The Traitors: the psychology works differently for celebrity players like Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan
Twenty-two people enter a castle with the intention of lying, trusting, murdering and banishing each other. The format of the Traitors is now well established, but the celebrity version of the show highlights some interesting psychological biases. In the standard version of the show (secret relationships aside) the contestants are all strangers. With no previous […]
As Baltic states face Russian hybrid aggression, our research shows what Europe can do
EU defence ministers assembled in Brussels on September 28 to try to formulate a response to increasing Russian aggression in Europe. The talks focused on Russia’s strategy of hybrid warfare – that is, hostile acts that fall below the threshold of actual war. These tend to include sabotage, disinformation, airspace violations, political interference and cyberwarfare. […]
Serbia’s president has resigned – but intends to remain in control
Aleksandar Vučić resigned as Serbia’s president on September 27, announcing that he intends to head his party’s list in upcoming parliamentary elections instead. If his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) succeeds in these elections, which are scheduled for October 25, Vučić would become Serbia’s next prime minister. Vučić has been the most dominant political figure in […]
How the new Great British Grid could help households benefit from abundant and cheap renewable power
Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s proposal to create a new Great British Grid has put a spotlight on one of the UK’s biggest energy challenges: connection queues. But building a larger grid to accommodate renewable energy is only half the problem. Britain also needs to get better at using electricity when it is abundant and cheap. […]
Wildfires are now an escalating risk: here’s how the UK needs to prepare ahead of next summer
Fire services across the UK are now working out how much they can do over the winter to prepare for one of the country’s escalating dangers: wildfires. Baroness Brown, the chairwoman of the UK’s Climate Change Committee, recently told the BBC that not enough action has been taken, given that the UK is predicted to […]
Would a 50 mph motorway speed limit really save much fuel?
Imagine joining the motorway in the near future and seeing a 50 mph speed limit sign, but no roadworks, no accident and no obvious reason to slow down. This time, the aim is to save fuel. UK diesel prices have hit an all-time high, with the average litre costing almost £2. Petrol prices are also […]
The great Romanian contribution – research reveals just how Britain benefits
The Romanian and EU flags fly at half-mast at the Romanian embassy in London after the death of Elizabeth II. JamesYi006/Shutterstock Romanians are broadly young, educated and the most economically active European migrant community in England and Wales. But, according to a recent YouGov poll, they are the least-wanted European immigrants in the UK. So […]
Manchester City supporters have been gaslit. What happens now?
The Premier League has published the core findings of the independent commission investigating Manchester City Football Club. It finds the club guilty of all charges relating to serious financial breaches across nine seasons, from 2009-10 to 2017-18. Among its findings were that City used “sham” commercial arrangements to inflate revenues and reduce costs, misstated its […]
Women are turning to testosterone, but what does the science actually say?
A recent BBC report described women posing as men to get hold of testosterone gel, hoping to improve their menopause symptoms, because female testosterone products are not easily available to them. But why is the appetite for this predominantly male hormone exploding and are there risks involved? Testosterone is usually thought of as the defining […]
This year’s Labour conference was the party that delegates should have had in 2024
“The mood of the party?” A reliable opening question between news presenter and political journalist. Necessarily imprecise, the answer can still transport the listener or viewer to where they aren’t. Doing so from Liverpool this week invokes the other meaning of the word party. This was the conference that should have taken place in 2024 […]