Category: Technology

Why did the experience of consciousness evolve from our underlying brain physiology? Despite being a vibrant area of neuroscience, current research on consciousness is characterised by disagreement and controversy – with several rival theories in contention. A recent scoping review of over 1,000 articles identified over 20 different theoretical accounts. Philosophers like David Chalmers argue […]

Memory is so much more than a storage unit in our minds. The people involved in memories influence what we recall, and, as our study shows, the connections we make between memories. Our memory helps us learn from experiences and develop new knowledge by integrating and updating information. This process goes beyond recalling individual events; […]

When fiction’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, needed to solve a crime, he turned to his sharp observational skills and deep understanding of human nature. He used this combination more than once when facing off against his arch-nemesis, Dr James Moriarty, a villain adept at exploiting human weaknesses for his gain. This classic battle mirrors […]

Most adults never have to take an IQ test. But tests for assessing students’ cognitive abilities, such as the cognitive ability test (Cat), are used in schools around the world. These tests are very similar to IQ tests. Taking them may be a pain for kids. Possibly, it’s an even bigger pain for parents. Just […]

Harnessing energy from nuclear fusion – the combining of nuclei, which lie within atoms – could be instrumental in the shift towards a decarbonised global energy system. As issues of climate change and energy security are becoming increasingly salient, the promise of an apparently “clean”, “abundant” and “safe” energy source, such as fusion, is ever […]

When people talk about animal parents often they are thinking about mothers. But the role of fathers in the animal kingdom is fascinating – and can tell us a lot about ourselves. It is quite rare for male mammals to invest anything more than their genetics – only 5-10% of mammal species fathers do. Some […]

June 25 2024 marked a new “first” in the history of spaceflight. China’s robotic Chang’e 6 spacecraft delivered samples of rock back to Earth from a huge feature on the Moon called the south pole–Aitken basin. After touching down on the Moon’s “far side”, on the southern rim of the Apollo crater, Chang’e 6 came […]

Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, recently spoke of feeling hurt and angry at racist comments made about him during the UK election campaign. Anyone who’s experienced racist or other discriminatory language is likely to know what this is like. But is it more than just an emotional feeling? Research suggests that although words are […]

Over the last few decades Ghana has seen a rise in environmental degradation such as pollution, deforestation and land degradation. These have been driven by urbanisation, industrialisation, carbon emissions and waste burning. Environmental problems have an impact on public health and the economy. One path to finding solutions is geoscience education, but it’s lacking in […]

This is a story that goes back thousands of years. Originally, cats were solitary creatures. This means they preferred to live and hunt alone, rather than in groups. Most of their social behaviour was restricted to mother-kitten interactions. Outside of this relationship, cats rarely meow at each other. However, as cats began to live alongside […]