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Social Sciences

The Explorathon Extravaganza brought researchers and the public together for an interactive, fun-filled night in Glasgow's Riverside Museum. Image credit - Explorathon - Researchers' Night Scotland
social sciences
03 October 2017

Super-sour sweets give the next generation a flavour of science

Could you keep a super-sour sweet in your mouth for three minutes without spitting it out? That was the challenge faced by youngsters in Glasgow on 29 September as researchers and the public came together to celebrate science at the Explorathon Extravaganza at the city’s Riverside Museum.

Adam Jan Alexander Ohnesorge discovered his ancestor had been a prisoner of war, which ignited his research. Image credit – European Union, EUCYS 2017
social sciences | science in society
27 September 2017

Chance discovery from war book inspired 2017 EU young scientist award winner

An unlikely connection to a book about First World War prisoners provided the inspiration for a study that won its 20-year-old author top prize in the 2017 European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS).

Dr Matteo Bonfanti says that we cannot rely on repressive measures alone to solve terrorism. Image credit - Dr Matteo Bonfanti
social sciences | interview
06 July 2017

Understanding links between terrorists and organised crime can thwart attacks – Dr Matteo Bonfanti

Investigators should capitalise more on the fact that terrorist cells often work with criminal organisations to achieve their goals, according to Dr Matteo Bonfanti, a senior researcher at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich in Switzerland.

Adolescents born after 1995 may spend as much time socialising with friends on social media as they do face-to-face. Image credit: CC0
health | social sciences
30 June 2017

Social media peer pressure used to help adolescents live healthier lives

By identifying the most influential kids in small social media circles, researchers can create positive peer pressure that persuades young people to live healthier lives.

Low socio-economic status takes 2.1 years off life. Credit: ‘Camden town 2’ by Misterzee is licensed under CC BY 3.0
health | social sciences
24 April 2017

Blood samples give clues to social inequality

More than a decade’s worth of blood samples in Portugal and Ireland are being analysed to look for clues about the health impacts of socio-economic inequalities on children.

Most of the research on migrants entering the EU has focused on men. Image credit – Agelos Kalodoukas
social sciences
13 April 2017

The invisible women of Europe’s migration crisis

The plight of a growing number of female migrants remains undocumented as studies focus primarily on men, despite the fact that women are often more vulnerable, dealing with unwanted pregnancies, sexual assault and associated illness and mental health problems.

Journalists are testing a fake news-detecting program developed by European researchers. Image credit: Pexels
social sciences
31 March 2017

Science vs fake news – the fight is on

Call it fake news, false content, or propaganda, either way we are in a new era of misinformation and it’s influencing elections and fuelling extremism all around the world. Now, researchers are tackling the challenge head on by helping journalists and social media platforms verify video content and understand how 21st-century propaganda works.

Europe has a wealth of historical documents about the Holocaust but they are distributed over many archives in many countries. Image courtesy of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
social sciences
27 January 2017

Holocaust research ‘more important than ever’ – MEP

Research into the Holocaust helps to ensure that the mass extermination of Jewish people by German Nazis during World War II is not just seen as something that belongs to the past, according to Christian Ehler, member of the European Parliament (MEP), who said it can also help to put the genesis of the European Union into context.

The Bristol Pound is an alternative currency designed to support independent businesses in the southwestern UK city. Image credit: ‘Bristolpound’ by Ratoncito Perez is licensed under CC0 1.0
social sciences
24 January 2017

Alternative currencies in rapid growth phase – researchers

In the province of Limburg, in northeastern Belgium, residents earn points by helping out in the community which they can spend on cinema tickets or trips to the local swimming pool.

Air quality in Paris reached such dangerous levels in December 2016 that the government made public transport free in a last ditch effort to get cars off the road. Image credit: Damián Bakarcic/Flickr
environment | social sciences
12 January 2017

Reducing air pollution begins at home, say scientists

Technology alone is not enough to reduce air pollution in Europe, we all have to change our habits and behaviour if we are to improve air quality and reduce health problems, say scientists who are looking at how to encourage people to act.

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