Social media ‘soft girls’ depend on men for money – but Sweden once used state ‘influencers’ to urge women to get jobs

If you’re considering a soft life, you may want to ask why the housewife disappeared in the first place.

Åsa Lundqvist, Professor of Sociology, Lund University • conversation
Jan. 8, 2025 • ~8 min

How Britain got its first internet connection – by the late pioneer who created the first password on the internet

Peter Kirstein had to overcome various hurdles to connect the UK to the internet, including intransigent governments, dismissive industry and the taxman.

Peter T. Kirstein, Professor of Computer Communications Science, UCL • conversation
Jan. 8, 2025 • ~24 min

Five ways to make aviation more sustainable right now

Aviation is a small but significant contributor to global emissions. It’s predicted to grow at 4% per year, unless urgent action is taken now.

Iain Hanson, Honorary Professor at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, UCL • conversation
Jan. 8, 2025 • ~8 min

A quarter of freshwater animals threatened with extinction, finds major new study

Scientists have assessed more than 23,000 species.

Iwan Jones, Freshwater Ecologist and Head of the River Communities Group, Queen Mary University of London • conversation
Jan. 8, 2025 • ~6 min

Nuclear fusion could one day be a viable clean energy source – but big engineering challenges stand in the way

Even once researchers can reliably get more power out of a fusion reaction than they put in, they’ll still need to overcome engineering challenges to scale up fusion energy.

Farhat Beg, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego • conversation
Jan. 8, 2025 • ~9 min

Logging off life but living on: How AI is redefining death, memory and immortality

Ethical and legal issues around death in the digital age are thorny enough dealing with social media accounts. AI puts the notion of a digital afterlife into overdrive.

Yuanyuan (Gina) Cui, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Coastal Carolina University • conversation
Jan. 8, 2025 • ~9 min

Interior secretary manages vast lands that all Americans share − and can sway the balance between conservation and development

The Interior Department manages about one-fifth of all US land. Its secretary mediates among many competing uses for it, from recreation to energy production.

Emily Wakild, Cecil D. Andrus Endowed Chair for the Environment and Public Lands, Boise State University • conversation
Jan. 8, 2025 • ~10 min

3 ways Trump’s EPA could use the language of science to weaken pollution controls

For example, the first Trump administration tried to use the principles of transparency to prevent federal agencies from considering major health studies when setting pollution rules.

Eric Nost, Associate Professor of Geography, University of Guelph • conversation
Jan. 8, 2025 • ~8 min

Spiders ‘smell’ with their legs – new research

As spiders do not have antennae as insects, it’s long been a mystery how they can smell.

Hong-Lei Wang, Researcher, Sensory Biology, Lund University • conversation
Jan. 7, 2025 • ~7 min

Travelling in 2025? Here’s how to become a ‘regenerative’ tourist

Tourism can be a troubling issue for local people who feel ignored by the industry.

Veselina Stoyanova, Associate Professor in Strategy & International Management, University of Birmingham • conversation
Jan. 7, 2025 • ~5 min

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