Ireland’s electricity grid struggles with increased supply from renewables
Cumbersome planning systems greatly delay grid developments
Do humour and laughter benefit your health?
There is evidence that mood can boost the immune system – watching funny films, for example, strengthens immunity and reduces allergic reactions
Scientific consensus is not a fruitful concept
The notion of consensus is poorly suited to scientific practice, where conclusions must remain revisable in light of new evidence
The forgotten heroine behind the double helix
Rosalind Franklin’s contribution to discovering the structure of life’s genetic material rarely receives more mention than a footnote
Europa is our best bet of finding other life in our solar system
Nasa’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will loop around Jupiter on a course that will carry it by Europa 49 times over four years
What’s the weather like on the sun?
In a billion years’ time the sun will become hot enough to boil our oceans
Forming useful habits not as easy as widely believed
We are creatures of habit for a reason. The automatic nature of habits helps people meet their daily life needs more effortlessly
Declining US vaccine rates may come back to bite
Return of canine rabies a strong possibility as many Americans grow increasingly suspicious of vaccines, even for dogs
Misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories are not exclusive to the political right
From GM foods to nuclear power, there is no shortage of incorrect and harmful messaging on the left side of the spectrum
Sobering consequences of rapidly declining birth rates
World sleepwalking towards social upheaval sparked by extended period of falling births, unless urgent action taken
The huge and menacing threat of bioterrorism
It remains the case that it is not illegal to ship DNA fragments that could be strung together to recreate an entire virus
Water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay remains an important public-health strategy
Water fluoridation was introduced in the mid-20th century and is now a cornerstone of public-health policy in many countries, including Ireland
How biochemistry and molecular biology gave the world insulin
Genetic engineering deployed to insert gene for human insulin into a bacterium, thus harnessing the substance for widespread use
Diversity, equality and inclusion programmes are inappropriate in university culture
New gender equity approach sacrifices equality of opportunity and primacy of scientific excellence, traditional cornerstone criteria for awarding grants
Why have women won so few Nobel Prizes?
Across the first half of the 20th century few women went on to third-level education and, of these, fewer took science degrees