Brainstorm | Opinion, Analysis, Reports, Features | RTÉ

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What is the best Irish word to describe 'cantankerous' buildings?

Brutalist buildings were intentionally reduced to raw, unornamented forms, honest and true to their materials, often with sculptural openings and projections

ChatGPT correctly understands the important of the Irish breakfast roll in Irish society, bringing to mind the evocative lyrics of The Jumbo Breakfast Roll (Image: Getty Images)

Can ChatGPT order a jumbo breakfast roll without messing up?

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No Mate for the Magpie – an unusual, perceptive Troubles novel

People taking a Whit Sunday dip in 1960: "Water was regarded to have "an evil spirit in it" at this time, so sailing, swimming, crossing water or even walking along the water's edge were advised against at this time". Photo: Getty Images

Why this Sunday is the unluckiest day of the year

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Bob Dylan: a legacy that will be measured in millennia

A man and a woman having an argument

Why your brain turns against you during arguments

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar (L) meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) in Brussels, Belgium, on April 29, 2026. (Photo by Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Why EU funding was the decisive factor in Hungary's election

A member of the public fills out their ballot paper in a booth in a Polling Station in Dublin

How are votes counted in an Irish Bye-Election?

Woman on laptop using mouse (Photo by Marek Levák on Unsplash)

Why every click made at work could be training your replacement

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Could moss help Irish roads deal with heavy rain?

A group shot of the actors Helen Mairead Tyers Claire Danielle Galligan MaggieStefanie Preissner Caroline Menton Louisa Harland

How more Irish novels are finding a new home on the small screen

DUBLIN, IRELAND - 2021/02/13: People seen walking by an open Bewley's Cafe in Dublin city center, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
Level 5 lockdown restrictions are set to be extended by Irish Government, by at least another six weeks with only scho

Why are so many companies becoming B Corps?

How Claude's AI model may cause security issues for your money

Sunrise Aerial over the City Hall Belfast, Northern Ireland

Is Northern Ireland a cost, or the scale Ireland's economy needs?

Elon Musk pictured with the World Economic Forum signage behind him

As SpaceX preps for IPO liftoff, how will voting controls work?

More Brainstorm

Work & Careers

Two women share an emotional moment, as one supports the other with comforting gestures. Captured indoors, the scene conveys care and understanding in a warm and private setting. (Getty Images)

Why are workplaces so unprepared for the serious illness talk?

circa 1926: The trimming room in a milliners in Luton. At the time Luton was appreciating such a wave of prosperity that there were only sixteen unemployed people in the town. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

How working lives have changed in Ireland since 1926 census

Business colleagues looking at digital tablet in modern conference room - motion blur

Why organisations keep picking the wrong boss

Work and careers

a group of people walking in a building

Are you an introvert who wants to get ahead at work?

Work and careers

It is time to consider what people value and what they want rather than just compensating them for what they do. Photo: Getty Images

Why money doesn't always motivate employees

Work and careers

WorkTok is a place where jobs transform into stories, and everyday workdays become moments worth reflecting on. Photo: Getty Images

How young workers are redefining the meaning of work with WorkTok

Work and careers

Shot of a young businesswoman looking stressed out while working on a laptop in an office at night (Getty Images)

'A single-minded focus on work is often bad for everyone'

Work and careers

Nature

"You can you can become a conservation hero by doing absolutely nothing." Photo: Getty Images

Why you should take a break from mowing your lawn in May

robin on a branch

How listening to birdsong while walking outside boosts well-being

Only 2% of Ireland is covered by native woodlands, far below the European average. Photo: Getty Images

Why it's time to bring back Ireland's rainforests

Gnathothlibus casementi – a species of Hawkmoth named in honour of Roger Casement. Photo: Eitschberger & O’Hanlon, 2023

Vipers, butterflies & parrots: the secret life of Roger Casement

A Dublin seagull contemplates a move to Cork. Photo: Liam Cleary/EyeEm/Getty Images

Why Cork gulls aren't as vicious as Dublin ones about your food

Health

woman at a table waiting for food

Why do some people get 'hangry' more quickly than others?

Woman washing her hair under a shower, eyes closed in a moment of self care and relaxation

Does the 'dark showering' sleep hack really work?

Two girls jumping into the water from a bathing jetty by a lake on a summer evening

Why teaching children about water safety needs a refresh

Mature business woman with gray hair is speaking to AI virtual assistant on her smartphone, planning meetings.

How a woman's voice changes during the menopause

Woman out walking caught in storm

The truth about energy in your 20s, 40s and 60s

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How local GPs are the hidden engine of rural Ireland

A human brain model made by needle felting

Why treating epilepsy isn't just about stopping seizures

Audio

stonelifters co waterford may 2015

Why a 115kg stone from Waterford is finding a new home in Boston

'Books with thick pages are good for small hands to manage'. Photo: Stephen Andrews/Unsplash

4 tips for reading with babies and toddlers

'When two strangers experience these small moments of shared positive emotion, it can look and feel very similar to some of the processes involved in our traditional idea of love'

How to fall in love with strangers

Cattle on North King Street, Dublin city in 1952/1953.

The inside story of Dublin's blood and guts economy

'While technology kept the lights on during the emergency remote teaching of the pandemic, it also allowed big tech to greatly increase its digital footprint in schools.' Photo: Getty Images

Who owns my child's data?

More Audio

Editor's Choice

All you need to know about the evolution of the spice bag

Traffic on the M50 Motorway at Finglas

How do you solve a problem like the M50?

Satellite imagery shows Strait of Hormuz

Is the Strait of Hormuz affecting your mental health?

A general view of the beach of Cuan an Mhada in Co Galway

How drones could be used to track plastic litter on Irish beaches

The Irish connections to the Falkland Islands

women football players

How common are pelvic floor problems for female GAA players?