From creepy clowns to the dancing plague – when phobias are contagious

Dec 26, 2016 00:45 am UTC| Life

Most of us have something we say were afraid of, whether it be spiders, needles, or something more unusual like zombies. But when push comes to shove, we get rid of eight-legged beasts, will have that injection, or manage...

Why girls are put off studying computer science

Dec 25, 2016 04:15 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

Despite the phenomenal rise in computing over the last 50 years, the birth of the internet, and our ever increasing reliance on technology, women are still not engaging with computer science at the same rate as...

What the magi had in common with scientists

Dec 25, 2016 04:13 am UTC| Life

Picturesque and exotic, with their crowns and camels, the three kings regularly appear on Christmas cards and in nativity scenes. But how much is original, and how much is later addition for the sake of a good...

What child is this? Miraculous births and divine parents in the time of Jesus

Dec 25, 2016 04:11 am UTC| Life

Many people are familiar with the stories in the New Testament gospels of Luke and Matthew about Jesus conception and birth. But what is less well known is how common such stories are when the lives of great men are told....

In Venezuela, Christmas is a luxury few can afford

Dec 25, 2016 04:09 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

Caracas is not feeling the Christmas spirit. The city is desolate. Gone is the cosmopolitan rhythm that even until a few months ago has always characterised it. The city moves slowly, its stores abandoned, residents more...

Cocktails have transformed from drinks into aphrodisiac experiences

Dec 25, 2016 04:07 am UTC| Life

For the philosopher Bertrand Russell, drinking alcohol was a sign of misery: happy people a category that for the rapacious Russell included sexually satisfied people did not seek escape in booze. Yet for the rest of...

How legal aid cuts are putting extra strain on family courts

Dec 25, 2016 04:05 am UTC| Law Life

It has been over three years since the coalition government introduced drastic cuts to legal aid. During that time, much has been written about the impact of those cuts on members of the public attempting to access justice...