Spotlight on Research

Person wearing a white sleeved shirt playing the piano

Do we need a reframing of instrumental music exams in Ireland?

It might be better to focus on gaps in a student's skills rather than powering on to the next grade before they are truly ready, writes Darragh Gilleece, a John and Pat Hume Scholar at MU

Wednesday, 08 January 2025

Woman at a desktop with a computer and tablet with four hands offering other digital devices

Are you being driven to distraction by technology?

Digital tools have increased the amount of work we do so it may be time to embrace slow productivity in the workplace, writes Dr Suzanne O'Keeffe of the Froebel Dept of Primary and Early Childhood Education

Thursday, 02 January 2025

Three glases of red wine with oranges, cinnamon and star anise

Why cinnamon is the Christmas spice that keeps on giving

Research shows that cinnamon and its constituents have a wide range of medicinal applications, write Prof John Stephens of the Chemistry Department and former postgraduate researcher Amanda Doyle

Monday, 16 December 2024

Big brown hairy mammoth with a snowy background

Who would own the Woolly Mammoth if scientists brought it back?

If technology manages to recreate extinct animals like the Woolly Mammoth and the Dodo, would they be patented and monetised? asks Dr David Doyle of the Law Department

Tuesday, 10 December 2024

Time worn pages of an old book showing navigational aids

What notes in 17th century book reveal about a transatlantic voyage

The handwritten notes in Samuel Sturmy's Mariner's Magazine tell us much and provoke more questions about a long forgotten 17th century voyage, writes Dr Ciarán Mac an Bhaird of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Tuesday, 03 December 2024

2 women - women on the left with a green top, sitting at a desk counting ballot papers, woman on the right wearing a blue/white blouse, also counting ballot papers.

Here are the most competitive constituencies in Election 24

The Kavanagh Constituency Competitiveness Score, devised by Dr Adrian Kavanagh of the Geography Department, uses the electoral experience of candidates in a constituency to determine competitiveness

Friday, 29 November 2024

Person pushing button on white smart doorbell, red brick house, brown door

How the smart doorbell has changed canvassing in Irish elections

The growth of smart doorbells may lead to unintended consequences, even changing the rules of engagement around election canvassing, writes Prof Mary Corcoran of the Department of Sociology

Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Large yellow sign hanging on railings outside a building that reads: Polling station/Stáisiún Vótála

5 things we know about Election 2024 candidate trends

Nearly 700 people will run for election to the 34th Dáil so what do we know about these candidates and selection trends? asks Dr Adrian Kavanagh of the Geography Department

Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Large blue breaking wave with white foam on it

Science Week: Is the tide still out for wave energy?

Wave energy could provide double our electricity needs but the sector requires long-term support, funding and policy measures, write Carrie Anne Barry, Hafiz Ahsan Said and Prof John Ringwood of the Centre for Ocean Energy Research

Wednesday, 13 November 2024

Silver car surrounded by flood waters

If devastating Spanish floods don't ignite climate action, what will?

It is abundantly clear how human driven climate change has contributed to the deadly flooding we've seen of late in Spain and elsewhere, writes Prof Conor Murphy of the Geography Department and ICARUS

Wednesday, 06 November 2024

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