Latest news with #Aberystwyth
CTV News
5 days ago
- Science
- CTV News
No funny gene: your humour has nothing to do with DNA
A new study says your sense of humour is not genetic. (Credit: Pexels) A new study is challenging the long-standing notion that a good sense of humour runs in the family. Led by Dr. Gil Greengross of Aberystwyth University and published in Twin Research and Human Genetics, the study is the first to examine the heritability of something known as humour production ability (HPA), the skill of creating humour that makes others laugh. 'People are different in their sense of humour, so not everyone is funny,' Greengross said in a video interview with 'Some are funnier than others, so an interesting question is what's the source of these differences.' Humour has long been considered a trait that promotes social bonding, reduces stress and increases attractiveness. But this new research, based on more than 1,300 adult twins from the U.K., suggests that, at least when it comes to producing jokes or witty remarks, the funny bone might not be inherited. To explore this, the researchers used the twin study method, comparing identical twins (who share 100 per cent of their genes) with non-identical twins (who share about 50 per cent). 'If identical twins are more similar to each other on a certain trait, then we can conclude that the trait has more genetic basis,' Greengross explained. Participants were asked to write humorous captions for two cartoons, then independent judges rated how funny the responses were. The participants also reported their overall health, assessed their own humour ability and rated the funniness of their co-twin. While intelligence, creativity and even humour appreciation have previously shown moderate to strong heritability, HPA did not. This suggests that growing up in different environments may have a much stronger impact on developing this skill than shared genes. 'To our surprise, we found very little to no genetic factor, and all the individual differences could be attributed to the two environmental factors: shared and non-shared environment,' Greengross said. The researchers, however, did find that self-rated humour had a strong genetic component. 'We asked each twin to evaluate how funny they think they are, and also they rated the co-twin — and their rating corresponds,' said Greengross, adding that there was a very strong correlation on how identical twins think about their sense of humour, but with non-identical twins, it was random. 'So, if maybe your parents think they have a great sense of humour, you're (also) more likely to think you have a great sense of humour,' he said. We're not as funny as we think Researchers say people's opinions of how funny they are does not line up with how funny others think they are. In one cited study, 93 per cent of men and 87 per cent of women rated themselves as having an average or above-average sense of humour, something Greengross describes as 'a statistical impossibility' and 'psychological bias.' 'We can't rely on self-reporting,' Greengross said. 'We can maybe ask your parents, your friends to say how fun you are, but that also has its own biases.' He said the best way is to get people to produce humour and then evaluate it separately, which is what the study did. The disconnect between real and perceived humour may be tied to personality traits. For example, extroverted people tend to rate themselves as funnier, while those who score high on conscientiousness tend to be less confident in their ability to make others laugh. Humour can come from family dinners Comedians who took the same cartoon caption task in earlier studies scored 'several orders of magnitude higher than the general population,' researchers said. But this doesn't necessarily mean their skills are genetic either. Toronto-based comedian Sarah Ashby says her comedic instincts have been shaped by 'a little bit of both' genes and environment. 'I lucked out,' Ashby said in a video interview with 'I grew up with a very funny family, that's kind of where I got my roasting style from, which is great. (At the) dinner table, everyone's roasting each other in front of the roast,' she said. Moving to a new environment changed her approach. 'I came to Toronto and started doing comedy here. I could definitely feel my humour change a little bit more and adapting,' Ashby said, saying humour shifts across social settings. 'Even at home with my roommates, I have hilarious jokes that we have all together, and then with my family, we have other jokes too,' she said. 'So, it's really fun to be able to bounce between different styles.' 'Humour is currency in the house' For identical twin comedians Randy and Jason Sklar, the idea that humour is learned rather than inherited isn't just a theory — it's their lived experience. 'Comedy or humour is currency in the house,' Jason said in an interview with 'If you want approval from your funny parent, and you do something funny, and then you're reinforced positively for that, you're going to do it again.' That environment is deeply woven into their family routines. 'We see that in our kids, and we encourage it in our kids,' Jason said. 'I think that's important. When our kids do something funny, we laugh at them, we give them credit, we get excited.' Despite being identical twins who perform as a single comedic unit, the brothers draw on very different lives as parents. 