Speaking dialects trains the brain as well as bilingualism does

May 23, 2016 16:45 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

There has been a lot of research to back up the idea that people who use two or more languages everyday experience significant advantages. The brain-training involved in having to use a different language depending on the...

Beastie Boy John Barry died of frontal lobe dementia – but what is it?

May 23, 2016 16:41 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

John Barry, a founder member of the Beastie Boys, has died of dementia at the age of 52. Barrys father told Rolling Stone magazine that his son died from frontal lobe dementia, a rare form of dementia more properly...

Jamie Oliver's big chance to persuade the world to take action against obesity

May 23, 2016 16:38 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Dear Jamie Oliver, You want to put pressure on world leaders to take action against obesity and undernourishment the world over. And you are absolutely right to highlight these problems to David Cameron ahead of your...

Decolonising universities isn't an easy process -- but it has to happen

May 23, 2016 16:35 pm UTC| Insights & Views

South African universities have become protest sites. Beginning in 2015 and continuing this year, students have organised against colonial symbols, fee structures, worker exploitation and sexual violence. The anger...

Mystery in northern Scotland that is baffling multiple sclerosis experts

May 23, 2016 16:30 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

The north of Scotland has long been an important part of our quest to understand what causes multiple sclerosis (MS). Though we have known about the regions high rate of the disease for some time, it moved centre stage...

Solar storms could solve longstanding paradox of how life on Earth arose

May 23, 2016 16:27 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

It was only a matter of 700m years or so after Earth formed and its surface cooled and solidified that life began to flourish on Earth. All studies suggest that life requires water and we know from rocks on Earth that the...

Colombians displaced by conflict are moving home, but still living in fear

May 23, 2016 16:20 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Colombia is finally close to signing a peace accord to formally end to its decades-long armed conflict, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of its citizens, led to the disappearance and kidnapping of tens...