The Latest Breaking News from Leverhulme Trust

Just Stop Oil’s harsh sentences are the logical outcome of Britain’s authoritarian turn against protest

Lengthy prison sentences have been imposed on five Just Stop Oil activists for coordinating direct action on the M25, the main ring road around London. For a non-violent protest, there is no equivalent in modern times.

The Conversation · Jul 19, 2024

How 14 years of Conservative rule has made council bankruptcy commonplace

A growing number of councils in England have declared bankruptcy since 2018, most recently Nottingham, Woking, Thurrock and Birmingham. With the situation in the devolved nations of the UK looking similarly precarious, the question of quite what has happened to local government finances in the UK is an urgent one.

The Conversation · Jun 11, 2024

Countries are relying on forests and soil to absorb their remaining carbon – it's a risky way to reach net zero

Countries are betting on forests and soils to mop up their remaining “difficult-to-decarbonise” emissions to achieve their climate targets. More forests and better soils are good for nature and for adapting to climate change, but this strategy may prove a risk to the global goal of net zero greenhouse gas…

The Conversation · Mar 6, 2023

Sleep: here's how much you really need for optimal cognition and wellbeing – new research

Most of us struggle to think well after a poor night’s sleep – feeling foggy and failing to perform at our usual standard at school, university or work. You may notice that you’re not concentrating as well, or that your memory doesn’t seem up to scratch. Decades of bad sleep,…

The Conversation · May 4, 2022

Cannabis: how it affects our cognition and psychology – new research

Cannabis has been used by humans for thousands of years and is one of the most popular drugs today. With effects such as feelings of joy and relaxation, it is also legal to prescribe or take in several countries.

The Conversation · Apr 13, 2022

Traditional land burning is declining – here's why that's a problem

Greenhouse gas emissions continue to climb, and so you might expect more of Earth’s surface to be engulfed by fires each year. But satellite data shows that the reverse is true: the area of the world’s land burned by fires shrank in recent decades.

The Conversation · Apr 5, 2022