'I'm about to be an empty nester,' Randy said. 'Jay's got an 11-year-old kid… I'm in a different juncture in my life than he is. And, you know, two teenage daughters is a different animal than what he is going through.' Those different experiences feed their act — and they say they help explain how humour develops through lived experience. 'If we were around each other all the time and didn't have families and didn't have kids … I think that would be really suffocating and difficult,' Randy said. 'But… it certainly allows us to work together.' Their shared belief? A funny family culture makes a lasting impact. 'We both have instilled within our kids, the value of being funny amongst their friends and in whatever they do,' Randy said. 'A sense of humour will be at the core of who they are.' More research needed in finding funny Researchers also looked at other possible influences. Most participants in the study were women over 60, meaning potential age- or sex-related effects could have been missed. Some studies have found that heritability for cognitive traits decreases after age 65, while other traits may show stronger non-genetic influences as people age. Greengross also clarified that while twins were used to isolate genetic from environmental effects, the findings apply to the general population. 'Twins are used just because they have this unique genetic connection and they were the same age that allow us to do this comparison in a more controlled environment — as a result, (the findings) apply to the whole population.' Despite using a well-established method and a large sample, the authors note that 'humour ability is a multifaceted phenomenon' involving complex cognitive and personality traits that may not be easy to measure. They stress that small genetic effects can't be ruled out and that future studies, ideally with younger, more diverse samples, adding that different testing methods are needed to better understand whether humour ability has a heritable component at all.
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Potato blight warning app to use AI to help farmers
Researchers are developing a new app which will use artificial intelligence to warn farmers of a fungal disease which can devastate potato scientists say the app will allow farmers to detect late blight using their phone before it becomes visible to the human disease is responsible for 20% of potato crop losses and £3.5bn in economic losses worldwide, the research team at Aberystwyth University diagnosis would boost productivity and reduce costs for farmers, as well as decrease their reliance on environmentally harmful pesticides, they added. The DeepDetect project will use machine learning to deliver accurate, location-specific disease diagnoses to farmers on their smartphones."By integrating farmer feedback from the outset, we will ensure that this technology is grounded in real-world needs and challenges," said Edore Akpokodje, computer science lecturer at Aberystwyth technology also has the potential for wider application across other crops, he project aims to reduce the environmental and financial burden of preventive spraying, which the researchers said currently cost Welsh farmers up to £5.27m are a vital crop globally and in Wales over 17,000 hectares are dedicated to potato team plans to create an AI-powered prototype using image datasets of healthy and diseased potato will then refine the model and eventually the team hopes to create a national early warning system for potato blight, with potential to expand the technology to other crops and regions in the future."Potatoes are the fourth most important staple crop globally, and optimal production is essential for a growing global population," Aiswarya Girija from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University said."Potato blight is therefore not just a farming issue - it's a food security issue."
The Guardian
18-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
The Rev John Heywood Thomas obituary
My friend and former colleague John Heywood Thomas, who has died aged 98, came from humble beginnings to become a theologian of international standing. As well as being a scholar of note, in particular of the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard and the German-American theologian Paul Tillich, John provided great encouragement to younger academics, especially those teaching and writing in Welsh. Proud of his roots, he frequently attended the National Eisteddfod, was appointed to the Gorsedd of Bards in 1972 and elected fellow of the Learned Society of Wales in 2012. Born near Llanelli, one of the four children of Ann (nee Morris) and her husband, David Thomas, a blacksmith, John went to the local boys' grammar school. He studied philosophy at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (now Aberystwyth University), graduating in 1947, then theology at the Presbyterian College, Carmarthen, gaining a BD in philosophy of religion and Christian doctrine. Early interest in existentialism and its relationship with theology was first pursued as a Fletcher scholar at Cheshunt College, Cambridge (1950-52), where he undertook an analysis of the work of Kierkegaard. His studies continued in Copenhagen, enabled by a grant from the Swenson-Kierkegaard memorial fund. A monograph, Subjectivity and