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CBS News
8 hours ago
- Science
- CBS News
Emperor penguin population decline may be "worse than the worst-case projections," scientists warn
Emperor penguin populations in Antartica may be declining faster than the most pessimistic predictions, scientists said after analyzing satellite images of a key part of the continent. The images, spanning from 2009 to 2024, suggest a decline of 22% in the Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea and Bellingshausen Sea, according to researchers from the British Antarctic Survey and University of Southampton, who published their study in Nature on Tuesday. The 16 emperor penguin colonies in that part of Antartica represent a third of the global population. The estimated decline compares to an earlier estimate of a 9.5% reduction across Antarctica as a whole between 2009 and 2018. The researchers now have to see if their assessment in that region of Antartica is true for the rest of the continent. "There's quite a bit of uncertainty in this type of work and what we've seen in this new count isn't necessarily symbolic of the rest of the continent," Dr. Peter Fretwell, the lead author of the study, said in a statement. "But if it is — that's worrying because the decline is worse than the worst-case projections we have for emperors this century." While further analysis is needed, Fretwell told Agence France-Presse the colonies studied were considered representative. Researchers know that climate change is driving the losses, but the speed of the declines is a particular cause for alarm. Warming is thinning and destabilizing the ice under the penguins' feet in their breeding grounds. Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) pair on sea ice, Larsen B Ice Shelf, Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Sergio Pitamitz/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images In recent years some colonies have lost all their chicks because the ice has given way beneath them, plunging hatchlings into the sea before they were old enough to cope with the freezing ocean. Fretwell said the new research suggests penguin numbers have been declining since the monitoring began in 2009. That is even before global warming was having a major impact on the sea ice, which forms over open water adjacent to land in the region. But he said the culprit is still likely to be climate change, with warming driving other challenges for the penguins, such as higher rainfall or increasing encroachment from predators. "Emperor penguins are probably the most clear-cut example of where climate change is really showing its effect," Fretwell said. "There's no fishing. There's no habitat destruction. There's no pollution which is causing their populations to decline. It's just the temperatures in the ice on which they breed and live, and that's really climate change." Emperor penguins number about a quarter of a million breeding pairs, all in Antarctica, according to a 2020 study. A baby emperor penguin emerges from an egg kept warm in winter by a male, while the female in a breeding pair embarks on a two-month fishing expedition. When she returns to the colony, she feeds the hatchling by regurgitating and then both parents take turns to forage. To survive on their own, chicks must develop waterproof feathers, a process that typically starts in mid-December. The new research uses high resolution satellite imagery during the months of October and November, before the region is plunged into winter darkness. Fretwell said future research could use other types of satellite monitoring, like radar or thermal imaging, to capture populations in the darker months, as well as expand to the other colonies. He said there is hope that the penguins may go further south to colder regions in the future but added that it is not clear "how long they're going to last out there". Computer models have projected that the species will be near extinction by the end of the century if humans do not slash their planet-heating emissions. The latest study suggests the picture could be even worse. "We may have to rethink those models now with this new data," said Fretwell. But he stressed there was still time to reduce the threat to the penguins. "We've got this really depressing picture of climate change and falling populations even faster than we thought but it's not too late," he said. "We're probably going to lose a lot of emperor penguins along the way, but if people do change, and if we do reduce or turn around our climate emissions, then then we will save the emperor penguin."
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Swipe right: dating app users prefer Reform voters to Tories, research suggests
Dating app users are more likely to be interested in a Reform voter than a Conservative, new research suggests. Voters were unlikely to swipe right, or like, a profile of someone from the other side of the political spectrum – meaning that centre-right voters are more likely to pick a Reform supporter than someone who supports a leftwing party, analysis from the University of Southampton and Harvard University found. Overall, Labour, Green and Lib Dem voters had a better chance of landing a match than Reform and Conservative voters, because people who use dating apps tend to be younger and therefore more socially liberal. Related: 'Forgive me, Reader: I ghost him.' The best dating apps, tested Dr Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte, lead author of the study, from the University of Southampton, said the results reflected the political polarisation of society. He said: 'Voters from the two main parties are very unlikely to want to date someone from the other party. Conservative voters were much happier to match with a Reform UK voter than someone who voted Labour. 'This isn't about falling in love with the radical right, it's about Conservative voters being more comfortable dating someone they disagree with on some things than dating someone from the opposite ideological camp altogether.' The study, published in the Journal of Politics, asked 2,000 people in Britain and Spain aged between 18 and 40 – the demographic that makes up 85% of Tinder users – to look at 20,000 fictitious dating profiles on an online app. The profiles were AI-generated variations of attractive men and women's faces and their bios contained information including their occupation, hobbies, interests and schooling, and some included an indication of who they voted for. Related: 'It feels like admin': why are people falling out of love with dating apps? Dr Alberto López Ortega, a co-author of the paper, from Harvard University, said: 'While Reform voters had a below average favourability on dating apps, they are four points more likely to enjoy success on the dating market than Conservative supporters. 'This suggests that dating a Reform UK voter is not 'beyond the pale' and support for the radical right has become more normalised. That said, we found expressing support for either party is likely to be a 'red flag' for more leftwing dating app users.' Although a prominent fixture of the UK's dating scene for the past decade, apps are losing popularity as younger people turn to real-life ways of connecting with potential partners, according to recent Ofcom research. The UK's top four dating apps have had a dip in use since 2023, with Tinder losing 600,000 users, Hinge shedding 131,000, Bumble declining by 368,000 and Grindr falling by 11,000.
