36 h. ago British rebellion against Roman legions caused by drought, research finds

The pivotal ‘barbarian conspiracy’ of AD367 saw Picts, Scotti and Saxons inflicting crushing blows on Roman defencesA series of exceptionally dry summers that caused famine and social breakdown were behind one of the most severe threats to Roman rule of Britain, according to new academic research.The rebellion, known as the “barbarian conspiracy”, was a pivotal moment in Roman Britain. Picts, Scotti and Saxons took advantage of Britain’s descent into anarchy to inflict crushing blows on weakened Roman defences in the spring and summer of AD367. Continue reading...

Politics

41 h. ago Alien planet may be 'teeming with life' as exact date we will know if ETs exist revealed

Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, from the University of Cambridge, has said we have "the strongest evidence yet" that there could be alien life existing on another planet

Science

42 h. ago ‘Strongest evidence yet’ of alien life beyond our planet uncovered by British researchers

The finding inches the human race closer to proving we are not alone in the universe

Science

43 h. ago Have aliens been discovered and which planets are contenders for life?

‘Strongest evidence yet’ of alien life beyond Earth

Politics

45 h. ago ‘Strongest evidence yet’ found of alien life beyond our planet

A team from the University of Cambridge made the discovery on exoplanet K2-18b, which is 124 light years away from Earth.

Politics

47 h. ago Scientists find ‘strongest evidence yet’ of alien life on distant planet

The tantalizing hints of a far planet ‘teeming’ with extraterrestrial life is some 120 light-years away from Earth, researchers say

Science

4 d. ago Good news at last: just a little exercise can reduce the risk of dementia | Devi Sridhar

A recent study shows the benefit of being a middle-aged ‘weekend warrior’ who only exercises once or twice a weekIn these bleak times, glimmers of hope often seem to come out of the pages of scientific research. Take what we know about exercise. Just in the past few months, we’ve learned that moderate exercise may almost halve the risk of postpartum depression for new mothers, and that even five minutes of exercise a day could help lower blood pressure.But what really caught my eye recently was a study from Latin America that included roughly 10,000 people who were assessed over two decades using the Mexico City prospective study. The research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, examined cognitive function with the aim of understanding the impact of exercise on mental ability, including mild dementia. The researchers took account of confounding variables such as age, diet, smoking and alcohol intake, nightly sleep and educational attainment, which have all been sho...

Events

5 d. ago Trafficking victims rejecting UK government support because they fear being deported

Nearly 6,000 victims of modern slavery chose not to be referred for help last year, new data showsThousands of trafficking victims have rejected the government’s support, many due to fear of the authorities or of being deported, lawyers have said.Nearly 6,000 trafficking victims rejected support from the government’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for victims of modern slavery last year, according to data based on research from the British Institute for International and Comparative Law and the Human Trafficking Foundation at the University of Oxford. Researchers found a range of reasons for this among respondents, including fear of traffickers, receiving support elsewhere, wanting to put things of being trafficked behind them and being reluctant to engage with UK authorities. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Adding salt to food can increase risk of depression and anxiety by more than 40 per cent, study finds

Research based on data from nearly half a million British adults found those who regularly added salt were nearly 40 per cent more likely to develop the conditions than those who never or rarely did.

Events

6 d. ago Bonkers for Britishisms: the UK terms Americans have embraced

Researchers have catalogued the British words and phrases most used in US conversation, sparking delight and frustrationThe Americani(s)zation of British English is often described as a linguistic disaster – frustrations over imported words or usages, from “awesome” to “ATM”, are well documented.But in recent years, there’s been growing interest in the opposite phenomenon: Britishisms that have made their way into American English. These days, it’s not uncommon to hear Americans describing a single event as a “one-off” or noting that a perfect assessment is “spot-on”.Amongst (rather than “among”), whose use has nearly quadrupled in the US over the past four decadesQueue, whose frequent use on tech platforms such as Netflix has given its British meaning – what Americans would generally call a “line” – new life in the USWonky, meaning a bit offCheeky, meaning a bit naughty or indulgent, as frequently used by Mike Myers (a Canadian with English parents) on Saturday Night Live in the 19...

Politics

9 d. ago We are witnessing the destruction of science in America | Paul Darren Bieniasz

If we stay on this administration’s course, future life-saving medicines may never be inventedLike many scientists, I came to the US as a young adult, driven by idealism and ambition. I arrived with all my belongings contained in two suitcases, and just enough cash to cover the first month’s rent on a small apartment. But I also had something of greater value: an offer to work and train in one of America’s top biomedical research laboratories, a chance to participate in the revolution that is modern biological science.In the years that followed, I became an American scientist and raised an American family. Now, I lead a laboratory in one of the US’s great universities. I am a member of America’s National Academy of Sciences. From a scientist’s perspective, I have lived the American dream.Paul Darren Bieniasz is a British-American virologist whose main area of research is HIV/Aids. He is currently a professor of retrovirology at the Rockefeller University Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago No worries if not? Why Brits need to start saying what they actually mean

New research shows that British people are having conversations littered with ‘polite-isms’ to conceal the fact that they’re seething. Hannah Ewens thinks this could be solved by everyone having more arguments and confrontations

Politics

2 w. ago City where Brits are most likely to be pickpocketed on holiday is named

New research has revealed the top European country where British tourists are most likely to have their valuables pickpocketed and it's not Spain - but another popular holiday destination

Politics

2 w. ago Scottish smaller businesses twice as likely to face barriers to finance as devolved nations peers

Smaller businesses in Scotland are the most likely to say they struggle to access finance among the UK’s devolved nations, according to new research from the British Business Bank in conjunction with Business Gateway.

Economics