article icon
Society, Politics & Law
How do social networks play a key role in disaster recovery?
As Houston continues to experience overwhelming flooding after Hurricane Harvey, lessons from Japan's tsunami of 2011 show the value of social networks in getting back towards normal. Danile P Aldrich explains.
article icon
Languages
Why is Donald Trump a challenge for translators?
It can sometimes be hard to follow the flow of Donald Trump's unique approach to the English language. Have sympathy, pleads Severine Hubscher-Davidson, for those trying to translate him.
article icon
Society, Politics & Law
Could your brain activity be used in evidence against you?
If brain scans can reveal when someone is lying, should they become part of the court process? The OU's Paul Catley and Lisa Claydon consider the case.
article icon
Society, Politics & Law
How does a Bill move through Parliament?
The passage of a Bill through the two houses gives a chance for refining and shaping the eventual legislation - or rejecting it altogether.
article icon
Health, Sports & Psychology
The suicide of The Ceasefire Babies
In Northern Ireland, more people took their own lives in the 16 years after the Troubles than died during them. Why? Lyra McKee finds out.
article icon
Society, Politics & Law
What happens when a Bill is drafted?
Getting the Bill right is important. If it's going to become part of UK law, it needs to be carefully written - and supported.
article icon
Society, Politics & Law
Are there other responses to urban terror than just more bollards?
Can we adapt urban environments in the face of a changing terrorist threat? Jon Coaffee says it's going to take more than just more concrete and steel barriers.
article icon
History & The Arts
How the potato fuelled the rise of liberal capitalism
It can make chips. It can make mash. And the potato can even help create an entire political-economic system. Rebecca Earle explains how.
article icon
Society, Politics & Law
What is Royal Assent - and why don't laws come into force straight away?
The Monarch's sign-off on a Bill is the last stage in making laws in the United Kingdom. But there's sometimes a delay before the new law comes into force.
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Society, Politics & Law
Attention
What does 'attention' mean to you? This free course, Attention, will help you to examine how we 'pay attention'. How do we manage to single out sounds and images that require attention and how easy is it to distract someone and why.
article icon
Science, Maths & Technology
How network science can unravel Al Capone's criminal associates
In new research which studies the social relationships of organized crime in Chicago in the 1920s, Chris M. Smith and Andrew V. Papachristos were able to take advantage ofthe availability of thousands of notes and documents on Al Capone’s criminal network. By applying network analysis to the criminal relationships in Capone’s gangs they find ...
article icon
Nature & Environment
North Sea, air safety and Brexit
Does the political fight about who controls safety in the North Sea reveal just how difficult Brexit is going to be?