The mathematics of human behaviour: how my new model can spot liars and counter disinformation

Mathematical model suggests information processing lies at the heart of decision making.

Dorje C Brody, Professor of Mathematics, University of Surrey • conversation
today • ~8 min

Belfast’s silent public health crisis? Why we need widespread testing for lead-contaminated water

Belfast needs to rid its infrastructure of lead water pipes and raise public awareness of the serious health issues caused by excess levels of lead in the water.

Nuala Flood, Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Architecture, Queen's University Belfast • conversation
June 24, 2022 • ~8 min

What the Supreme Court's ruling on abortion means for women's health and well-being: 4 essential reads

Scholars explain how the Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion is likely to affect women’s health.

Matt Williams, Breaking News Editor • conversation
June 24, 2022 • ~7 min

Roe overturned: What you need to know about the Supreme Court abortion decision

By a 6 to 3 majority, the Supreme Court decided to overrule the landmark Roe decision and end almost 50 years of access to abortion being a constitution right.

Nicole Huberfeld, Edward R. Utley Professor of Health Law and Professor of Law, Boston University • conversation
June 24, 2022 • ~11 min

How do painkillers actually kill pain? From ibuprofen to fentanyl, it's about meeting the pain where it's at

Different painkillers provide relief in different ways. The most effective medication is the one that best targets the type of pain you’re experiencing with minimal side effects.

Benedict Alter, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences • conversation
June 24, 2022 • ~11 min

Google's powerful AI spotlights a human cognitive glitch: Mistaking fluent speech for fluent thought

Fluent expression is not always evidence of a mind at work, but the human brain is primed to believe so. A pair of cognitive linguistics experts explain why language is not a good test of sentience.

Anna A. Ivanova, PhD Candidate in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) • conversation
June 24, 2022 • ~9 min

Misinformation will be rampant when it comes to COVID-19 shots for young children – here's what you can do to counter it

With COVID-19 shots finally available for infants and preschoolers, knowing how to combat misinformation on social media and elsewhere could be more important than ever.

Maya Ragavan, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences • conversation
June 24, 2022 • ~9 min

Five billion people can't afford surgery – a team of innovators could soon change this

A team of doctors and academics worked together on back-to-basics surgical equipment that is already changing lives.

Noel Aruparayil, Clinical research fellow in global surgery, University of Leeds • conversation
June 24, 2022 • ~10 min

Curious Kids: what is cosmic microwave background radiation?

It’s the oldest light in the universe.

Christopher Pattison, Senior Research Associate at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth • conversation
June 23, 2022 • ~5 min

Evolutionary tree of life: modern science is showing how we got so much wrong

DNA analysis is beginning to reveal how wrong the long-accepted evolutionary tree is.

Matthew Wills, Professor of Evolutionary Palaeobiology at the Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath • conversation
June 23, 2022 • ~7 min

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