Is Online Gambling Betting on Trouble?
Over the last few years UK gambling turnover has soared from £2 billion to £50 billion between 2001 and 2005, and online gambling is responsible for much of that growth. On the 1st of September 2007 The Gambling Act 2005 comes in to force, among its affects will be allowing online Gambling companies to advertise on television, and despite its commitment to “socially responsible gambling” opinion about its impact is divided, particularly over Internet gambling. While some might see this as a democratisation brought by market forces, others point out that its now much easier for people to play whether or not they can afford to, and it’s the instantaneous “buzz” of these games that make it hard to stop playing. At the University of Birmingham, researchers have been studying online gambling with mixed feelings (more on this story)
England Strip Outstrips the other Strips - in China.
Unlikely but true! - England are the second most popular international football team in China! A new study by Warwick Business School shows that not only is the England team shirt the most popular football shirt across China, England is also by far Chinese football fans’ most favored alternative international team beating Brazil, Argentina and Germany (more on this story)
Digitising Desmond Tutu
2006 marks the 75th birthday of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, one of the world’s greatest humanitarian figures and King’s College London will commemorate this milestone in the life of their alumnus by embarking on the digitisation of his entire archive – using cutting-edge technology to provide worldwide access and insight to the life of an extraordinary individual. (more on this story)
Natural Disasters or Political Failures?
Do natural hazards have to be natural disasters? Researchers at King's College London have been studying natural disasters dating from 1899; in all they have examined 25 major events and their initial findings show that in the wake of natural disasters, radical political changes can occur. (more on this story)
Failed Intelligence Means Failed Security
Research at the UK’s University of Birmingham is focusing on the growing problems of failed security, the damage it can do to communities and the probability that it actually makes the security situation considerably worse. (more on this story)
Sat-Nav: Driving Aid or Driving Distraction?
Many people now swear by their in-car satellite navigation systems, which they find easier to use than regular road maps. However, while most people pull over to map read, many people now try to adjust their Sat-Nav systems while driving despite manufacturers’ recommendations not to do so, creating a real danger of traffic accidents. Now, a research team at Nottingham University is using a purpose-built driving simulator to study how the use of different Sat-Nav systems affects the one’s driving performance. (more on this story)
Travelling Times
For many of us, the daily commute is a way of life. Yet is such a journey “dead time” that needs to be reduced to the minimum, or are there more considerations in the way we choose to use our travel time? Now scientists from the Centre for Transport & Society at the University of the West of England, in Bristol, are conducting a detailed study of “Travel-Time Use in the Information Age” that suggests that the quality of travel time is the commuter's priority. (more on this story)
Earning Power - Like Father, Like Son
Most parents try to give their children a helping hand in life, but researchers at the University of Warwick have discovered a particularly close correlation between the earning power of a father and that of his son. The research includes surveys of the social policies of various countries, with initial findings suggesting that education reforms might be key to creating a level playing field in the future. (more on this story)
Why Do They Do It? - Racial Harassment in North Staffordshire
Few areas have undergone such a dramatic industrial decline as Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding areas in the last thirty years. The closure of the mining, steel and pottery industries has removed a whole way of life from the area, leaving many with a deep sense of loss, confronting an unsettling and uncertain future. Using a unique methodological approach the researchers from Keele University examined the significant problem of racial harassment of ethnic minorities in the region. (more on this story)
International Children's Games Gets Underway
Research-TV presents the second of two video news releases on the International Children’s Games with coverage of the Games from the pool, the football pitch and the athletics track. The VNR also includes interviews with Coventry Council leaders reflecting on the 2012 decision and with participating youngsters whose ambition is to represent their home countries, be it the UK or elsewhere, when the 2012 Olympics comes to London. (more on this story)
Kids Design Hospital for Kids
Some 60 children and their parents have been involved in the design consultation of the new "University Hospital" managed by the University Hospitals Conventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. Findings from the research project, carried out by the University of Birmingham's School of Health Sciences, are being fed back to the hospital planning team in order to cater better to the needs of the hospital's young patients. (more on this story)
International Children's Games Comes to Coventry
The city of Coventry plays host to The International Children's Games and Cultural Festival 2005, the world's largest international multi-sport youth games and a recognised member of the International Olympic Committee. With over 2000 competitors, officials and delegates spanning 50 nations and five continents, the Games will celebrate Coventry's commitment to peace, reconciliation and internationalism. (more on this story)
Within-School Variation - Education's Biggest Challenge
A study has found that academic performances vary four times more within British schools than among them. Through an 18-month research project, the National College for School Leadership has found a number of ways to address the problem of within-school variation. (more on this story)
Global Warming Bonds
Can we stop global warming? Many people believe that despite the Kyoto agreement, we are not moving fast enough to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Andrew Oswald, Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick, has come up with his own radical proposal to create incentives that will make us change our behaviour faster. (more on this story)
Are Two Heads Better Than One?
