menu_open Columnists

The Conversation

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

If you think your toddler’s often ill, you’re right – what going to nursery means for catching colds and building immunity

If you think your toddler’s often ill, you’re right – what going to nursery means for catching colds and building immunity

Having an under five in your household increases your risk as an adult of having diarrhoea and vomiting.

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Lucy Van Dorp

Taking Churchill off the banknote isn’t ‘erasing history’ – but it is a matter of identity

Taking Churchill off the banknote isn’t ‘erasing history’ – but it is a matter of identity

Proposed changes to UK banknotes reveal the power of cultural memory on national identity.

yesterday 6

The Conversation

David lewis thomas

Masked T‑cell engagers: cancer immunotherapies for the future?

Masked T‑cell engagers: cancer immunotherapies for the future?

This new type of immunotherapy shows promise for treating different cancers including prostate cancer, leukaemia and lung cancer.

yesterday 7

The Conversation

Sheena Cruickshank

Your toddler is likely to get 12 or more illnesses in their first year at nursery – but they’ll build immunity, too

Your toddler is likely to get 12 or more illnesses in their first year at nursery – but they’ll build immunity, too

Having an under five in your household increases your risk as an adult of having diarrhoea and vomiting.

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Lucy Van Dorp

Human vision: what we actually see – and don’t see – tells us a lot about consciousness

Human vision: what we actually see – and don’t see – tells us a lot about consciousness

The information your eyes takes in is only half the story.

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Henry Taylor

The UK’s high electricity prices are here to stay. But could they offer an opportunity?

The UK’s high electricity prices are here to stay. But could they offer an opportunity?

The next big innovations will centre on energy efficiency.

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Renaud Foucart

How moss could help roads cope with heavy rain and reduce air pollution

How moss could help roads cope with heavy rain and reduce air pollution

Moss can absorb pollution caused by traffic and grow in thin soil.

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Pedram vousoughi

A concerto played with trash: Barbican offers a masterclass in thought‑provoking classical programming

A concerto played with trash: Barbican offers a masterclass in thought‑provoking classical programming

Musicians played an enormous plastic bottle marimba, a wall of tuned glass bottles, discarded flower pots, cooking pans and a washing machine drum.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Jennifer fuller

Can Wales’ wellbeing law survive the pressures of the next Senedd election?

Can Wales’ wellbeing law survive the pressures of the next Senedd election?

With the 2026 Senedd election nearing, Wales must decide whether to defend its pioneering Well-being Act or let it be overshadowed by short-term...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Lowri sian wilkie

The Other Bennet Sister: this fresh take on Pride and Prejudice transforms the overlooked Mary

The Other Bennet Sister: this fresh take on Pride and Prejudice transforms the overlooked Mary

This new BBC drama is an enjoyable retelling of Austen’s most popular novel from the perspective of one of its least regarded characters.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Andrew Mcinnes

British children are getting taller – and obesity may be the cause

British children are getting taller – and obesity may be the cause

UK children are getting taller. The reason why reveals a troubling story about obesity, inequality and poverty.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Andrew Moscrop

Saturday Night Live has thrived in the US for 50 years – but a British SNL faces an uphill battle

Saturday Night Live has thrived in the US for 50 years – but a British SNL faces an uphill battle

SNL’s British adaptation faces a cultural problem, not a format problem.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

William garbett

Cacti may help explain a centuries‑old mystery of evolution

Cacti may help explain a centuries‑old mystery of evolution

Deserts seem unforgiving. However, the fragile flowers of cacti are evolving quickly.

yesterday 5

The Conversation

Jamie Thompson

Kent’s meningitis outbreak was years in the making – here’s why

Kent’s meningitis outbreak was years in the making – here’s why

A vaccine has existed since 2013. The UK was first to adopt it. But a decade of students never received it – and are now paying the price.

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Philip broadbent

Extreme heat may keep millions from exercising, linked to 500,000 early deaths yearly

Extreme heat may keep millions from exercising, linked to 500,000 early deaths yearly

Rising heat is making everyday exercise harder, with modelling studies suggesting long-term impacts on activity levels and population health.

yesterday 7

The Conversation

Vikram Niranjan

What is ‘eye stroke’ and why has it been linked to weight loss injections?

What is ‘eye stroke’ and why has it been linked to weight loss injections?

A major study links Wegovy to a rare form of sudden vision loss, and finds men may face three times the risk of women.

