Understanding the specifics of the discomfort index
The level of discomfort a person feels in varying levels of heat and humidity is known as the ‘discomfort index’. Increasing global temperatures are contributing to stress, job losses, and an alarming rise in gender-based violence. A meteorological term used in line with weather forecasting, the 'discomfort index', is a...
Current in Change
Scientists turn dead flies into biodegradable plastic
According to new research, the hard shells of insects – an abundant resource that otherwise goes to waste – can be used to engineer a type of eco-friendly material which is circular and doesn’t persist in the environment. Plastic pollution is a huge problem. With 30 million metric tonnes of the stuff being...
Dorset barge set to house asylum-seekers divides the public
The UK’s plan to house asylum seekers on a barge in Dorset has sparked a debate about the human rights of migrants. While the government has proposed it as a positive and temporary solution, others believe it could leave those housed there worse off. The UK’s plan to use a...
Australian government to invest $200m into women’s sports
Following the Matildas’ World Cup performance, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled a new funding package to improve facilities and equipment country-wide. This weekend, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a 200 million AUD (just over 100 million GBP) boost for women’s sports following the Matildas’ history-making run at...
Climate change impacts reportedly making cholera outbreaks worse
The bacteria behind one of history’s deadliest diseases is thriving again due, in-part, to the increased frequency of extreme weather. Outbreaks in 2022 were reportedly up 50% on yearly averages. Last year, some 200,000 Malawians were displaced by two tropical storms in a single month and around 60 people died....
Why we should all be reading more books
Scientists are constantly investigating the impact that reading has on the human brain. As it turns out, brain activity widely varies when you compare reading to watching television. After a long day at work, tucking into a book – no matter how good – is likely the last thing...
Refactory tackles the complicated issue of cosmetic packaging
A UK-based firm is focusing on giving a second life to the most difficult-to-recycle items we throw away every day. Packaging used for health and beauty products are extremely difficult to recycle, mainly because they are comprised of various different materials. This is a problem, considering we throw away around 100 billion of these items each year, but the companies who produce them are also guilty of discarding entire pallets...
France will start paying citizens to repair their clothing
In a bid to reduce national textile waste, citizens in France will receive cashback payments in return for mending their clothes rather than throwing them out. If evidence of a heavily polluted planet isn’t enough to stop people from throwing away their clothing at the first visible sign of wear, maybe paying them in cold hard cash will? That’s what the French government had in mind when building a strategy to...
Scientists are scrambling to save Florida’s dying coral reefs
The waters off the coast of Florida have hit ‘hot tub levels’ of warmth. This has caused bleaching to occur on natural coral reefs and has completely obliterated those planted by reef restoration organisations. What happens next? It’s virtually impossible to ignore news about heat waves engulfing our planet right now. Although people have been coming up with creative ways to stay cool in unrelenting temperatures, a dip in the ocean...
MIT engineers develop new energy-storing concrete
Engineers at MIT have developed a potentially revolutionary type of concrete able to store energy. Here’s how this could become an affordable boon for the inevitable renewable revolution. Imagine a future where the solar panels on our roofs generate energy which is then stored in the walls and foundations of our homes. It may sound far-fetched, but this is an increasingly realistic prospect thanks to a recent breakthrough at MIT....
