Frontier research

Dr Hangartner says asylum processes in Europe traditionally assumed applications would be rejected but since 2015 have focused on integration. Image credit - Hans Peter Jost

01 July 2019

Five things you need to know about: the science of refugee integration

In the last few years, the integration of refugees into European societies has become an urgent issue. Since 2015, nearly 4 million people have applied for asylum in the EU and many are now beginning to make new lives here. What does it mean to become integrated into a new society? How can it be achieved? And are current policies helping or hindering? We spoke to Dr Dominik Hangartner from the Immigration Policy Lab at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, about what the evidence tells us about successful integration. Here are five takeaways.

Mongooses, like humans, are among the few mammals that go to war with each another. Image credit - Harry Marshall

environment | frontier research

27 June 2019

Why meerkats and mongooses have a cooperative approach to raising their pups

Raising children can be a tough job, especially when doing it alone, but some animals like meerkats and mongooses work together to raise their young. Studies of these cooperative creatures are revealing how this highly social behaviour evolved and is shedding light on the roots of our own species’ collaborative abilities.

Recording the true production levels of small farms could help farmers access greater support, according to researchers. Image credit - Flickr/Rick Obst, licensed under CC BY 2.0

agriculture | environment | frontier research

12 June 2019

Small farms produce more food than statistics show

Small farms sometimes get overlooked as a feasible solution for feeding a growing population, but researchers say they should be given greater support, with some producing more food than official statistics report.

It is possible to increase access to basic living standards within the current national levels of energy use in India, Brazil and South Africa, research shows. Image credit - Pixabay/Free-Photos, licensed under pixabay license

energy | frontier research

06 June 2019

Why providing the necessary energy to end poverty need not cost the Earth

Providing access to energy – vital for a decent standard of living and ending poverty – can be done in a way that is sustainable for people surviving on low incomes and for the planet, researchers have found.

Researchers used forensic architectural techniques to calculate the ‘height of burst’ of a white phosphorus projectile in Rafah, Gaza, on 11 January 2009. Image credit - Iyad El Baba/UNICEF

social sciences | frontier research

03 June 2019

The forensic architects piecing together the story of war

Around the world there are 10 wars being fought, according to recent figures. That covers humanity’s most deadly clashes, but the figure rises to 49 if you count those state-based conflicts where ‘only’ 1,000 people or fewer have been killed in the past year. The captain’s share of all this fighting happens in cities.

The way emotions affect eating behaviours as well as dieting style can help predict when an eating disorder in an individual may occur. Image credit - Pixabay/MikesPhotos

health | frontier research

29 May 2019

To treat an eating disorder, we need to know what emotion fuels it

Pinpointing how different emotional states and neural pathways influence our eating behaviours could pave the way for better ways to tackle eating disorders and obesity.

Prof. Wendland believes it is possible to restore the Notre Dame in Paris in an authentic and most respectful way by the 2024 Olympics. Image credit - Prof. David Wendland

interview | frontier research

07 May 2019

Notre Dame: Medieval stonemasons built vaulted ceilings to protect against fires

Medieval stonemasons built soaring vaulted ceilings such as those of the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, France, using techniques that are still not completely understood today.

frontier research | social sciences

24 April 2019

DNA gives insight into prehistoric bonds between dogs and humans

Domestic dogs come in all shapes and sizes, but the animals we now regard as man’s best friend may have originated from just two populations of wolves, research suggests. The findings, along with studies on other domesticated animals, are providing new insights into how our ancestors' lives and movements transformed these creatures forever.

Researchers are testing the therapeutic vaccine on dogs with the hope that trials could progress to humans. Image Credit - Pixabay/No License

health | frontier research

23 April 2019

Danish dogs to receive virus-inspired cancer vaccine treatment

Fifteen Danish dogs with advanced cancer are to receive a new type of therapeutic vaccine which, it is hoped, will rid them of the disease and pave the way for human testing.

Scientists have linked post-operative changes in gut bacteria to improvements in metabolic diseases. Image Credit - Sue Sapp (CC BY 2.0)

health | frontier research

16 April 2019

Can gut microbes and genes do the job of weight loss surgery?

Mice that have undergone weight loss surgery experience a change in the composition of their gut bacteria and the functioning of their genes, leading scientists to explore the possibility of mimicking these changes to develop a non-surgical treatment for obesity and liver disease in humans.