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Heathrow third runway: who and where will benefit?
Society, Politics & Law

Heathrow third runway: who and where will benefit?

...world. This makes it a globally important centre of travel. Secondly, physically, airports have huge effects on the areas around them, but are actually quite small. Unlike most airports, Heathrow is inside London's western suburbs, rather than in the nearby countryside. On the global scale, another runway will allow Heathrow to offer more flights. However, if you’re...
Uncanny valley: why we find human-like robots and dolls so creepy
Society, Politics & Law

Uncanny valley: why we find human-like robots and dolls so creepy

...world robots and found a clear valley effect in how much people liked and were willing to trust them. Their data showed the classic rise-dip-rise that Mori originally predicted. This was found with the original robots and also with CGI images built to systematically vary in human likeness. The challenge now is to explain just why this might be happening. I have been...
London housing protests echo Glasgow rent strikes of 100 years ago
Society, Politics & Law

London housing protests echo Glasgow rent strikes of 100 years ago

...World War I saw numerous rent strikes in different towns and cities around the UK including Leeds, Sheffield and Wolverhampton in 1913-14, but the Glasgow protests were the ones that transformed the country and ultimately brought forth state policies for working-class housing. Glasgow at war It is vital to appreciate the context of Clydeside at that time. Glasgow was an...
Why do call centre staff use your name all the time, Chris?
Money & Business

Why do call centre staff use your name all the time, Chris?

...world hates call centres and this automated drive.” What this study suggests, however, is that call centre agents are not the ones to blame for any shortcomings in service. They do the best they can, responding as anyone would to the high pressure they are under. Call centre jobs are notorious worldwide for their high levels of turnover, absenteeism, employee burnout,...
The quiet contender of Switzerland hosts Euro 2025
Health, Sports & Psychology

The quiet contender of Switzerland hosts Euro 2025

...World Cup in 2015, reaching the Round of 16, and repeated this success in 2023 (FIFA, 2023). They have also participated in consecutive UEFA Women’s Euros (2017 and 2022), albeit exiting in the group stages (UEFA, 2024). With the home crowd behind them, cultural momentum on their side, and football’s broader social impact in focus, how far can Switzerland go?...
Strange job: being Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning monarch
Society, Politics & Law

Strange job: being Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning monarch

...world. Part of the power in working so hard, is that the Queen has served notice that she is not like the rest of us. She has no need to engage in pecuniary labour. Her regal position has been enhanced by devoting herself to a perpetual round of ceremonial labour. Arguably, the Queen has pressed more flesh than any other person on the planet. However, accessibility is not...
Concussion, identity loss, depression: boxing’s toughest opponent isn’t in the ring, it’s mental health
Health, Sports & Psychology

Concussion, identity loss, depression: boxing’s toughest opponent isn’t in the ring, it’s mental health

...world champion and national hero. But the climb from gritty local gyms to Las Vegas spotlights can be steep – and the fall steeper still. The gulf between where fighters start and where they end up can create a deep sense of dislocation. For working-class athletes, the pressure to stay strong, stoic and successful, even when struggling inside, can be overwhelming. This...
How bad are things at the Great Barrier Reef?
Nature & Environment

How bad are things at the Great Barrier Reef?

...world’s coral reefs. Heat stress from record high summer temperatures damages the microscopic algae (zooxanthellae) that live in the tissues of corals, turning them white. After they bleach, these stressed corals either slowly regain their zooxanthellae and colour as temperatures cool off, or else they die. The Great Barrier Reef bleached severely for the first time in...