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RTÉ Brainstorm - Brainstorm | Opinion, Analysis, Reports, Features | RTÉ

Did a tax on children's shoes really cause a government to fall?

Myths can be powerful drivers of narrative, and of public perceptions and contrary to popular belief, the likelihood is that the infamous 'tax on children's shoes' was not the primary ...

It can be difficult to find the right balance between being informed by the news media and not becoming overwhelmed - especially during a global crisis. Photo: Getty Images

Six tips for coping when the news is getting to you

'Data we examined from before the pandemic shows similar bullying prevalence rates amongst those working and not working from home'

How workplace bullying costs Ireland €239 million every year

Federico Fidel Fernandez, a Miami Cuban refugee, listens to President Kennedy's television address 22nd October 1962, in which the President explained the United States' position on the Cuban situation to the American people and the world.

JFK and the long shadow caused by the Bay of Pigs

"We have seen with SARS-CoV2 that vaccines have emerged based on this virus's spike protein, which is key to viral infection."

The role sugars and carbohydrates play in viruses and vaccines

Sea swimming saw an explosion in popularity during the summer of 2020.

The lure of the sea during lockdown

The Haddon Dixon Collection in the Skull Passage in Old Anatomy. Each skull was kept in a protective cover and labelled with its catalogue number in preparation for a conservation programme that is ongoing. Photo: Ciaran Walsh

The case of the missing skulls from Inishbofin

Photo: Rolling News

The next-gen tools that will help us in a post-Covid world

"In order to fully understand the impact of any product we must consider the emissions associated with various stages of its life" Photo: Getty Images

Are electric vehicles really better for the environment?

Electric Vehicle

Today, Ireland has many of the correct policies in place such as for electric cars, and renewable electricity, but these will have to be massively scaled and accompanied by new measures to reach the emissions reductions defined in the Bill

The challenges Ireland faces in achieving a 'net zero' economy

Author Lee Dunne (centre) with the cast of 'Harbour Hotel', a a long-running radio soap which was broadcast at lunchtimes on RTÉ Radio.

How Lee Dunne challenged the depiction of working-class mothers

As adults, physical contact such as holding hands can provide a buffer against a stressful experience. Physical contact also increases immune function. Photo: Getty Images

The importance of bringing hugs back after the pandemic

Viking conquest of England and Ireland - Viking ships sailing up the English Channel, 877. From painting by Herbert A. Bone (Image by Culture Club/Getty Images)

The far-reaching effects the Vikings had when they settled down

There are countless benefits to including walk and talk meetings as part of your weekly schedule. Photo: Getty Images

5 reasons why businesses should consider walk and talk meetings

Health and Fitness

Pollen itself isn't usually dangerous, its only when it enters the body that it starts to cause trouble.

The truth about pollen and why it's nothing to be sniffed at

More Brainstorm

Climate Change

More Climate Change

Today, Ireland has many of the correct policies in place such as for electric cars, and renewable electricity, but these will have to be massively scaled and accompanied by new measures to reach the emissions reductions defined in the Bill

The challenges Ireland faces in achieving a 'net zero' economy

"The average household in Ireland uses 125,000 litres of treated drinking water per year" Photo: Getty Images

5 ways for us to value water in our daily lives

"Culchies are all too familiar with the annual back breaking ritual, whereas townies seem to think it's archaic"

All you need to know about turf cutting

Peat bogs in Connemara. Photo: David Lefranc/Kipa/Sygma via Getty Images

How to read the climate history of a bog

"In order to fully understand the impact of any product we must consider the emissions associated with various stages of its life" Photo: Getty Images

Are electric vehicles really better for the environment?

Electric Vehicle

More Climate Change

Podcasts

"Accentism describes a situation where an individual feels as though they have been unfairly judged, treated, or commented on due to the way they speak." Photo: Getty Images

Can your accent really affect your job prospects?

Work and Careers

"The current pandemic has led to an exponential reliance on online dating" Photo: Getty Images

From courting to Tinder: the changing landscape of dating

Bulmers' award-winning North Cider or South Cider? advert on Dublin's Loopline Bridge. Photo: Bulmers/Young Advertising/ICAD

How global brands try to woo local markets

"People often feel uncomfortable if others know their salary"

How much are you paid?

It's my garden now, bud. Photo: Tim Graham/Getty Images

Why the fox has moved into our cities

Spotlight

How long-term renting is impacting on our mental health

'We are effectively creating problems for a generation'

How long-term renting is impacting on our mental health

'We are effectively creating problems for a generation'

The maths behind a perfect cup of coffee

Brewing the perfect cup of coffee involves equations as well as beans

How selfies show what it means to be human in the 21st century

Mary McGill on the links between selfies and major changes in society

Cad é go díreach atá á thabhairt agat nuair a thugann tú do DNA go dti 23andme?

Róisín Á Costello ar serbhisí taisteal géanutach, do DNA agus príobháideachta

Ideas

"Despite their popularity, only a few studies have investigated how accurate sleep devices are". Photo: Getty Images

Why your sleep tracker isn't as accurate as you think

"This is what makes the current situation so very different and potentially hugely problematic"

'People usually leave Ireland when a crisis hits our economy'

Livestock were in danger of being cursed or stolen and had to be protected with rituals

A guide to piseogs, Ireland's sinister folk magic spells

Is running a marathon under two hours humanly possible?

How sport uses science in the pursuit of medals, wins and records

Workers disinfect an airplane at Denver International Airport. Photo: Aaron Ontiveroz/ MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Can airlines and airports take off again after the pandemic?

Rita Childers in 1973 for RTÉ Guide. Photo: Roy Bedell © RTÉ Photographic Archive

The woman who could have been Ireland's first female president

"If your children had one wish for you, it would be your acceptance that being a 'good enough' parent to them is just that... enough"

Why 'good enough' parenting is good enough

Editor's Choice

The French cult comedy Call My Agent can be a source of inspiration for your return to work.

Has the pandemic killed off the suit as we know it?

In some cases, WFH has restructured the gendered roles of a household and brought families closer, but it has also blurred the lines between professional and personal life (Photo: Getty Images).

The key to a good work-life balance: family-friendly policies

"Despite the importance of professionalism, dignity and respect at work, there should always be a little room for fun and irreverence"

A tip for your next work meeting: what would Tommy Tiernan do?

Work and Careers

Pollen itself isn't usually dangerous, its only when it enters the body that it starts to cause trouble.

The truth about pollen and why it's nothing to be sniffed at

Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane who was murdered in 1989

Margaret Thatcher, British collusion and Pat Finucane's murder

Northern Ireland

Edward Mulhare, the North Mon boy and link between Knight Rider's KITT and Pope John Paul II"s Irish popemobile

The Cork actor, Knight Rider and the popemobile