Welcome to Research Features – where curiosity meets discovery!

We believe that the wonders of research shouldn’t be confined to academic journals but should be celebrated and shared with a broader audience. We invite you to embark on a journey of discovery with us, where we learn more about the fascinating processes and people driving scientific advancements.

Humans are social creatures; we live in family groups, socialise with friends, and work with colleagues. Evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar’s ‘social brain hypothesis’ suggests that brain size is directly related to social group size in mammals. The bigger the group, the bigger the brain. We find out how Dunbar developed his theory as well as his now famous ‘Dunbar’s number’.

We also had the privilege to talk to Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, an astrophysicist who discovered the first radio pulsars during her post-graduate research in 1967. She is only the second woman in history to receive the Royal Society’s prestigious award, the Copley Medal (2021) for her sustained outstanding achievements to astronomy. We learn more about her life, work and amazing achievements.

So join us as we embark on a journey of discovery, one article at a time. Welcome aboard!