […]
The mysterious tooth condition affecting millions of children
It affects a significant number of children and can leave their adult teeth permanently weakened and discoloured. Sorapop Udomsri/Shutterstock Your child’s small, delicate, chalk-white baby teeth fall out. In their place grow yellowish-brown, fragile teeth – much to everyone’s surprise. This is the dental condition molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH), a condition that is almost as […]
US-Iran war: what the ‘peace deal’ really means
The announcement of a new agreement between the United States and Iran has been greeted with relief across global markets. Oil prices have eased, shipping insurers have relaxed and politicians have rushed to hail a diplomatic breakthrough. The memorandum of understanding, which both sides have agreed to and are expected to formally sign in Switzerland […]