UCL in the media
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)
Were Neanderthals the first humans to make a house a home?
There has long been an assumption that the concept of home is as old as humanity. But Dr Matthew Pope (UCL Institute of Archaeology) thinks the invention of “home” marked a critical threshold in the journey towards civilisation.
Is there a link between risk taking and popularity in teenagers?
Dr Gabriele Chierchia (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences) comments on a recent study into why risky behaviour spreads between teenagers, saying that whilst the idea of “risk contagion” has passive connotations, there may in fact be “active effort” involved.
Are most people unconsciously racist?
Professor Lasana Harris (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences) discusses unconscious racism and what makes a person “a racist”.
Listen: BBC Radio 5 Live ‘Drive’ (from 2 hours 7 mins 48 secs), Read: Yahoo! News, MSN
Donald Trump’s State of the Union address
Professor Kathleen Burk (UCL History) analyses Donald Trump’s speech, concluding that it was not the “self-destructive spectacle” the Democrats might have been hoping for.
What Lunar New Year reveals about the world’s calendars
With celebrations for Lunar New Year well under way in many parts of the world, Professor Sacha Stern (UCL Hebrew & Jewish Studies) comments on what different calendars say about the history and cultural values of the societies that created them.
Why women live longer than men
Professor David Gems (UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment) explains why mortality soars in men once puberty hits.
Listen: BBC World Service’s ‘CrowdScience’ (from 2 mins 2 secs)
Women’s brains ‘are more youthful’
Dr Michael Bloomfield (UCL Psychiatry) comments on a study suggesting men and women have different rates of change in brain metabolism.