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11. Why does the gender pay gap persist in higher education, and how can we eliminate it?
45:27The gender pay gap is identified as the difference in pay between men and women. A new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute has revealed that women are paid on average 11.9% less than men in higher education institutions – that’s colleges and universities across the UK where students undertake undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. This week we interviewed a panel of scientists and policymakers, including the author of the report to find out why the gender pay gap persists and how we can eliminate it.
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10. How does science make the headlines?
47:32Instead of talking to a researcher or scientist about a controversial headline, we interviewed Fiona Fox to find out how science gets into the headlines. Fiona Fox is the CEO of the Science Media Centre and author of Beyond the Hype: The Inside Story of Science's Biggest Media Controversies. When news articles cover new research findings, you’ll often see a quote from a scientist giving their opinion on the evidence. This journalist has likely gone via the Science Media Centre to find an expert to comment on the story. Listen to find out how science and the media communicate and how science makes it into the headlines.
9. Is social prescribing the prescription for youth mental health?
27:35Recent news articles have claimed young people needing mental health support will be offered social prescribing in light of lengthy waiting lists. We interviewed Dr Daniel Hayes to find out more about social prescribing and what the evidence shows when it comes to supporting mental health.
8. Mental health in Punjabi communities: what insights does charity research reveal?
37:02We interviewed Shuranjeet Singh and Dr. Gurmukh Panesar from Taraki to better understand how charities conduct research and to find out more about their latest report on depression in Punjabi communities.
7. About us + highlights
16:37Thank you so much to everyone who listened in 2023! Can't wait for you to see what we have in store this year. In this episode, we talk more about why we make the podcast, highlights from previous episodes, and what we've got coming up in 2024.
6. Why are young people lonely, and what can we do about it?
56:27Dr. Kathryn Bates, researcher Dr. Lily Verity, and activist Molly Taylor discuss why there are such high rates of loneliness in young people and how we can combat it. We cover everything from how we define loneliness, how we research it, the value of young people's voices, and how activism can help combat loneliness. Links to the recommendations and support on our website: www.scienceorfiction.co.uk
2. How can we understand mental health and mental illness?
55:10In this special episode of The Science or Fiction Podcast, Dr Kathryn Bates and Afraa Din interview clinical psychologist and researcher, Dr. Eleanor Chatburn, to find out how we can better understand mental health and mental illness. What is normal and when do we need to seek help? How can we seek help? We ask these questions and more to find out