Slop, vibe coding and glazing: AI dominates 2025’s words of the year
Gail Flanagan, University of Limerick For us linguists, the flurry of “word of the year” announcements from dictionaries and publishers is a holiday tradition as anticipated as mince pies. The…
Humans aren’t the only animals that gather to hunker down together at Christmas
Anna Champneys, Nottingham Trent University Just as humans have historically gathered during winter, many animals do the same. Animals may not be exchanging presents or decorating their nests and dens…
China and Mongolia are battling to control massive dust storms
Thomas White, King’s College London; Andreas Baas, King’s College London, and Han Cheng, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science Dust storms regularly affect northern China, including its capital…
Which countries people are fleeing from – and why
Sanwal Hussain, Aston University The US government halted all applications for green cards, citizenship and asylum from 19 mostly African and Middle Eastern countries on December 2. This move came…
How open-water swimming can transform midlife wellbeing – new research
Across the UK, a quiet shift in midlife exercise is underway. A decade ago, the cultural image of midlife fitness was the Lycra-clad cyclist speeding along suburban roads. Now, a…
From record warming to rusting rivers, 2025 Arctic Report Card shows a region transforming faster than expected
Matthew L. Druckenmiller, University of Colorado Boulder; Rick Thoman, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Twila A. Moon, University of Colorado Boulder The Arctic is transforming faster and with more far-reaching…
Patients blocking A&E with minor ailments? Here’s what’s probably going on
Robin Bailey, University of Cambridge Picture a busy A&E department on a winter evening. Among the emergencies – heart attacks, broken bones, severe injuries – sits someone with a sore…
What makes people welcome or reject refugees? What research in Germany reveals
Tobias Hillenbrand, United Nations University Across the EU, immigration is one of the most divisive topics in politics today. Germany, a country once known for its “Willkommenskultur” (welcome culture), is…
As flu cases spike, is it time to start wearing masks again?
Paul Hunter, University of East Anglia With flu season arriving early and NHS leaders encouraging people with symptoms to wear masks in public, a question arises: do masks actually work…
Social media, not gaming, tied to rising attention problems in teens, new study finds
Torkel Klingberg, Karolinska Institutet and Samson Nivins, Karolinska Institutet The digital revolution has become a vast, unplanned experiment – and children are its most exposed participants. As ADHD diagnoses rise…