Thought Leadership
How your culture informs the emotions you feel when listening to music
Dr George Athanasopoulos and Dr Imre Lahdelma, from our Department of Music, discover how the emotional perception of music may be influenced by the listeners’ cultural background, and examine whether there are any universal aspects to emotions conveyed by music.
The University of the Arctic (UArctic) has appointed Professor Philip Steinberg UArctic Chair in Political Geography
Professor Steinberg discusses Durham’s role as an Arctic research hub, some of Durham’s ongoing Arctic research initiatives, and the significance of the UArctic network.
First English sighting of ‘ball lightning’: a 12th century monk’s chronicle reveals all
Professor Brian Tanner, Emeritus Professor in our Department of Physics, and Professor Giles Gasper, in our Department of History, discover what appears to be the earliest known account of a rare weather phenomenon called ball lightning in England.
Renewable energy: US tax credits for wind and solar mostly benefit big banks
Dr Sarah Knuth, from our Department of Geography, examines the US government’s main monetary incentive for renewable energy and finds that it isn’t working how it should be.
How can we stay safe from Covid-19?
In response to the UK Government's easing of Covid-19 restrictions, Professor Claire Horwell, Professor of Geohealth in our Department of Earth Sciences and Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience, explores how best to stay safe.
Women in sport: misogyny among male fans is rife but progressive masculinities are on the rise
Dr Stacey Pope, from our Department of Sport and Exercise, considers men's attitudes towards women's football, and sport in general, as a new study reveals backlash against increased visibility.
Ministers know which masks provide the best Covid protection – why not tell the UK public?
Professor Claire Horwell, Professor of Geohealth in our Department of Earth Sciences and Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience, argues that now that we better understand how the virus spreads, increasing the use of FFP2 and FFP3 masks should be a priority.
The Lost Daughter: portraying the darker sides of motherhood on the page and the screen
Dr Katrin Wehling-Giorgi, from our School of Modern Languages and Cultures, explores aspects of motherhood portrayed in a recent adaptation of Elena Ferrante's The Lost Daughter.
Five takeaways from the UK government’s proposal to replace the Human Rights Act
Professor Helen Fenwick, from Durham Law School, calls attention to elements of the Human Rights Act that the UK government may change now that they have opened a consultation on a new bill of rights to replace it.
US prep schools held student exchanges with elite Nazi academies
Dr Helen Roche, Associate Professor in Modern European Cultural History in our Department of History, looks back on exchange programmes which took place between leading American and Germans schools in the 1930s.
Why Shell pulled out of the Cambo oilfield
Professor Gavin Bridge and Dr Tiago Alves-Teixeira, from our Department of Geography, and Dr Gisa Weszkalnys,
Associate Professor of Anthropology at London School of Economics and Political Science, consider why Shell walked away from Cambo, a proposed oilfield off the Shetland Islands.
Is Facebook's 'metaverse' a version of Robert Nozick's experience machine?
Dr Peter West, from our Department of Philosophy, considers the risks of Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse.