AHC Researchers In the Media (April and May 2022)
The Following selected pieces from April and May 2022 include input from researchers in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures:
How to do laundry the sustainable way (The Jerusalem Post • 30th May, 2022) - "A quick and cold laundry cycle results in less power consumption and less emission of plastic microfibers, while extending the lifespan of your clothes." Additional international coverage of a study led by Dr Lucy Cotton (Design). Also in: University news
Food Museum exhibition on tour across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex (Great British Life • 29th May, 2022) - "The Food Museum is touring its Food Stories exhibition to communities across East Anglia and bringing back memories for many." The exhibition will also feature historic sound recordings from the region of people talking about their food and farming memories, and allow visitors to give their contributions, as part of the Dialect and Heritage Project, led by Dr Fiona Douglas (English). Also in: University news
BBC World Service Radio (26th May, 2022) - Further coverage. Dr Kersten Hall (PRHS) is interviewed about his research into the history of insulin, and his personal connection to it. Also in Yorkshire Post (online version).
Incredible recordings of historic Yorkshire dialect to be brought back home this summer (Yorkshire Post • 23rd May, 2022) -Further coverage of the Dialect and Heritage project, led by Dr Fiona Douglas (English), who gives quotes and appears in photos in the article. Also in Yorkshire Evening Post (print; PDF available) & Gazette and Herald.
Color and the Brain: Are We All Simply Puppets of the Color Palette? (New York Times • 12th May, 2022) - Research by Professor Stephen Westland (Design) is mentioned in this prize-winning essay from the New York Times' student STEM writing contest.
Slow fashion: saving the planet with style (MSN South Africa • 11th May, 2022) - Further coverage. Dr Mark Sumner (Design) charted the journey of a T-shirt from the field to your wardrobe. He reported that “it takes one-and-a-half Olympic swimming pools of water to grow one ton of cotton”, and this is often in regions plagued by drought where farmers may only have “10 to 20 litres of water a day for washing, cleaning and cooking”.
Is AI-generated art really creative? It depends on the presentation (The Conversation • 10th May, 2022) - Dr Leah Henrickson (Media and Communication) co-writes this piece about Ai-Da, a robot that "paint[s] like an artist". Also in various international outlets, including Australian Herald.
Slow fashion: saving the planet with style (The Independent -South Africa• 29th Apr, 2022) - Dr Mark Sumner (Design) charted the journey of a T-shirt from the field to your wardrobe. He reported that “it takes one-and-a-half Olympic swimming pools of water to grow one ton of cotton”, and this is often in regions plagued by drought where farmers may only have “10 to 20 litres of water a day for washing, cleaning and cooking”. PDF available upon request.
Still whanging? Dialect hunt aims to update prized English language archive (The Guardian • 28th Apr, 2022) - Details have been announced of how the University plans to use its prized archive of English life and language that was gathered by fieldworkers in the 1950s and 1960s. The results remain the most famous and complete survey of dialects in England. Dr Fiona Douglas (English), who leads the Dialect and Heritage Project, is quoted. Also on BBC Radios Norfolk, Suffolk and Cornwall. Clips available from Central Comms team.
WhatsApp is ruining our lives as screen addiction rises (The Daily Telegraph • 25th Apr, 2022) - Further coverage of a study, led by Rafe Clayton (Media and Communication), that surveyed 500 UK adults and conducted around 20 interviews to gauge how much time people were spending on their digital devices during lockdowns. Login with University details required; PDF available. Also in University news
The Art That Made Us (BBC Two • 21st Apr, 2022) - Dr John Gallagher (History) appeared in the latest episode, which explores how, during the reign of Elizabeth I, Protestants and Catholics used art, language and new technology to “wage a battle for power in the Isles”.
Netflix's share crash is forcing investors to reconsider the value of major tech companies (The I • 20th Apr, 2022) - An Armchair Economics comment piece looking at the fall in Netflix's share price. Includes a mention of recent research led by Rafe Clayton (Media and Communication) that highlighted how screen use soared among UK adults post-lockdown. Subscription required. Also in: The I & Techno Trenz
Slow fashion: saving the planet with style (The Conversation • 20th Apr, 2022) - A piece by Jack Marley, The Conversation UK's Environment and Energy Editor. Includes a mention of a piece written by Dr Mark Sumner (Design) which charted the journey of a t-shirt from the field to your wardrobe to highlight the climate cost of fast fashion. Also in: Australian Herald; Yahoo! UK and Ireland; Vietnam Tribune; The Conversation (original article).
Disappearing insects, and forensics uncovered: Books in brief (Nature.com • 13th Apr, 2022)- Dr Kersten Hall's (Philosophy, Religion and History of Science) book, ‘Insulin – The Crooked Timber’, is featured in this article as a top science read. Also in BBC History Magazine (copy available).
Covid lockdowns 'caused a screen time boom' up to 14 hours per day (Metro • 8th Apr, 2022) - This study, led by Rafe Clayton (Media and Communication), surveyed 500 UK adults and conducted around 20 interviews to gauge how much time people were spending on their digital devices during lockdowns. Also on BBC Radio Manchester (clip starts at two hours, 55 minutes and eight seconds) and University news
Debate on Iranian women's access to soccer games flares up again (The Pulse of the Middle East • 8th Apr, 2022) - After 2,000 ticket-holding Iranian women were blocked from attending a football game in the city of Mashhad, gender inequality in Iran is back in the spotlight. Dr Sara Tafakori (Media and Communication) is quoted.
Arts funding aids the economy and morale (Yorkshire Post • 9th Apr, 2022) - Professor Ben Walmsley (Performance and Cultural Industries) writes this ‘Saturday essay’ piece about recent research by the Centre for Cultural Value into the impact of COVID-19 on the UK's cultural sector. PDF available.
Shrinking the Gap: how the clothing brand lost its way (The Guardian • 5th Apr, 2022) - In this piece outlining clothing brand Gap’s steady decline in recent years, Professor Regina Lee Blaszczyk (History) talks about the history of wearing denim clothing, and how it became “the perfect uniform for young people interested in rejecting social hierarchies” in the mid-20th century.
Why Britain sent a task force to liberate the Falkland Islands (Yorkshire Post • 2nd Apr, 2022) - According to Dr Rachel Utley (History) the sovereignty of the islands had long been contested: "Disputes between Britain and Spain, and the claims of Argentina after its formation in the early nineteenth century, led to Britain reasserting control over the islands in 1833 and establishing the Falkland Islands as a Crown colony in 1840."