UCL in the media
Greater Manchester needs more devolved powers says study
Professor Mariana Mazzucato (UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose) was part of a review panel that concluded Greater Manchester needs more freedom from central government if it is to become healthier and wealthier.
‘Time bomb’ warning on mining dam disasters
Dr Stephen Edwards (UCL Earth Sciences) has warned that further dam disasters in Brazil and other parts of the world are “inevitable”, telling the BBC “we are sitting on a time bomb.”
How the brain remembers phantom limbs
Postdoctoral researcher Harriet Dempsey-Jones (UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience) explains how the brain retains detailed information about a missing limb decades after its amputation.
The case for leaving the EU with no deal
As Damien Phillips sets out the reasons why leaving the EU with no deal is preferable to staying in, Professor Ronan McCrea (UCL Laws) explains that “much of the EU operates by consensus” so that “a renegade state can easily paralyse decision-making”.
More qualified teachers of Mandarin Chinese needed in UK schools
With the learning of Chinese taking off in schools globally, Katharine Carruthers (UCL Institute of Education), Director of the Confucius Institute for Schools, writes that an increase in qualified teachers is urgently needed.
Read: The Conversation, More: UCL News, Listen: BBC Radio 5 live ‘Sunday Breakfast’ (from 46 mins 30 secs)
The link between social media use and depression
Professor Yvonne Kelly (UCL Epidemiology & Public Health) talks about her study suggesting lengthy social media use could have a negative effect on teenagers’ mental health.
China's ageing population: a threat to its future?
Professor Therese Hesketh (UCL Institute for Global Health) discusses the implications of China's "grey wave" for the country's young people.
Parents advised to ban phones before bedtime
New guidance issued by the UK’s chief medical officers advises parents to ban screens from the dinner table and at bedtime. The advice is based on a study review carried out by Professor James Thomas (UCL Institute of Education) and other UCL researchers.
Read: BBC News, More: ITV.com, New York Times, Listen: BBC Radio 4 ‘Today’ (from 1 hour 37 mins 2 secs)
Why do people take pictures at crash scenes?
Dr Lasana Harris (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences) gives insight into the psychological reasons people reach for their phones to take pictures of crash and crime scenes, suggesting it’s become “normative behaviour”.
The talking drums of West Africa
Dr Hélène Neveu Kringelbach (UCL African Studies) discusses the significance of the Tama speaking drum in Senegal, explaining that it plays an important role in ceremonies such as Muslim weddings.
Listen: BBC World Service ‘Forum’ (from 4 mins 55 secs)