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Barbara Pierscionek

Trump and Netanyahu may have jointly started the war in Iran, but ending it together will be difficult

Trump and Netanyahu may have jointly started the war in Iran, but ending it together will be difficult

Reports are circulating of rifts between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Iran.

yesterday 6

The Conversation

John Strawson

Who were the ‘peasants’ of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt? New database has answers

Who were the ‘peasants’ of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt? New database has answers

Our research has built pictures of people involved in the events of 1381.

yesterday 5

The Conversation

Adrian R. Bell

Beavers can turn streams into carbon stores – we measured how much

Beavers can turn streams into carbon stores – we measured how much

As beavers reshape rivers, wetlands become a natural storage system for carbon.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Joshua Larsen

What you need to know about Mexico’s drug cartels amid escalating violence

What you need to know about Mexico’s drug cartels amid escalating violence

Mexico’s cartel landscape has expanded significantly since 2006, fuelled by arms smuggling and drug consumption north of the border.

previous day 4

The Conversation

Raul Zepeda Gil

Moulin Rouge! turns 25: how Baz Luhrmann reinvented the movie musical

Moulin Rouge! turns 25: how Baz Luhrmann reinvented the movie musical

The average shot length in Moulin Rouge! is under two seconds. While acceptable for an action movie, nothing like this had ever been done in a...

previous day 7

The Conversation

Richard rushton

Lupita Nyong'o revealed she has fibroids – here’s what you need to know about them

Lupita Nyong'o revealed she has fibroids – here’s what you need to know about them

Around 70-80% of women will develop at least one fibroid by the time they’re 50.

previous day 6

The Conversation

Nicola Tempest

Why some people still believe that aliens shaped ancient civilisations

Why some people still believe that aliens shaped ancient civilisations

Debunking alien claims matters, but so does telling richer, more compelling stories about how humans shaped their own past.

previous day 8

The Conversation

Stephan Blum

‘Sleep divorce’: could separate beds improve your health?

‘Sleep divorce’: could separate beds improve your health?

Sleeping together can synchronise heart rates and boost intimacy. But if a partner disrupts your sleep, separate beds may protect both health and...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Laura Boubert

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán reignites his hostility towards Ukraine as he prepares for April elections

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán reignites his hostility towards Ukraine as he prepares for April elections

Viktor Orbán has renewed his hostile approach to Ukraine with elections fast approaching.

previous day 9

The Conversation

Marc Roscoe Loustau

Horror won big at the 2026 Oscars – it’s time the genre was taken seriously

Horror won big at the 2026 Oscars – it’s time the genre was taken seriously

Four of the big winners at this year’s Oscars were horror films – is the genre finally getting some respect from the industry?

previous day 8

The Conversation

Frazer lee

Why arthritis in children can threaten eyesight

Why arthritis in children can threaten eyesight

Up to 30% of children with juvenile arthritis develop uveitis, an eye inflammation that can damage vision. New research highlights immune cells as...

previous day 8

The Conversation

Elizabeth Rosser

Could Ozempic help people whose cancer has spread to the brain?

Could Ozempic help people whose cancer has spread to the brain?

Weight-loss injections like Ozempic may help cancer patients with brain tumours live longer. But experts urge caution before drawing firm conclusions.

previous day 9

The Conversation

Justin Stebbing

Would more North Sea drilling lower UK energy bills? Our analysis says no

Would more North Sea drilling lower UK energy bills? Our analysis says no

Maximising North Sea production would reduce bills by just £16 to £82 per year, say researchers.

previous day 9

The Conversation

Cassandra Etter-Wenzel

Formula 1: new sustainability rules are changing the way races are won

Formula 1: new sustainability rules are changing the way races are won

More overtaking may not mean better racing.

previous day 8

The Conversation

Paolo Aversa

Why universities still struggle to make degrees accessible for disabled students

Why universities still struggle to make degrees accessible for disabled students

Awareness of disability in higher education has improved. Disabled students’ access still depends on how reliably universities deliver support day...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Holly louise parrott

How did the courts backlog get so bad?

How did the courts backlog get so bad?

