Are we finally about to get decent wifi on trains and planes?
Wifi on the go is often unreliable – on buses, trains and, increasingly, planes. Whether via cellular or satellite systems, connectivity at speed suffers from highly variable signal coverage and strength. This leads to delays, degraded data speeds and service interruptions. To address these issues, the UK government has announced a major upgrade to wifi […]
How creative maps make air pollution more visible
York city centre. Clare Louise Jackson/Shutterstock Air pollution is often portrayed as something that affects entire cities. In fact, levels can vary enormously over just a few metres. Our research shows that one of the greatest challenges for academics is not simply measuring air pollution, but making it visible and meaningful enough for people to […]
Having a bad hair day? Don’t worry. My research will help you understand the problem
Nicoleta Ionescu/Shutterstock.com Think about the last time you looked in the mirror and sighed at the sight of your hair. Maybe it was frizzing, flattening, greying, thinning or simply refusing to do what you wanted. For many people, hair comes with a running commentary – a private, near-constant negotiation that we rarely stop to notice, […]
How radical Victorian nuns pioneered education for poor girls
Nuns as teachers are historically associated with anything but progress. Often stereotyped as exactors of cruel discipline, nuns in the classroomv are thought of as wielding rulers – and worse – ready to rap disobedient children’s knuckles. And yet, during the 19th century, Catholic sisters were, in their own way, radicals as they engaged in […]
How economic pressures are damaging Britain’s ‘zombie firms’
Maka S/Shutterstock The UK’s borrowing costs are higher than the government would like them to be. Economic growth remains weak, and public finances are under constant pressure. All of this make things difficult for pretty much everybody. But one particularly vulnerable group are the small businesses which survive mainly through continued borrowing. Known as “zombie” […]
How the US has celebrated its independence over the years
The plans for the 250th anniversary of the American revolution, which kicks off in earnest on July 4, have drawn media scrutiny in the US. One issue has been the subject of recurrent discussion: the role of President Donald Trump. Behind this scrutiny is the claim that Trump is co-opting the anniversary for his own […]
Digital poverty is holding university students back
Gajus/Shutterstock When a student can’t submit their essay because the household’s only device is being used by three siblings for school, or because their mobile data ran out mid-lecture, they are experiencing digital poverty. Digital poverty describes a cluster of overlapping disadvantages: lack of access to devices, unreliable or unaffordable internet connectivity, and insufficient digital […]
America at 250: still a ‘democratic experiment’
John Trumbull’s 1819 painting depicting the Declaration of Independence being presented to Congress on July 4 1776. US Capitol rotunda/Wikimedia Commons This newsletter was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox. This weekend marks 250 […]
Placenta as property: why every mother deserves the right to choose
Human placenta and umbilical cord Sinhyu Photographer/Shutterstock In many cultures, the placenta is more than tissue left over after birth. It may be understood as spiritually linked to the baby, treated as a companion or sibling, and buried to protect the child or connect them to family and land. Yet in many maternity settings, what […]
As the United States turns 250 there is bitter rivalry over who gets to tell the country’s story
George Washington statue outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were signed. EWY Media / Shutterstock The 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence has become yet another flashpoint in a politically divided America. There are even two different government organisations overseeing the celebrations. The United States Semiquincentennial […]