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Swipe right: dating app users prefer Reform voters to Tories, research suggests
Dating app users are more likely to be interested in a Reform voter than a Conservative, new research suggests. Voters were unlikely to swipe right, or like, a profile of someone from the other side of the political spectrum – meaning that centre-right voters are more likely to pick a Reform supporter than someone who supports a leftwing party, analysis from the University of Southampton and Harvard University found. Overall, Labour, Green and Lib Dem voters had a better chance of landing a match than Reform and Conservative voters, because people who use dating apps tend to be younger and therefore more socially liberal. Dr Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte, lead author of the study, from the University of Southampton, said the results reflected the political polarisation of society. He said: 'Voters from the two main parties are very unlikely to want to date someone from the other party. Conservative voters were much happier to match with a Reform UK voter than someone who voted Labour. 'This isn't about falling in love with the radical right, it's about Conservative voters being more comfortable dating someone they disagree with on some things than dating someone from the opposite ideological camp altogether.' The study, published in the Journal of Politics, asked 2,000 people in Britain and Spain aged between 18 and 40 – the demographic that makes up 85% of Tinder users – to look at 20,000 fictitious dating profiles on an online app. The profiles were AI-generated variations of attractive men and women's faces and their bios contained information including their occupation, hobbies, interests and schooling, and some included an indication of who they voted for. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Dr Alberto López Ortega, a co-author of the paper, from Harvard University, said: 'While Reform voters had a below average favourability on dating apps, they are four points more likely to enjoy success on the dating market than Conservative supporters. 'This suggests that dating a Reform UK voter is not 'beyond the pale' and support for the radical right has become more normalised. That said, we found expressing support for either party is likely to be a 'red flag' for more leftwing dating app users.' Although a prominent fixture of the UK's dating scene for the past decade, apps are losing popularity as younger people turn to real-life ways of connecting with potential partners, according to recent Ofcom research. The UK's top four dating apps have had a dip in use since 2023, with Tinder losing 600,000 users, Hinge shedding 131,000, Bumble declining by 368,000 and Grindr falling by 11,000.
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
The impact of remote working across UK as firms adopt hybrid policies
New research suggests working from home may not be the solution for revitalising struggling regions of the UK, and could even worsen existing inequalities. The study, conducted by researchers from several UK universities including Southampton, St Andrews, Birmingham, De Montfort and University of Arts London, examined post-pandemic working habits and found that the hoped-for boost to areas outside the south-east of England hasn't materialised. While the rise of working from home initially held promise for levelling the playing field, the reality is more complex. The research reveals that most employees now adopt hybrid models, splitting their time between home and the office. This limits the potential for significant regional shifts, as high-skilled workers remain tethered to their workplaces. Across the UK, more than half of all workers (52 per cent) never work from home. However, this figure drops significantly for high-skilled workers, with only 29 per cent never working remotely. The majority of high-skilled workers who do work from home follow hybrid patterns, further reinforcing the link to their physical workplace. This suggests that working from home, in its current form, is not driving a relocation of high-skilled jobs to areas in need of an economic boost. Instead, it may be exacerbating existing regional divides. Professor Jackie Wahba, of the University of Southampton and the ESRC Centre for Population Change, said: 'Working from home is now a normal part of working life, with the potential to change where and how people work. 'It could offer major benefits, giving both employers and workers more choice and flexibility. But to achieve this, we must tackle key obstacles to residential mobility. 'It was widely believed that working from home would let high-skilled workers move further from their employers, opening up opportunities for less wealthy areas. 'But so far, it remains most common among higher earners in a few sectors, mostly near London and other major cities.' She added: 'There is also little evidence on the net economic impact for local areas of these changes in working patterns. We need better data on who is working from home, how often, and in what roles. 'This will help policymakers give targeted support to more regions. Investing in transport links, fast broadband, schools, healthcare, green spaces, cultural venues, and affordable housing are as important as providing flexible work options in drawing and retaining skilled workers. 'Working from home isn't yet bridging the gap between regions. Policymakers, businesses, and local leaders need to act to ensure that job flexibility does not exacerbate inequality but is harnessed to support real, long-term regional growth.' The research project, co-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, analysed data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study and Labour Force Survey. It also involved interviews with businesses, regional governments and universities in Glasgow, Sheffield and Birmingham. They found that in these 'second-tier regional cities', the advantages of working from home were seen as wider recruitment opportunities, more efficient use of office space, and the ability to attract workers to their regions because of lower living costs. However, they also raised concerns about quieter city centres, weaker workplace culture, and the limited ability to work from home in many sectors.
Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
The British universities reliant on Chinese students
Chinese students are still propping up UK universities, despite institutions being urged to wean themselves off money from Beijing. UK universities' financial accounts for 2023-24 show almost a third of the entire income of some institutions comes from Chinese students, Telegraph analysis has found. In total, Chinese students brought in about £5.5 billion in fees across 158 universities last year, about 10 per cent of all university income from tuition fees. The Royal College of Art (RCA) had 1,295 students from China last year, equivalent to 45 per cent of the London university's entire student body. The Telegraph estimates suggest that, when applied to fees, this would be equivalent to £100 million in revenue, or 37 per cent of the college's entire income. Using this same analysis, The Telegraph found that 21 universities are reliant on tuition fees from Chinese students for at least a tenth of their income. It includes four universities that derived more than a fifth of their overall income from Chinese students last year – the Royal College of Art, University of the Arts London (UAL), the University of Southampton and Goldsmiths, University of London. In total, 57 UK universities have seen the proportion of their overall income from Chinese students increase over the past few years, or about 37 per cent of institutions analysed by The Telegraph. It comes despite universities being told to reduce their reliance on Chinese students amid growing national security concerns relating to Beijing. The Office for Students (OfS) wrote to a select number of institutions with large proportions of Chinese students in 2023, urging them to draw up contingency plans in case of a sudden interruption to overseas recruitment. The universities watchdog said such interruptions could come from 'a changing geopolitical environment which could cause an immediate and significant impact on income' – widely interpreted as a potential souring of relations with Beijing. The OfS has not disclosed the names of the 23 institutions and refused a request for the information by The Telegraph. Russell Group institutions such as University College London (UCL), Imperial and Leeds are among universities with the largest proportions of Chinese students, according to the latest data from the Higher Education Statistics Authority (Hesa). The OfS said in its annual report on university finances published on Thursday that institutions have been reminded about the impact of 'uncertain geopolitics' on their student intake. It comes after overall foreign student numbers fell by more than a fifth last year, partially due to student visa restrictions brought in by the Tory government. It has led to concerns that universities may scramble to recruit even more students from China this year as they seek to balance the books, and ahead of potential fresh restrictions on other nations. Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly considering applying new restrictions on student visa applications from countries such as Nigeria and Pakistan, where students are considered more likely to overstay and claim asylum in the UK. University leaders have warned that the move will worsen a financial crisis across the sector, after The Telegraph revealed on Wednesday that 43 per cent of UK higher education institutions are currently in a deficit. Chinese students made up the largest foreign intake of any country at UK universities until 2022/23, when a surge in students from India saw the country sail into the top position for the first time. But a drop in foreign students across the board last year and a large decline in Indian enrolments have seen the gap between New Delhi and Beijing narrow. HESA data published on Thursday showed there were 107,489 Indian nationals studying in the UK last year, while 98,4000 were from China. Will Dent, head of financial sustainability at the OfS, told The Telegraph in a media briefing on Thursday: 'By far and away, the biggest domiciles for international students [are] India and China. Those geopolitical risks still apply, and we've certainly commented on that in [our] report for the first time. 'We're able, as part of our engagement with individual institutions, to talk to them about their international strategies at a country level… so we can target our interventions and our discussions with institutions about that, and that's something we're doing.' It comes amid mounting concerns over Chinese influence in the UK, brought to a head last month by a diplomatic spat over a Beijing-owned steel plant in Scunthorpe. The UK Government was forced to take control of British Steel's site in Lincolnshire after Chinese owner Jingye threatened to shut down the furnaces, prompting warnings about Beijing's control over key parts of the UK economy. Experts have also accused British officials of being asleep at the wheel over Chinese interference at UK universities. Call for public register of donations The Telegraph has reported numerous instances in recent months of universities stifling criticism of Beijing on campus for fear of jeopardising lucrative Chinese students and contracts with the country's institutions. The chairman of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee last month urged ministers to create a public register of Chinese donations to British universities. Writing in The Telegraph, Lord Beamish, who served as a Labour MP for 23 years and was Gordon Brown's veterans' minister, warned the Government not to be 'naive' about Chinese influence in British academia and emphasised the need for 'transparency'. Both Sir Keir and Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, have voiced a willingness to engage more with China despite potential challenges as they view Beijing as a key economic driver for the UK. The Department for Education was approached for comment. A UAL spokesman said: 'We value the diversity of our student body, and our international students form a key part of that. 'While we celebrate our international appeal and community, UAL has been alert to the associated risks of reliance on any particular country for a number of years, and has put in place measures to mitigate these. These measures include prioritising globally inclusive recruitment activities and developing our scholarships to help diversify our recruitment.' A University of Southampton spokesman said: 'Our global reputation means Southampton is a popular destination for students from across the world, with international students playing an important and welcome role in our diverse and vibrant community.' A spokesman for Goldsmiths, University of London, said: 'Goldsmiths is a leading creative and cultural university so it should come as no surprise that students from across the world choose to come here to acquire the skills and conduct research that will lead to successful careers. 'Britain's strength in attracting international students is only now seen as a weakness because of a broken university funding model that needs to be urgently fixed.'