Paradox, was published in 1957. As Mills fellow, he studied at the Union Theological Seminary, New York (1952-53), under Tillich, who referred to John as 'my logical critic'. A further monograph, one of the first to interpret and critique his former teacher's work, Paul Tillich: An Appraisal, appeared in 1963. In 1965, John was awarded a doctor of divinity degree by the University of Wales, on the basis of his published work. Though ordained in 1952 at his home church, Bryn Chapel, Llanelli, John pursued his vocation in theological education. He taught scripture at the grammar school in Newcastle Emlyn, in west Wales (1954-55), before undertaking a research fellowship at Durham University (1955-57), a lectureship in the philosophy of religion at the University of Manchester (1957-65), and a readership in divinity at Durham (1964-74). His final appointment came as professor and head of the department of theology at Nottingham University (1974-92). A special career highlight for John was to facilitate cooperation between Durham University and Ushaw College – the Roman Catholic seminary near the city – supporting seminarians with their studies at the university. In retirement from 1992, John lived at Menai Bridge and gave distinguished service as honorary professor at the University of Wales, Bangor (now Bangor University), which is where we met, as well as to the philosophical and theological sections of its Guild of Graduates. Despite his achievements, he remained humble and generous; on relocating to Bonvilston in the Vale of Glamorgan in 1999, he served as honorary minister at Trehill Presbyterian Church of Wales. He married Mair Evans, also from Llanelli, in 1953. She died in 2021, followed by the untimely death of their only child, the journalist and broadcaster Nicola Heywood-Thomas, in 2023.
Cambrian News
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Cambrian News
Meet more of the professional cast of Aberystwyth's 'The Wizard of Oz'
We recently featured Millie Davies who takes on the role of Dorothy, and Aberystwyth's own Mari Fflur who plays The Wicked Witch of the West and Miss Gulch. This week, we meet the rest of the professional actors and actresses joining them in principal roles.
Business News Wales
11-07-2025
- General
- Business News Wales
Top Marks for Aberystwyth University in UK Student Survey
Aberystwyth University is the top university in Wales for student satisfaction for the tenth year in a row, according to the latest survey of students' opinions on the quality of their courses. The 2025 edition of the National Student Survey (NSS) has been compiled using over 357,000 student responses from across the UK. With an improved and consistently high student satisfaction rate, 86% of Aberystwyth University students are satisfied with the quality of their course, 4 percentage points above the sector average in Wales. Based on the higher education institutions featured in the latest edition of The Times / Sunday Times Good University Guide, 90% of the University's students are satisfied with their teaching, putting Aberystwyth in the top 10 in the UK. Aberystwyth also features in the UK top 5 for 'Academic Support' and 'Learning Resources' and in the top 10 in the UK for 'Assessment and Feedback' and 'Organisation and Management. Aberystwyth also outperforms the UK sector in all seven core themes that are featured in this year's survey: Teaching on My Course, Learning Opportunities, Assessment and Feedback, Academic Support, Organisation and Management, Learning Resource and Student Voice. Professor Anwen Jones, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience at Aberystwyth University, said: 'This is fantastic news. Our university has a long-standing and enviable reputation for student satisfaction and today's results underline that. They demonstrate that Aberystwyth University is rated by our students as one of the best universities in the UK, reflecting the dedication of our staff to provide the best possible learning experience. 'The survey results go to show that we are an excellent place to learn, and that our teaching is simply outstanding. 'Aberystwyth is an inclusive, welcoming and supportive place, located in one of the most inspiring locations to live and study in the UK. Our town is a friendly and vibrant community, and a safe and affordable place that welcomes staff and students from around the world.' Undeb Aber, the Students' Union at the University, said: 'It is great to see the NSS once again backing up what we already know – Aberystwyth University offers students a brilliant experience. We are proud to work side by side with staff at the University to make sure that Aber students love student life. This result is testament to the amazing work that continues to happen right across the institution.' The NSS is an annual survey of students in universities, colleges and other providers across the UK. Final-year undergraduate students are asked to score their university across a wide range of measures of student satisfaction. Students in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were also invited to express their overall satisfaction with their university. The NSS is managed by the Office for Students on behalf of the UK funding and regulatory bodies – the Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland), the Scottish Funding Council and Medr.
