Positive thinking

     By Rami Qahwaji , University of Bradford Imagine a day where you don’t have to wait weeks to see your GP, followed by a further wait for medical test results and then still more waiting before being seen by a specialist. We know that changing demographic trends, an ageing population and rising rates of chronic illnesses are creating huge demand for health care and social care services. Given the sophistication of 21st-century technology, how could our health care system be changed to better cope with the population it serves? An efficient healthcare system of the future should empower medical practitioners and patients. It should be able to detect early warning signs that may indicate illness or behaviour that is likely to lead to poor health. For example, reduced physical activity, missed medication or appointments, social isolation, trips and falls at home. Systems could be designed to contact and alert clinicians or carers without fur...

Christine Wamsler, Lund University  We know that mindfulness can transform the life of an individual. But did you know it could also change the world? We are facing increasingly complex global challenges, of which climate change is perhaps the most important. It is obvious that we must do something about our carbon emissions and the increase in floods, windstorms, and heatwaves that threaten our environment – but we don’t seem to know what. It is becoming clear, however, that the problem can’t simply be solved by new technology or new governments alone. We also need to develop new social practices and encourage a broader cultural shift towards more sustainable living and climate action. We have to completely rethink how we do things. This is where mindfulness comes in.  Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the present moment. It is more than just moment-to-moment awareness. It is a kind, curious and non-judgemental ...

Laura Crane, UCL and Liz Pellicano, UCL   -  United Kingdom More and more is being done to raise awareness of mental health problems at a public and policy level, and understandably so. One in six adults in the UK has a common mental health condition, and one in 20 adults has thought of taking their own life at some point. Young people are thought to be a particularly vulnerable group, as most mental health conditions develop between childhood and adulthood and may even be at their peak between the ages of 16 and 20. Worryingly, young people are often reluctant to seek help for their mental health problems, citing stigmatising attitudes towards mental illness, concerns about confidentiality and trust, and trouble identifying the signs and symptoms of mental health problems. Autism is not a mental health condition itself, but around 70-80% of children and adults on the autism spectrum have experienced mental health problems. Of particular concern, suici...

By Angelos Delis, Aston University   It has been a year since British voters went to the polls and voted by a narrow margin to leave the European Union. The Brexit referendum triggered a heated debate about the potential economic effects of Brexit. But what has actually happened to the UK economy in the year since the Brexit vote? These six graphs help explain. GDP growth Overall, the UK economy performed relatively well in terms of GDP growth during the second half of 2016 following the referendum. However, more recently there have been indications of a slowdown in economic activity in the UK. The pound The British currency was one of the economic variables that was most affected by the decision of the British electorate to leave the EU. Sterling has depreciated by a significant amount, around 15%, since last year as international markets reacted to the announcement of Brexit. A standard explanation is that markets expect lower volumes for future UK-EU inte...

Giampaolo Viglia, University of Portsmouth If you’ve ever tried to get the best deal on a holiday, you will have noticed that airlines and hotels continually change their prices. What might cost a certain amount now, could be cheaper or more expensive tomorrow due to this “dynamic pricing” – used as a method to manage revenue. We have studied these pricing techniques in sectors including airlines and hotels to further understand and identify when it is best to book and get the best price. These dynamic pricing techniques are used when demand for a product is uncertain and capacity is fixed. There is an incentive to sell most of the available seats or rooms by a certain deadline as these assets are “perishable” – if the company doesn’t sell the product in time, the opportunity and money is lost forever. Travel companies also use dynamic pricing to increase their revenue per room or seat, and so customers can often pay wildly different prices for the exact same t...

Olivia Remes , University of Cambridge Do you have anxiety? Have you tried just about everything to get over it, but it just keeps coming back? Perhaps you thought you had got over it, only for the symptoms to return with a vengeance? Whatever your circumstances, science can help you to beat anxiety for good. Anxiety can present as fear, restlessness, an inability to focus at work or school, finding it hard to fall or stay asleep at night, or getting easily irritated. In social situations, it can make it hard to talk to others; you might feel like you’re constantly being judged, or have symptoms such as stuttering, sweating, blushing or an upset stomach. It can appear out of the blue as a panic attack, when sudden spikes of anxiety make you feel like you’re about to have a heart attack, go mad or lose control. Or it can be present all the time, as in generalised anxiety disorder, when diffuse and pervasive worry consumes you and you look to the future with dr...

By Jason McIntyre , University of Liverpool and Richard Bentall , University of Liverpool   Psychosis, sometimes called schizophrenia, is a psychological state characterised by symptoms such as paranoia and hallucinations. In England, one person in every 100 will be diagnosed with a psychotic disorder at some point in their lives. Disturbingly, evidence gathered from Western nations suggests that immigrants experience psychosis at rates two to five times higher than non-immigrants. Our recent research and theorising suggests that discrimination and social exclusion may lie at the heart of the immigrant psychosis problem. We define who we are largely on the basis of the groups to which we belong. This internalisation of our group memberships is referred to as “social identity”. Social groups may revolve around common interests and beliefs such as book clubs or political parties, but they may also emerge from social categories such as gender, culture, and e...

Nick Caplan, Northumbria University, Newcastle and Andrew Winnard, Northumbria University, Newcastle   Astronauts on the International Space Station are growing crystals that could help develop new drugs for use on Earth. Here are ten healthcare technologies that have already come from space: 1. Robots that can remove brain tumours Developed in Canada during the Space Shuttle era, Canadarm2 is a robotic arm that is attached to the outside of the International Space Station. It is used for many tasks outside the space station to avoid astronauts having to complete high-risk space walks. This technology led to the creation of neuroArm, that can perform precision surgery inside MRI scanners, such as removing brain tumours. neuroArm in action. 2. Eye trackers used in laser eye surgery In space, the lack of gravity changes the way the eyes move and perceive motion. High-tech eye trackers were developed ...