Animals
By Animals Correspondent They’re famous for raiding bins and fiddling with locks — but raccoons might actually be doing it because they’re curious, not just hungry. A new study from the University of British Columbia suggests the masked mammals enjoy solving problems even when there’s no food involved.
Science
By Science Correspondent A simple digital technique — including mentally playing the video game Tetris — could dramatically cut traumatic flashbacks, researchers say. In a new study published in The Lancet Psychiatry, healthcare workers who used the approach reported 10 times fewer intrusive memories after just four weeks. Six months later, 70%
Science
By Research Correspondent Study finds pleasant-sounding words are easier to learn and recall Why do words like harmony, melody or lullaby sound pleasing, while others feel harsh or uncomfortable? A new study from the University of Vienna suggests the answer lies not just in meaning, but in the sounds themselves.
Health,
By Health Correspondent An international research team has found the first direct evidence that natural daylight can benefit people with type 2 diabetes more than artificial light. Metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes are increasing, partly due to modern lifestyles that disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm. People
Science
By Science Correspondent A new eye-tracking device can power itself using the energy created when a person blinks, offering a lightweight and comfortable alternative to existing systems. The technology could improve communication and mobility for people who rely on eye movements to interact with the world. Eye-tracking devices are often
People
By Community Correspondent The University of Leicester will mark World Prematurity Day (17 November) by lighting up the Attenborough Tower in purple to reflect solidarity. World Prematurity Day (WPD) aims to raise awareness of the impact of premature birth on families and the challenges that may be faced by preterm
Animals
By Research Correspondent A new study from the University of Exeter has revealed that seagulls pay close attention to the tone of human voices— and that how we speak to them can influence whether they leave our food alone. The findings suggest that people can deter gulls humanely and effectively
News
By Science Correspondent A new gel made from a bioinspired material can repair and regrow tooth enamel, offering a promising new way to protect and restore teeth. Researchers from the University of Nottingham’s School of Pharmacy and Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, working with an international team, created
News
By Community Correspondent Representatives from the Oddfellows, a national friendly society, visited the Manchester Cancer Research Centre (MCRC) on Thursday 2 October to present a cheque for £67,068 to Prevent Breast Cancer to help progress its innovative breast cancer prevention research project. The research project, carried out by University
Health,
By Health Correspondent A team of cancer scientists and clinicians at the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton has received £1.2 million from the World Cancer Research Fund to improve breast cancer treatment. Led by Professors Ellen Copson and Ramsey Cutress, the researchers will study how body composition
Science
By Science Correspondent A landmark study combining artificial intelligence and genetics has, for the first time, revealed the complex biology behind the development of the human fovea—the tiny pit at the back of the eye responsible for sharp central vision used in reading, recognising faces, and driving. Researchers from
Science
By Science Correspondent Dogs may understand more than just commands—they might also grasp the purpose of objects, much like human infants. In a study published September 18 in Current Biology, researchers show that some dogs can categorize toys by function, such as pulling or fetching, even when the toys
Science
By Science Correspondent A new study shows that helping others just a few hours a week can significantly slow cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults. Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Massachusetts Boston found that both formal volunteering and informal helping—such as
Science
By Science Correspondent Does your morning coffee really make you happier? Researchers from the University of Warwick and Bielefeld University say so. They have tracked the mood of more than two hundred young adults for up to four weeks each. The young people involved received prompts on their phones seven
Animals
By Science Correspondent Scientists have found that adult jackdaws can learn to be more socially tolerant towards youngsters. Like many animals, adult jackdaws tend to bully juveniles, muscling them out the way of food and generally not paying them attention. But young jackdaws have much that their elders could learn
Science
By Science Correspondent Have you ever met someone who just doesn’t like music? While that might sound surprising, scientists now know there’s a real reason why – and it all comes down to the way the brain is wired. About ten years ago, researchers in Spain discovered a small