By autumn 2025 the Crown Court backlog had reached nearly 80,000 outstanding cases.

previous day 7

The Conversation

Daniel Alge

The graduate jobs market is tough right now. An entrepreneurship expert explains how to go it alone

The graduate jobs market is tough right now. An entrepreneurship expert explains how to go it alone

Resilient and not afraid to learn from your mistakes? Your passion could be the next big start-up.

previous day 3

The Conversation

Spinder dhaliwal

Pets & their People explores the long, strange history of human‑animal companionship

Pets & their People explores the long, strange history of human‑animal companionship

What pets are and what they mean is still a puzzle, as this exhibition explores.

previous day 3

The Conversation

Philip Howell

Why developing nations could be the first to suffer as the Middle East conflict raises food prices

Why developing nations could be the first to suffer as the Middle East conflict raises food prices

Energy price spikes will force up the cost of grain imports.

previous day 7

The Conversation

Lotanna Emediegwu

How a new plan for protein could transform the UK’s national security

How a new plan for protein could transform the UK’s national security

Emerging technologies such as lab-based meat could produce the same quality and quantity of protein on hundreds of times less land.

previous day 5

The Conversation

Chris macdonald

Iran war shows how AI speeds up military ‘kill chains’

Iran war shows how AI speeds up military ‘kill chains’

The speed and scale of war are being enhanced by AI systems – but they also bring new risks for civilians and military combatants.

previous day 3

The Conversation

Craig Jones

What the 2026 Oscars revealed about the current political mood in Hollywood

What the 2026 Oscars revealed about the current political mood in Hollywood

Host Conan O’Brien kept the political references to harmless jokes.

monday 10

The Conversation

Luis freijo

Formula 1’s 2026 rules: new sustainability rules are changing the way races are won

Formula 1’s 2026 rules: new sustainability rules are changing the way races are won

More overtaking may not mean better racing.

monday 10

The Conversation

Paolo Aversa

Kent meningitis outbreak: what students need to know

Kent meningitis outbreak: what students need to know

If you notice a friend exhibiting any concerning signs – especially rapid worsening over hours – take them seriously.

monday 7

The Conversation

Manal Mohammed

The shot that could stop cancer before it begins – and why getting it early matters

The shot that could stop cancer before it begins – and why getting it early matters

A long-term study following girls and young women for nearly two decades shows the HPV vaccine provides strong and lasting protection against cervical...

monday 6

The Conversation

Jiayao lei

Can animals sense earthquakes?

Can animals sense earthquakes?

Scientists are studying the phenomenon of animals behaving strangely before earthquakes.

monday 5

The Conversation

Rachel grant

Why harmful content keeps reaching children online – and what advertising has to do with it

Why harmful content keeps reaching children online – and what advertising has to do with it

Most online platforms appear free to use, but they are largely funded through advertising.

monday 4

The Conversation

Karen Middleton

From the strait of Hormuz to Malacca, global trade relies almost entirely on these five narrow waterways

From the strait of Hormuz to Malacca, global trade relies almost entirely on these five narrow waterways

The vital strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to shipping since the start of the conflict in Iran.

monday 6

The Conversation

Gokcay Balci

Saint Patrick’s Day and the mystery of the second Patrick

Saint Patrick’s Day and the mystery of the second Patrick

According to one tradition, both men knew one another closely and were each involved in promulgating Christianity in Ireland.

monday 4

The Conversation

Chris doyle

Eight tips for introverts who want to get ahead at work

Eight tips for introverts who want to get ahead at work

Quiet people can network as well as extroverts – if they know how.

monday 3

The Conversation

Maura mcadam

How big data is transforming what we know about the universe

How big data is transforming what we know about the universe

AI could help astronomers crunch the vast amounts of data produced by a new observatory.

monday 4

The Conversation

Muiris maccarthaigh

Two people have died from bacterial meningitis in the UK. An expert answers your questions

Two people have died from bacterial meningitis in the UK. An expert answers your questions

Two people have died in a bacterial meningitis outbreak in the south of England. Here’s what you need to know.

monday 10

The Conversation

Rebecca A. Drummond

Could paraxanthine replace caffeine? What we know about the new stimulant appearing in coffee and energy drinks

Could paraxanthine replace caffeine? What we know about the new stimulant appearing in coffee and energy drinks

A compound your body makes after drinking caffeine is now appearing in drinks. But scientists are still studying how safe and effective it really is.

monday 7

The Conversation

Mayur Ranchordas

Marathon training: why hot baths might help you run faster

Marathon training: why hot baths might help you run faster

Researchers found taking regular hot baths increased runners’ aerobic fitness without requiring additional mileage or harder workouts.

monday 6

The Conversation

Mike stembridge