menu_open Columnists

The Conversation

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

The UK’s pension triple lock has done its job and needs to be retired

The UK’s pension triple lock has done its job and needs to be retired

The triple lock is a fairly recent part of pension policy.

latest 0

The Conversation

Jonquil Lowe

One in three Ukrainian civilians estimated to meet the criteria for PTSD or complex PTSD – new study

One in three Ukrainian civilians estimated to meet the criteria for PTSD or complex PTSD – new study

War-related trauma now affects most people in Ukraine and presents a major threat to the country’s resiliance in the face of continuing Russian...

latest 0

The Conversation

Gwendolyn Sasse

How deep do AI relationships really go? An expert in attachment theory explains

How deep do AI relationships really go? An expert in attachment theory explains

Can AI-human connections ever meet the psychological criteria of attachment – the relationships that hold people’s lives together?

latest 0

The Conversation

Pascal Vrticka

Social media hasn’t killed personal style, it’s killed how we communicate it

Social media hasn’t killed personal style, it’s killed how we communicate it

Put down the coffee, walk away from the zebra crossing, think beyond chic and get more creative.

latest 0

The Conversation

Catherine Greenwood

As Baltic states face Russian hybrid aggression, our research shows what Europe can do

As Baltic states face Russian hybrid aggression, our research shows what Europe can do

Hybrid warfare, including cyberattacks, poses a big threat, not only to Russia’s neighbours, but to the whole of Europe.

latest 0

The Conversation

Alex Hardy

Serbia’s president has resigned – but intends to remain in control

Serbia’s president has resigned – but intends to remain in control

Serbians will go to the polls in October for what looks set to be their closest national election in years.

latest 0

The Conversation

Eric Gordy

How the new Great British Grid could help households benefit from abundant and cheap renewable power

How the new Great British Grid could help households benefit from abundant and cheap renewable power

As Britain builds more renewable energy, it will need to get better at encouraging people to use electricity when it’s plentiful.

latest 0

The Conversation

Jacopo Torriti

Reading, socialising and doing puzzles can help preserve cognitive health – large study shows

Reading, socialising and doing puzzles can help preserve cognitive health – large study shows

Our study shows that brain remains malleable and can learn new things well into older age.

latest 0

The Conversation

Paul Little

North Sea, Nature Untamed puts personal wonder back into nature documentaries

North Sea, Nature Untamed puts personal wonder back into nature documentaries

North Sea, Nature Untamed signals a shift in wildlife filmmaking.

latest 0

The Conversation

Jean-Baptiste Gouyon

The Traitors: the psychology works differently for celebrity players like Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan

The Traitors: the psychology works differently for celebrity players like Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan

Fame as an important affect on how the game is played.

latest 0

The Conversation

Paddy Ross

Wildfires are now an escalating risk: here’s how the UK needs to prepare ahead of next summer

Wildfires are now an escalating risk: here’s how the UK needs to prepare ahead of next summer

Wildfires are a growing issue in the UK, with incidents escalating in 2026.

latest 1

The Conversation

Chris Webber

Would a 50 mph motorway speed limit really save much fuel?

Would a 50 mph motorway speed limit really save much fuel?

Physics suggests slower cars use less petrol. But in the real-world, fuel consumption depends on much more than aerodynamic drag.

latest 8

The Conversation

Amin Al-Habaibeh

The great Romanian contribution – research reveals just how Britain benefits

The great Romanian contribution – research reveals just how Britain benefits

According to one poll, Romanians are the UK’s least-wanted European migrants.

latest 0

The Conversation

Alina Dolea

Manchester City supporters have been gaslit. What happens now?

Manchester City supporters have been gaslit. What happens now?

The evidence now requires Manchester City supporters to make the distinction their owners have spent years blurring.

latest 0

The Conversation

Josh Bland

Women are turning to testosterone, but what does the science actually say?

Women are turning to testosterone, but what does the science actually say?

Growing numbers of women are using testosterone for menopause symptoms, but female-specific products remain scarce and evidence patchy.

latest 6

The Conversation

Daniel Kelly

Covid fatigue linked to reduced brain blood flow

Covid fatigue linked to reduced brain blood flow

Everyday activities can require enormous effort for people living with post-COVID fatigue. This study examines the brain mechanisms that may...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Sonia Miri Hedberg

This year’s Labour conference was the party that delegates should have had in 2024

This year’s Labour conference was the party that delegates should have had in 2024

In a change from 2025, the event was defined by optimism.

