Expert comment

Why abseiling spiders don’t spin out of control – new research

Seeing an abseiling spider descend gracefully using its dragline silk instead of spinning unpredictably and uncontrollably is a magnificent sight. Professor David J Dunstan and Dr Dabiao Liu write for The Conversation, and try to understand the science behind it.

Anchoring Labour Rights More Effectively In EU Trade Agreements

Professor Adrian Smith and Dr Liam Campling write for Social Europe about strengthening labour rights in UK and EU trade agreements. 

Trial and error in Northern Irish abortion law

Dr Ruth Fletcher from QMUL's School of Law co-authors an article about abortion law reform in Northern Ireland. 

Tory humiliation down to campaign length and cult of May – Norman Tebbit interview

The following interview with Lord Tebbit took place at the House of Lords on 28 June, 2017. He was interviewed by Tim Bale, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London. Norman Tebbit was Conservative MP for Epping (1970-1974) and Chingford (1974-1992) and served as a Junior Minister in both the Department of Trade and the Department of Industry. In the Cabinet, he was the Secretary of State for Employment, Trade and Industry, and Chairman of the Conservative party from 1985 to 1987. He now sits in the House of Lords as Baron Tebbit of Chingford.

Trump’s loyalty fixation recalls one of the US’s most disastrous presidencies

Erik Mathisen, Teaching Fellow at Queen Mary University of London, writes about the parallels between Donald Trump's presidency and that of Andrew Johnson, who served as the 17th president from 1865-69. 

Help us find out what our possibly habitable exoplanet neighbour is actually like

A lot of excitement surrounded Proxima b when it was discovered – a potentially habitable exoplanet around our nearest neighbour star, Proxima Centauri. Located a mere 4.24 light years away, Dr Martin Archer discusses in The Conversation how we can explore this new planet

Why the European Court of Justice isn’t going away

One of the most contentious issues in Britain’s exit from the EU is the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) during and after Brexit. This is because Brexit is ultimately a question of sovereign authority. Who decides the rules of the game when things go awry: a UK judge, or their EU counterpart? Davor Jancic from QMUL's School of Law examines the ECJ’s impact on British sovereignty by reflecting on the contents and implementation of withdrawal.

Corbynism might not actually end – even if Labour loses the election

Professor Tim Bale and David Jeffery from QMUL's School of Politics and International Relations write about Corbyn's leadership post-election, and whether a bad result for the party might not be so bad for 'Corbynism'. 

Now is not the time for the UN to run from the DRC

Dr Reuben Loffman from QMUL's School of History writes about why the UN should stay the course in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

Snap election a win-win for Theresa May: crush Labour and make Brexit easier

A snap election makes perfect sense for Theresa May, says Professor Tim Bale. Writing in The Conversation he said she'll crush Labour and make Brexit a little easier. 

‘Machine folk’ music shows the creative side of AI

Dr Bob Sturm, from the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, and Kingston University's Dr Oded Ben-Tal explain their research creating artificial intelligence that can write folk music and whether this can open new areas of creativity. 

The Victorians are to blame for assumptions that self-harm is just attention-seeking

Dr Sarah Chaney, researcher at QMUL's School of History, writes for The Conversation about our attitudes to self-harm and where they come from. 

Viceroy’s House is very watchable – but its account of Indian independence is limited

Dr Ashvin Immanuel Devasundaram, Lecturer in World Cinema, Queen Mary University of London, reviews Gurinder Chadha’s latest film: Viceroy’s House.

Awesome, erotic, everyday: the literary story of electricity

Sam Halliday, Senior Lecturer in Nineteenth-Century American Literature at QMUL's School of English and Drama writes about a new exhibition at the Wellcome Library: Electricity, The spark of life.

Searching for Corbynism: why no one’s quite sure what Labour stands for

Karl Pike, PhD candidate and Teaching Associate at QMUL's School of Politics and International Relations writes for The Conversation about what Corbyn's Labour stands for. 

The man who invented popular science used a 17th-century version of clickbait

Harriet Phillips, Research Associate at QMUL's School of English and Drama, writes for The Conversation about the fascinating legacy of 17th century polymath Thomas Browne. 

Hacksaw Ridge promised to champion pacifism – but the film is sadly just jingoistic

Dr Guy Westwell, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies at QMUL reviews Hacksaw Ridge for The Conversation. 

UK Supreme Court’s Brexit Ruling: Parliamentarisation or business as usual?

Davor Jancic, Lecturer at QMUL's School of Law writes about yesterday's Supreme Court judgement on Article 50.

Death and rebirth: reading between the lines of Trump’s inauguration speech

Andrew Hines, PhD candidate at QMUL's School of Languages, Linguistics and Film writes for The Conversation about President Trump's inauguration speech. 

So you’re looking to run a Research in Schools project?

Dr Martin Archer from the School of Physics and Astronomy writes about his work taking the latest research into schools and how his findings can help science researchers and teachers interested in doing something similar.

Teaching the importance of communication between doctor and patient

In this blog post, Jo Brown, Head of Quality in Teaching and Learning at QMUL’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, talks about her recent experience of teaching Romanian oncologists about successful communication between doctor and patient.

Joseph Kabila will cling to power in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, says expert in African history

Dr Reuben Loffman from QMUL's School of History considers the future of Congolese politics and the country's President Joseph Kabila. 

Brexit and the future of UK trade

In this article Professor Dr Rafael Leal-Arcas considers what Brexit means for UK trade policy. Professor Leal-Arcas is Jean Monnet Professor in EU International Economic Law at QMUL's Centre for Commercial Law Studies. 

Energy secruity for Europe

Energy security is a burning issue in a world where 1.4 billion people still have no access to electricity. A new book from QMUL's Professor Rafael Leal-Arcas focuses on finding solutions for energy security through the international trading system. Focusing mainly on the European Union as a case study, this holistic and comprehensive analysis of the existing legal and geopolitical instruments strives to identify the shortcomings of the international and EU energy trade governance systems, concluding with the notion of a European Energy Union and what the EU is politically prepared to accept as part of its unified energy security.

Dr Lee Jones from QMUL's School of Politics and International Relations writes about the death of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Dr Jones says that the King was a much more complex figure than is suggested by recent obituaries.

The Conservative party and business have fallen in and out of love for decades

Professor Tim Bale from QMUL's School of Politics and Public Relations writes that its not the first time the Tories and big business have been on less than friendly terms. 

Why Labour Party members still back Jeremy Corbyn as their leader

Dr Monica Poletti from QMUL's School of Politics and International Relations explores how different views among older and newer Labour party members shaped the outcome of the leadership contest, using survey data from the Party Members Project.

Free State of Jones: Review of Matthew McConaughey’s castaway army in the US civil war

Dr Erik Mathisen from QMUL's School of History reviews Matthew McConaughey’s new movie Free State of Jones.

Many parents won’t read their children scary stories – but perhaps we shouldn’t blame them

Professor Kiera Vaclavik, from QMUL's School of Languages, Literature and Film, writes about children, stories, and a scare at bedtime.

Donald Trump’s chaotic use of metaphor is a crucial part of his appeal

Andrew Hines, a PhD candidate at QMUL's School of Languages, Linguistics, and Film, write about Republican nominee Donald Trump's unorthodox and rule-breaking rhetorical style.