The University of Portsmouth is a modern university with a strong reputation for quality teaching and sustained, high levels of student satisfaction. Its academics possess notable research strengths and are international experts pushing the boundaries of knowledge in their respective fields.
Over 3,000 staff supports the cohort of nearly 22,000, which includes 3,000 students from over 140 countries.
The “thirst for oil” is often put forward as a near self-evident explanation behind military interventions in Libya, for instance, or Sudan. Oil, or the lack of oil, is also said to be behind the absence…
What is meant by ‘compassion’?
Tea by Shutterstock
In the week that parliament resumes debate on Lord Falconer’s assisted dying bill, we can expect further claims about whether the proposed legislation is compassionate. Greater clarity is needed in use…
Up close and personal with the demon shrimp.
Amaia Green Etxabe - University of Portsmouth
Demon vs killer shrimp sounds like the latest CGI movie to come out of Hollywood. But in fact these are two particularly pernicious crustaceans that have been making their way westward across Europe from…
In recent months, the UK has been gripped by cases of widespread organised child abuse – in Rotherham, Oxford, Rochdale and even Westminster. The police’s slow and incompetent reactions (and even complicity…
Groups like Stonewall have become big players in the workplace.
Linzi
A key event in the British employment calendar is the publication of the Workplace Equality Index each January. It is a ranking of the top-100 “gay-friendly” employers by Stonewall, the UK’s main campaigning…
The UK’s air assault on Islamic State (IS) began with two RAF Tornado GR4 bombers attacking targets in Iraq: one using a Paveway IV precision-guided munition (PGM) to destroy an IS heavy weapon position…
Planck telescope and the Cosmic microwave background.
ESA and Planck
In March, scientists working on the BICEP2 experiment, a microwave telescope based at the South Pole, announced that they had seen ‘gravity waves’ from the early universe, created just after the Big Bang…
Once through the grinder, food fraud hard to track through DNA.
Meat grinder by Shutterstock
Food fraud is a huge problem in the UK, and much of it is as a result of organised crime. Unfortunately, as the report of the Elliott Review on the 2013 horsemeat scandal now points out, there is too little…
The 798 Factory in Beijing has been developed into the 798 Art Zone.
dominiqueb
The buildings from our recent industrial past can offer some exciting new places for the future, with a heritage character and sense of place. With some creative thinking and ambition, these sites can…
Impressive - but only as back-up to ground forces.
EPA/Cpl. Jamean Berry
As the Islamic State (IS) continues its seemingly unstoppable march across Iraq it advertises its unique anti-Christian, anti-Shia, anti-everybody brand of Islam on social media as medieval barbarism meets…
Webb at the 2010 World Cup final. Just don’t mention Nigel de Jong…
EPA
Howard Webb, one of modern football’s most successful referees, has announced his retirement. Webb achieved much in his career, most notably in 2010 taking charge of the finals of both the World Cup and…
WANT. Dog jealousy by Shutterstock.
Martina Osmy/Shutterstock
Are animals jealous? How would we know? Scientists are educated to have a deep scepticism about attributing sophisticated mental abilities to non-human animals. Anthropomorphism is regarded as a scientific…
In a tournament of 64 games, there were bound to be issues of contention, especially in a competition that carries so many national hopes with it. But the general standard of refereeing has been good throughout…
The World Cup brings together teams, players, fans and also referees from every corner of the globe. The cultural differences that exist between them can be stark, especially for referees. While players…
We won’t see some of these folks until next year.
Oli Scarff/PA Wire
It didn’t feature in the last Queen’s Speech and the chances are it won’t feature in the next one, but this government has a chance to complete the process of democratising the House of Lords that started…
Families and the public haven’t given up.
Yachting Association/PA
The US Coastguard has said it will resume a search and rescue operation within the hour for the four missing British yachtsmen who got into difficulties 620 miles (1,000km) east of Cape Cod in their boat…
With stock markets close to record highs, should we be running for cover?
Ahmad Awawi
The FTSE 100 reached 6877.39 points last week. It was the highest since its all-time peak of 6950.60 on December 30 1999 before the start of the deflation of the great dotcom bubble in January 2000. It…
Amphipods on anti-depressants found their lives brightened, right up until they were eaten.
Arnold Paul
The idea that tiny amounts of antidepressants present in our rivers and estuaries may be affecting aquatic life is generally met with surprise, sometimes scepticism, or even a degree of humour. The public…
Serial entrepreneur and inventor James Dyson has spoken out against crowdfunding, arguing that the emerging trend is no good for supporting meaningful inventions. However, Dyson may have overlooked some…