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Martin Farr

Confronting demons: how acoustic and AI technology brought ancient Etruscan tombs back to life

Confronting demons: how acoustic and AI technology brought ancient Etruscan tombs back to life

Our research suggests these tombs were designed and constructed not simply to house the dead, but to affect the living.

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Jacqueline Ortoleva

Digger tries to mock powerful older men – but can’t escape 64‑year‑old millionaire Tom Cruise

Digger tries to mock powerful older men – but can’t escape 64‑year‑old millionaire Tom Cruise

Cruise’s presence is the most interesting thing about a film that is otherwise much too full of itself.

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Alexander Sergeant

Long‑acting medicines could make daily tablets a thing of the past for some patients

Long‑acting medicines could make daily tablets a thing of the past for some patients

Long-acting treatments could reduce missed doses and ease the burden of taking medicines every day, while giving patients more choice.

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Catherine Unsworth

RAF Fairford: the power (and risks) of making the public the ‘eyes and ears’ of counter‑terrorism

RAF Fairford: the power (and risks) of making the public the ‘eyes and ears’ of counter‑terrorism

What should ordinary citizens be doing?

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Elisa Orofino

The end of endless summer: why cheap winter veg is under threat

The end of endless summer: why cheap winter veg is under threat

Year-round tomatoes and asparagus depend on heated glasshouses, abundant sunlight and long-distance transport – all of which come with costs.

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Kambiz Baghalian

Our research measures the real cost of coal mines to people and planet

Our research measures the real cost of coal mines to people and planet

A new model offers a template for just and transparent accounting of loss and damage.

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Sarah Bracking

From equations to Instagram feeds: how ‘algorithm’ changed its meaning

From equations to Instagram feeds: how ‘algorithm’ changed its meaning

Algorithms began as simple mathematical procedures, but today they shape what we see, buy and believe.

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Tom Oliver

Stoicism isn’t just for men – despite what the manosphere would tell you

Stoicism isn’t just for men – despite what the manosphere would tell you

Marcus Aurelius told himself to be a good man but what did he mean by that?

yesterday 3

The Conversation

John Sellars

The dawn of the age of the exoskeleton

The dawn of the age of the exoskeleton

Powered robotic devices designed to enhance the wearer’s physical capabilities are being developed for an increasing range of uses.

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Ildar Farkhatdinov

How should England pay for social care? Germany, Norway and Sweden take very different routes

How should England pay for social care? Germany, Norway and Sweden take very different routes

Cost keeps care out of reach for many people in England. Andy Burnham’s National Care Service could learn from how Germany, Norway and Sweden pay...

yesterday 5

The Conversation

Clarissa Giebel

Soheila Sokhanvari’s painstaking miniatures memorialise the stolen lives of Iranian cultural icons

Soheila Sokhanvari’s painstaking miniatures memorialise the stolen lives of Iranian cultural icons

Sokhanvari’s work asks what remains after a life has been pushed out of history – and whether a portrait can resurrect a woman consigned to oblivion.

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Katayoun Shahandeh

Dark kitchens are popping up everywhere, but what are they and why does it matter?

Dark kitchens are popping up everywhere, but what are they and why does it matter?

Delivery-only kitchens make up around 15% of outlets on major apps in England, yet only a quarter of surveyed consumers recognised the term.

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Jordan Beaumont

Celebrity Traitors: research suggests that the likes of Bella Ramsey and James Blunt will find the game tougher than it looks

Celebrity Traitors: research suggests that the likes of Bella Ramsey and James Blunt will find the game tougher than it looks

In the castle, talk is cheap and not to be trusted.

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Tony Syme

If he wants to secure legitimacy for electoral reform, Andy Burnham must stick to these rules

If he wants to secure legitimacy for electoral reform, Andy Burnham must stick to these rules

Involving both the public and all parties in shaping reforms on how they vote will be crucial.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Alan Renwick

Burnham delivered honesty and emotion – but what about the promises? Our experts assess his plans

Burnham delivered honesty and emotion – but what about the promises? Our experts assess his plans

The prime minister wants fixing the crisis in social care to be the defining mission of his premiership.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Catherine Needham

America’s final military withdrawal from Iraq is a major bonus for Iran

America’s final military withdrawal from Iraq is a major bonus for Iran

US troops quitting Iraq leavesTehran a friendly neighbour and trading partner which can act as a pressure valve against international sanctions.

previous day 20

The Conversation

Bamo Nouri

How can the same El Niño cause drought in one part of the world and floods in another?

