Education

Innovative ideas spring from many sources, research finds. Yuichiro Chino/Moment via Getty Images Robert Root-Bernstein, Michigan State University and Michele Root-Bernstein, Michigan State University Experts often recommend that people specialize in one field of work or research to maximize their chances of success. Yet our recently published research indicates that successful innovators take a broader path. We looked at the …

Dragon Images/Shutterstock Paul Hopkins, University of Hull Homework: a word that can cause despair not just in children, but also in parents and even teachers. And for primary school children at least, it may be that schools setting homework is more trouble than it’s worth. There is evidence that homework can be useful at secondary school. It can be used …

Obra colaborativa resultado del proyecto en Makerslab con metodología STEAM en la Universidad del País Vasco. Author provided Arantzazu López de la Serna, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea; Asier Romero Andonegi, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea; Javier Portillo Berasaluce, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, and Xabier Basogain Olabe, Universidad del País …

MingzhePhoton/Shutterstock Brianna Smart, University of Hertfordshire How likely is it that there are other Earths or that the multiverse exists? – Tasneem, aged 16, Indore, India In fiction and in films such as Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse, parallel universes – also called the multiverse – exist alongside our own, with anything from small differences in events to entirely different rules …

Africa Studio/Shutterstock Eva Lloyd, University of East London et Antonia Simon, UCL High-quality early education and childcare can have a positive impact on children’s wellbeing and life chances. The ability to combine work and care can benefit the whole family. But, for many parents, childcare costs are a significant drain on household income, and COVID-19 made childcare problems for families …

Rido/Shutterstock Kyungmee Lee, Lancaster University COVID-19 restrictions required universities to move their classes online. It was a tremendous – although difficult – learning experience for all involved in this shift. As restrictions have been lifted, universities are moving back to in-person teaching. With campuses getting busy again, it may look like nothing has changed. Universities would be wise, though, to …

Inside Creative House/Shutterstock Katy Dineen, University College Cork and Maria Moulin-Stożek It’s now over a year since 33-year-old Sarah Everard was kidnapped while she walked home and killed by a police officer in London. Since then, we’ve also seen the case of Sabina Nessa, a primary school teacher also from London, was also killed by a stranger while walking to …

A fragment of mosaic showing February from the Sousse mosaic calendar. © Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons Helen Parish, University of Reading Why does February has the least number of days? Why does it not have 30 or 31 days like the rest of the eleven months? – Simi, aged 15, Mauritius The reason February is shorter than other months …

Africa Studio/Shutterstock Eva Lloyd, University of East London and Antonia Simon, UCL High-quality early education and childcare can have a positive impact on children’s wellbeing and life chances. The ability to combine work and care can benefit the whole family. But, for many parents, childcare costs are a significant drain on household income, and COVID-19 made childcare problems for families …

Africa Studio/Shutterstock Eva Lloyd, University of East London and Antonia Simon, UCL High-quality early education and childcare can have a positive impact on children’s wellbeing and life chances. The ability to combine work and care can benefit the whole family. But, for many parents, childcare costs are a significant drain on household income, and COVID-19 made childcare problems for families …