Teaching is a stressful profession and it is particularly stressful if you are the person at the top management level. The responsibilities of a Head Teacher in a modern urban school can make it one of the loneliest occupations. When your staff and pupils look to the head teacher for leadership, where do they go for support and encouragement? (more on this story)
Ho! Ho! Ho! - It's a Tweenage Rampage!
It is Christmas time yet again and thoughts turn inevitably to presents and gift-giving. Children make up their Christmas lists and manufacturers look forward to a seasonal windfall but Santa's elves may need to swap their toy-making skills for degrees in advanced computer science or haute couture in order to satisfy these customers. (more on this story)
Athletes' Monitoring System goes to Athens
Engineers at the UK's University of Birmingham, along with partners in Greece, Germany, Italy and Austria have designed a wearable computer which can remotely monitor the performance of athletes. A pre-market prototype has been produced and will be on display at an exhibition of sports technology to be held alongside the Olympics in Athens. (more on this story)
Britain's Transport Crisis: The True Costs
Britain's road transport system is in crisis. Here, people use their cars more than any other country in Europe. The cost of driving has hardly changed since the 70s while public transport prices have soared. It comes as no surprise that in the last 20 years, road traffic has risen by 75%. (more on this story)
Defusing the waste timebomb
Mankind is facing a waste timebomb as we run out of space in traditional landfills. Unless we can find a way to avoid the damaging and unsustainable disposal methods we have used for generations, it is only a matter of time before we are faced with an environmental disaster. (more on this story)
Government Policies are Failing Britain's Workforce
Research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK has found that current government skills and innovation policies will not succeed in making Britain a high performance economy as efforts to improve skill levels are actually being hindered by "the bewildering number of public bodies seeking to offer training opportunities". (more on this story)
Youth Crime - A thin line between Offender or Victim
New research from an on-going study of 4,300 young people in Edinburgh, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK, has found that if you're looking for a young person who might be a criminal offender, one of the best ways of predicting it is by finding out whether the young person has been a victim of crime. (more on this story)
King's College launches Incisive Review of UN Peacekeeping Operations
A substantial and incisive review of UN peace operations entitled, "A Review of Peace Operations: A Case for Change" was launched by the Conflict Security & Development Group at King's College, London on 30 April 2003. Drawing on lessons learned in four key peace operations, the report examines the UN's role in peacekeeping as well as actions that should be taken by member states. (more on this story)
Young Voters - Interested in Politics not Politicians
A new survey by the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK has unearthed interesting statistics showing that young people, many of whom are eligible to vote for the first time, are keen to play an active role in the political process, as recent anti-war protests have shown but are turned off by politicians. (more on this story)
'The war with Iraq- A refugee crisis waiting to happen'
UN agencies have predicted that nearly 1.5 million refugees and asylum-seekers are likely to try and flee from Iraq as a result of the war. Yet planning for a refugee crisis by the international community is woefully inadequate, argues Gil Loescher a leading refugee expert at the International Institute of Strategic Studies. (more on this story)
