insert_link Health / Medical Does exercise really do nothing for longevity, as a Finnish twins study suggests? BGStock72/Shutterstock George M. Savva, Quadram Institute Surveys on lifestyle and longevity consistently find that people who do more exercise live longer. So it is surprising to see a report from the Finnish Twins Cohort Study that there is little direct effect of “leisure time physical activity” on lifespan. What makes this study different from others – and is it right? Human behaviour and biology are complex and interact with wider […] todayJanuary 10, 2024 17
insert_link Health / Medical Stressed out? Why mindfulness and meditation help us cope with the world By Lucy Draper-Clarke, University of the Witwatersrand In a world fraught with anxiety, stress, and environmental and humanitarian disasters, people are looking for ways to cope. Many have turned to practices originating in ancient eastern philosophies for guidance. Among these is mindfulness, which is linked to meditation. Lucy Draper-Clarke, researcher and author of The Compassionate Activist, spoke to health & medicine editor Nadine Dreyer about looking inwards and cultivating compassion, […] todayJanuary 10, 2024 26
insert_link Lifestyle Being humble is a good new year’s resolution – but it requires knowing what you value most Clay Knight|Unsplash By Darren Bradley, University of Leeds As the new year gets going, many of us make resolutions to better our lives and our selves. Counsellors and psychologists alike will tell you that the key to self-improvement is being humble. Author and coach Anna Katharina Schaffner has described humility as an “ancient virtue” that does not equate with low self-esteem but rather, “is a form of spiritual modesty”. It […] todayJanuary 10, 2024 4
insert_link Health / Medical How living like a hunter-gatherer could improve your health Prostock-studio/Shutterstock By Nicholas Bourne, University of East London; David Clayton, Nottingham Trent University, and Marcello Bertotti, University of East London Many of us want to live long, happy and healthy lives. Yet it’s often confusing to know the best way to achieve this, and many aspects of modern, westernised living conspire to keep us from achieving this goal. The solution may be to step back in time. For the bulk […] todayJanuary 10, 2024 17
insert_link Business / Economics Plants and bookcases in, living rooms and blank walls out: how your Zoom background can make you seem more competent By Paddy Ross, Durham University Working from home has made job interviews and starting a new role easier in many ways. You don’t have to worry about a missed train or spilt coffee derailing a job interview if it’s on Zoom – but you still need to impress your interviewer. Your home surroundings help show off your personality to the person on the other end of the Zoom call. Anyone […] todayJanuary 10, 2024 3
insert_link Business / Economics Using your phone at work can help to balance your home life – new research Jacob Lund/Shutterstock Eoin Whelan, University of Galway You might not think twice about using your phone while you’re at work. Maybe you need to send a quick message to a family member or a friend, or catch up on the news. Then there’s that dental appointment which needs to be booked – and while you’re at it, you may as well get the online grocery shopping done. It’s all very […] todayJanuary 10, 2024 4
insert_link Lifestyle There are more than 300 ways to work flexibly – here are four tips to make it work for you Aleutie/Shutterstock By Jana Javornik, University of Leeds; Carla Brega Baytelman, Utrecht University, and Mara Yerkes, Utrecht University Did you know that, according to a recent study, there are more than 300 ways to work flexibly? The list of possible flexible work practices used by an increasingly diverse and ageing workforce has grown significantly since many people were forced to work from home during COVID lockdowns. Before the pandemic, you may […] todayJanuary 10, 2024 10
insert_link Lifestyle Getting Ready for the School Year: Tips for Children As the new school year approaches, it's essential for children in Namibia to prepare themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally as going back to school after a long break requires some adjustments and planning. Here are some helpful tips and suggestions though to help make the return to school smooth and successful. Organize and update school supplies: Make a list of supplies needed and check if anything needs to be replaced […] todayJanuary 10, 2024 8
insert_link APO International Embracing the Power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Photography (By Amine Djouahra) By Amine Djouahra, B2C BU Director, Canon Central and North Africa (www.Canon-CNA.com) From the emergence of text-based diffusion models that can bring images to life with just a description, to the remarkable capabilities of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) image generators, the boundaries of what we can achieve in photography are expanding like never before. Just few years ago, a professional photographer would spend more time on the photo […] todayJanuary 10, 2024 6