alinabuphoto/Shutterstock Christian van Nieuwerburgh, University of East London The COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world has prompted job losses and business closures, and an increase in stress and anxiety as lockdowns separate people from their friends and families. It’s become clear that we are struggling to maintain our mental health as […]

Paul Haskell-Dowland, Author provided Paul Haskell-Dowland, Edith Cowan University and Brianna O’Shea, Edith Cowan University Passwords have been used for thousands of years as a means of identifying ourselves to others and in more recent times, to computers. It’s a simple concept – a shared piece of information, kept secret […]

The ban on evictions comes to an end this weekend, and new figures from Citizens Advice suggest that concern is building amongst renters about the possibility of losing their home. The number of people seeking help from Citizens Advice about issues to do with private rented properties increased by 43% […]

Fay Bound Alberti, University of York Some UK care homes are to deploy robots in an attempt to allay loneliness and boost mental health. The wheeled machines will “initiate rudimentary conversations, play residents’ favourite music, teach them languages, and offer practical help, including medicine reminders”. They are being introduced after […]

Successive governments have struggled to tackle rising childhood obesity and it is not clear that the Department of Health & Social Care’s (DHSC) current programme will be able to make the step change needed in the timescale available, according to today’s report by the National Audit Office. Governments have been […]

Vergani Fotografia/Shutterstock Nigel Holt, Aberystwyth University There’s a good chance that you when you leave the house today you’ll put on a face mask that obscures your mouth. Such coverings can affect our ability to communicate and provides a particular challenge to those that need to see lips to understand […]

Oliver and Olivia remained the most popular name for boys and girls in England and Wales. Freya and Lily replaced Emily and Ella in the top 10 girls’ names while there were no new entries in the top 10 boys’ names in 2019. Alfred, Chester, Hudson, Ibrahim and Oakley entered […]

Millions of Britons now check their mobile phones at least every five minutes as our phone obsession reaches new heights, but now may not be the best time to change that. Our reliance on our mobile phones is greater than ever before, as we used them to keep in touch […]

‘God, I’m just so bored.’ JeniFoto via Shutterstock Wijnand Van Tilburg, University of Essex We all respond to boredom in different ways. Some may find a new hobby or interest, others may instead rip open a bag of crisps and binge watch a new Netflix show. Boredom may seem to […]

One in 9 people, the equivalent of 6 million people across the UK, have reported falling behind on household bills because of coronavirus according to new research from Citizens Advice. With protections against eviction for renters and the ban on face-to-face bailiff collection both ending this weekend, the charity warns […]