news 2015

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue. Wearing red can make you appear angry and dominant Men who wear red clothes send out a signal that they are angry and aggressive, in much the same way as if their face had reddened, suggests research published today.

New research on a highly social fish shows that those reared in larger social groups from the earliest stage of life develop increased social skills and a brain shape, or 'neuroplasticity', which lingers into the later life of the fish.

Researchers have produced new evidence showing that a party leader's image really does matter to people's voting intentions. In the study, published by The Royal Statistical Society's journal, Significance, the Oxford University researchers tracked the views of 22,300 people across the UK, surveying them first in February 2014 and then in the autumn of the same year, on the leadership qualities of David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage.

New research suggests many adolescents try e-cigarettes, but few become regular users E-cigarettes are popular with teens, including those who have never smoked, but few of those who try them become regular users, with most of those who do so also being smokers, finds research by the University.

Children who play video games for more than three hours a day are more likely to be hyperactive, get involved in fights and not be interested in school, says a new study. It examined the effects of different types of games and time spent playing on children's social and academic behaviour. The researchers from the University of Oxford found that the time spent playing games could be linked with problem behaviour and this was the significant factor rather than the types of games played.

Being popular at school pays as an adult, finds Sussex study Children who make lots of friends at school go on to earn higher salaries, according to a new study by University of Sussex economists that highlights the long-term financial benefits of being sociable. People who reported having a high number of close friends in high school - and especially those who were "at the heart of things" - earned nearly 11 per cent more than their peers by their late 20s, the research found.

In recent decades, commentators and academics have become increasingly concerned over the decline in both trust and social capital in many communities in the United States. While research has shown that race and income diversity tends to be associated with lower levels of social capital, Andrea Tesei takes a closer look, examining the relationship between trust, income inequality and racial diversity.

A study has revealed that non-believers assume that people who go to church or other places of worship are 'close minded', and they would find this personality trait more off-putting in a partner than their religious views. In two studies researchers created a number of dating profiles for both religious and non-religious individuals and asked volunteers from a range of religious and non-religious backgrounds to rate them for attractiveness.

The British Election Study has revealed the Conservative's record on key policies could be seen as an electoral liability. Though BES data shows the Tories are unlikely to lose voters during the campaign, their ability to build support could be limited by discontent with some areas of policy as we enter the election campaign.

Suicidal patients who are under observation may be put at risk by relying on inexperienced staff and agency nurses, according to a new report issued today. Commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership as part of the Clinical Outcome Review Programmes, researchers from The University of Manchester's National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness , found that 18 in-patients a year died by suicide while under observation.

Zoos and aquariums around the world have a crucial role to play in helping people understand how they can protect animals and their natural habitats, new research from the University of Warwick, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and Chester Zoo has found. Dr Eric Jensen , from Warwick's Department of Sociology , says it is the most compelling evidence to date of the influence of such attractions, which attract more than 700 million visits across the globe every year.

Findings from the largest review of clinical trials to date to determine whether patients prescribed the smoking cessation drug Varenicline (brand name Champix in the UK) are at an increased risk of neuropsychiatric events are published online in the British Medical Journal [BMJ] today [12 Mar]. The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Bristol.

There is a rapidly growing momentum driving the development of mobile payment systems. New research by the universities of Bristol and Brunel has shown systems, such as the Bristol Pound, can have a positive effect on the local community by encouraging consumers to support and value their local businesses.

Astronomers have discovered a 'treasure trove' of rare dwarf satellite galaxies orbiting our own Milky Way. The discoveries could hold the key to understanding dark matter, the mysterious substance which holds our galaxy together. Earlier surveys of the southern sky found very little, so we were not expecting to stumble on such treasure Vasily Belokurov A team of astronomers from the University of Cambridge have identified nine new dwarf satellites orbiting the Milky Way, the largest number ever discovered at once.

Creating environmental targets that countries will stick to requires that scientists actively engage with those who use their research. They can then contribute to real progress in tackling big issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss, say a group of researchers in a new study published in Science .

New research finds that trust can be so badly dented following a job loss that even finding new work does not overcome the problem. People who lose their jobs are less willing to trust others for up to a decade after being laid-off, according to new research from The University of Manchester. Being made redundant or forced into unemployment can scar trust to such an extent that even after finding new work this distrust persists, according to the new findings of social scientist Dr James Laurence.

Clapham Junction area is sacked after the third night of riots, on August 09, 2011 in London. Riots start spreading in London after Mark Duggan was shot dead by the police. Oxford University sociologists have examined the causes of the London riot of 2011 and find that tensions between the police and the community in the areas where the rioters lived were a significant factor.

A diagnosis of depression is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of committing violent crime, an Oxford University study has found. The study of nearly 50,000 people in Sweden found that 3.7% (641) of depressed men and 0.5% (152) of depressed women committed a violent crime after their depression diagnosis.

A diagnosis of depression is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of committing violent crime, an Oxford University study has found. The study of nearly 50,000 people in Sweden found that 3.7% (641) of depressed men and 0.5% (152) of depressed women committed a violent crime after their depression diagnosis.

Research led by academics at The University of Nottingham has suggested that some types of antidepressants may be associated with an increase in suicide and self-harm in people aged 20 to 64 suffering from depression.