A molecule that protects plants from overexposure to harmful sunlight thanks to its flamenco-style twist could form the basis for a new longer-lasting sunscreen, chemists at the University of Warwick have found, in collaboration with colleagues in France and Spain.

Mitigating disastrous flooding in Brazil and providing hearing aids in Nepal are the focus of two new international research projects by the University of Warwick, thanks to more than three quarters of a million pounds from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

New research from the University of Warwick shows that human memory is significantly worse in parts of England with high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and air particulates (PM10). The difference in memory quality between England’s cleanest and most-polluted areas is equivalent to the loss of memory from 10 extra years of ageing.

Was there such a thing as ‘the good old days’ when people were happier? Are current Government policies more or less likely to increase their citizens’ feelings of wellbeing? Using innovative methods researchers have built a new index that uses data from books and newspaper to track levels of national happiness from 1820. Their research could help governments to make better decisions about policy priorities.

Nine free workshops and events are being hosted by Warwick researchers from 2 – 9 November 2019 as part of the UK-wide ESRC Festival of Social Science. Festival-goers can find out about how our understanding of DNA might shape the future of healthcare, share a refugee’s frightening journey across the Mediterranean by sea, dig deep into archive recordings of the Coventry accent, explore the impact of landmark legal cases through art, photography and theatre, or take a guided walk on Coventry’s wild side to explore the local environment.