How can the same El Niño cause drought in one part of the world and floods in another?

The climate science behind 2026’s super El Niño.

previous day 7

The Conversation

Ligin Joseph

Sudden confusion in an older relative? Don’t assume it’s a urine infection

Sudden confusion in an older relative? Don’t assume it’s a urine infection

Sudden confusion needs urgent medical attention. A urinary infection is one possible cause, but a positive urine test may not give the whole picture.

previous day 8

The Conversation

Walid Omara

Wolves did not save Yellowstone – why were we so desperate to believe they did?

Wolves did not save Yellowstone – why were we so desperate to believe they did?

Yellowstone’s reintroduced wolves have become a famous conservation success story, but the reality is far messier.

previous day 5

The Conversation

Rogelio Luque-Lora

AI has made borrowing more expensive – an expert explains how bond markets are changing

AI has made borrowing more expensive – an expert explains how bond markets are changing

Tech is having a big effect on bond markets.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Alex Dryden

Taylor Swift: my database of her 123,553 lyrics reveals hidden patterns

Taylor Swift: my database of her 123,553 lyrics reveals hidden patterns

Her lyrics prove that Swift can be associated with continuity just as much as change.

previous day 5

The Conversation

Naomi Adam

From sausage rolls to full breakfasts, class has shaped the foods that define English identity

From sausage rolls to full breakfasts, class has shaped the foods that define English identity

An exploration of why the English eat the way they do, and what those habits reveal about English society.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Sara Read

US tech leaders are urgently calling for rules on AI – China already has them

US tech leaders are urgently calling for rules on AI – China already has them

China has already implemented many rules governing the use of artificial intelligence.

previous day 6

The Conversation

Madeline Carr

An autumn stargazing forecast: how to make the best of our night sky

An autumn stargazing forecast: how to make the best of our night sky

A look at the night sky forecast to motivate you to dust off your telescope for the darker nights of autumn.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Alix Violet Freckelton

Why do some chimpanzee mothers carry their dead infants for months?

Why do some chimpanzee mothers carry their dead infants for months?

New research looks for patterns in this sad phenomenon.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Thomas A. Püschel

Millions of new skilled workers are needed – vocational GCSEs could help prepare them

Millions of new skilled workers are needed – vocational GCSEs could help prepare them

Preparing for an uncertain future is less about predicting which jobs will survive than developing skills that allow people to adapt as work changes.

previous day 4

The Conversation

Fabian Stephany

Meningitis at university: why students are at higher risk and what to watch for

Meningitis at university: why students are at higher risk and what to watch for

First-year students are around seven times more likely to develop meningococcal disease than peers who do not attend university.

previous day 8

The Conversation

Fran Ludwig

Why Europe wants to boost its Arctic presence

Why Europe wants to boost its Arctic presence

EU leaders are scrambling to increase the bloc’s presence in the Arctic.

previous day 20

The Conversation

Klaus Dodds

How do Denmark and the UK compare when it comes to alcohol and drinking habits?

How do Denmark and the UK compare when it comes to alcohol and drinking habits?

The countries make an interesting comparison because they both have a strong drinking culture, but their problems look slightly different.

previous day 5

The Conversation

Peter Jepsen

Water is precious – this Swedish city separates different waste sources to reuse more of it

Water is precious – this Swedish city separates different waste sources to reuse more of it

In Oceanhamnen, wastewater is collected through three separate pipelines, making the processing and reuse of black and greywater more efficient.

monday 10

The Conversation

Isabell Fritz

Social media bans are an attempt to manage harm – but young people can flourish online

Social media bans are an attempt to manage harm – but young people can flourish online

Young people consistently described online spaces as providing opportunities for self-expression and self-discovery.

monday 10

The Conversation

Chloe S. Gordon

Employment leave for pregnancy loss is a step forward — but support must reflect the diversity of pregnancy endings

Employment leave for pregnancy loss is a step forward — but support must reflect the diversity of pregnancy endings

As of April 2027, the entitlement will be extended to ‘all types of pregnancy loss’ that occur before 24 weeks.

monday 10

The Conversation

Susie Kilshaw

Why the UK’s support for Saudi Arabia also signals a reset of relations with Donald Trump

Why the UK’s support for Saudi Arabia also signals a reset of relations with Donald Trump

It signals a departure from the approach of the Starmer government.

monday 10

The Conversation

Matthew Powell