What is an annular solar eclipse - and before scientific understanding, what did people think when the Moon covered the Sun?

Jackie Weaver may have become a social media sensation overnight with her calm, authoritative management of a contentious parish council meeting held on Zoom, but she is not a lone pioneer, says Professor Sarah Richardson from Warwick’s Department of History.

From watching a little-known festive film, to trying a Victorian parlour game or even spotting a once in a lifetime astronomic occurrence, academics at the University of Warwick have compiled a few ideas to help you enjoy something different – deliberately – this Christmas.

Vaccination is routine in Britain and for most the public health programmes which go alongside them are about as interesting as the sewage system. And then came Covid. Since we all now (apparently) need to be experts here’s four things you might not know about vaccines and vaccination from Dr Gareth Millward from the Centre for the History of Medicine at the University of Warwick.

Recent revelations of a collaboration between American and West German intelligence agencies, known as Operation Rubicon, have led to the total re-evaluation of our perception of intelligence activities during the Cold War, explain Dr Melina Dobson, Dr Jason Dymydiuk and Sarah Mainwaring from PAIS.

English spelling is tricky to master. But the ancient hangovers, irregularities and frustrating rules of English spelling are what enables its continuity and a connection with billions of people across the globe argues Dr Christopher Strelluf, an expert in linguistics from the University of Warwick.

In a personal blog, written originally in 2013, Professor Don Pollaco describes the initial awkward moments during the life-changing evening when he met his hero, Neil Armstrong.

In a way, you could say we’ve been holding our breath this whole time, until now, writes Professor Akwugo Emejulu.

On the 75 anniversary of VE Day, Dr Alexander Smith, associate professor of sociology at the University of Warwick, shares a personal story of a heroic grandfather who served in Bomber Command, but who fought a lifelong battle with addiction after the war ended.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc across the world, the alarm has been sounded in prisons too”, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative reported early in April. It wasn’t wrong. Jails are high-risk environments for disease, where pathogens are easily transmitted.

Is the war on COVID-19 really like World War II? Mark Harrison, Professor of economics and expert on Russia and the Soviet bloc during the war years reflects on this comparison is an exert from his latest blog.