Brainstorm | Opinion, Analysis, Reports, Features

Figures indicate that 7,102 patient discharges were delayed in 2022, resulting in 207,096 lost bed days. Photo: Getty Images

Who makes the decisions on Irish healthcare budgets?

Events would suggest our current approach to making decisions in the healthcare system about the annual €25.8 billion budget is flawed

Healthcare • 07 Nov 24

Flooding at Salthill in Galway this week due to Storm Debi. Photo: Enda O'Brien

What's required for local areas to predict and anticipate floods?

Researchers are working on a robust flood alarm system to alert local authorities to potential flooding events in local areas

Climate • 01 Nov 24

'The Famine experience may also have been a factor why people made less accurate age statements after the traumatic event - especially as it was the older cohorts that had lived through the Famine.'

The age-heaping mystery: why so many people forgot their real age

'Age-heaping' may explain the huge over-representation of people with ages ending in zero or five in past Irish censuses

Statistics • 21 Oct 24

'The findings mean students can achieve significant gains with regular, brief homework sessions, allowing them to reinforce what they've learned in class without overwhelming them with hours of extra work each evening.'

How homework sessions up to 15 minutes could add up for students

A study of over 4,100 Irish students has found that giving homework more frequently but in shorter bursts produces better results

Homework • 19 Sep 24

Gerald Bruton outside his house with new solar panels and electric car. Photo: Ken Bruton

A step by step guide to how a Cork homeowner cut energy costs

Gerald Bruton's campaign to cut energy costs and emissions involved both new technologies and behavioural change

Energy • 06 Sep 24

There are a few options to deal with used tyres, but all of them have limitations. Photo: David Edelstein/Unsplash

What will Ireland do with 63,000 tonnes of used tyres annually?

A new research project is looking at how to create a viable, valuable, eco-friendly solution in Ireland for used tyres

Environment • 04 Sep 24

Despite progress on renewable electricity, we are too dependent on imported fossil fuels to heat our homes, fuel our cars and power our kitchens. Photo: Getty Images

Expensive and volatile: the problems with Ireland's energy supply

We've little control over our energy supply or prices as we're so reliant on imports due to our fossil fuel dependency

Energy • 09 Sep 24

The Celtic Interconnector will be Ireland's first direct electricity interconnection with continental Europe. Map: Réseau de Transport d'Electricité France

Why the Celtic interconnector is about more than just electricity

The Celtic Interconnector will be a key physical manifestation of the importance of Ireland's post-Brexit ties with continental Europe

Energy • 16 Aug 24

There's certainly some way to go if the Government is to achieve their 2030 target of nearly one million electric vehicles on the road. Photo: Getty Images

What's behind the fall in electric car sales in Ireland?

The different preferences of early adopters and mainstream consumers could account for why sales are changing in Ireland

Electric Cars • 15 Aug 24

Data centres now account for 21% of electricity consumed in Ireland, placing a strain on the grid, increasing the likelihood of power shortages, and putting climate targets in jeopardy

Data centres use a lot of electricity, but can this be reduced?

Researchers believe they could increase energy efficiency in data centres by 70 to 80% through the use of laser technology

Data Centres • 14 Aug 24

'O'Devaney Gardens in Dublin's north inner city exemplifies how competing priorities can hinder the realisation of of affordable housing'. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Why urban regeneration projects need proper input from citizens

Successful urban regeneration projects require meaningful engagement, participation and involvement from residents

Housing • 07 Aug 24

'Enniscorthy has a population of just over 12,000 people and it's typical of many similar towns across the country.' Photo: Getty Images

How to design a transport plan for Enniscorthy and Irish towns

Enniscorthy is an ideal test case to show how to provide sustainable transport outside the big cities in Ireland

Transport • 30 Jul 24

A biorefinery processing grass at the Shinagh dairy farm in west Cork. Photo: Biorefinary Glas project

Could biorefineries turn green grass into gold?

Research shows that grass biorefineries may offer significant benefits for farmers, communities and the environment

Agriculture • 27 Aug 24

'Coastal areas have traditionally experienced milder climates due to the moderating influence of the Atlantic Ocean, but are now seeing significant increases in extreme temperatures'

Why Ireland can expect to see more extreme future heatwaves

While average temperatures are rising, research shows that extreme temperatures are increasing at an even faster rate

Climate Change • 02 Jul 24

'A vehicle in a tourist area might store information about tourist attractions, hotels and restaurants, but a vehicle in a city centre might store information about traffic conditions, parking availability and public transportation'. Photo: Getty Images

Are connected cars the future of transportation?

Connected cars would allow for the fast and efficient exchange of data about traffic, weather, parking and other issues

Transport • 24 Jun 24

Ballot counters prepare to open ballot boxes at the RDS centre in Dublin, in Ireland, 25 May 2007. Photo: Getty Images

All you need to know about how election votes are counted

Ballot boxes have opened across the country. What happens to your vote now?

Elections 2024 • 08 Jun 24

How companies make it hard to cancel online subscriptions

It's all down to dark patterns, those design tricks used to convince you to do things you may not have originally planned

technology • 09 May 24

'Many individuals with cerebral palsy face considerable and unnecessary challenges in their daily lives'. Photo: Getty Images

Why kids with cerebral palsy deserve better outcomes

A new cerebral palsy research programme is looking at how to improve care pathways through prevention, early detection and intervention

Health • 23 Apr 24

'Decarbonisation in the Irish agricultural sector, then, is imperative, with adaptation of farming systems playing a pivotal role in ensuring ambitious national emissions targets are met.'

Can farms combining livestock and crops improve sustainability?

Mixed farming systems are a potential solution to bridging the gap between agriculture's economic and environmental challenges

Farming • 26 Mar 24

'Range anxiety and concerns abouyt charging infrastructure remain a worry for EV owners who made the switch.' Photo: Getty Images

Will 41,000 electric cars be sold in Ireland in 2024?

We need to see 41,000 EV sales in 2024 and grow this to 185,000 by 2030 to meet the target of electrifying one-third of cars by 2030

Electric Cars • 25 Mar 24

Suits stars Patrick J Adams as Mike Ross and Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane. Photo: Dutch Oven/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock

Is AI going to change the reality of a legal career?

AI may be a tool for enhancing efficiency and reducing mundane tasks in the legal sector rather than a threat to job security

law • 11 Mar 24

'Over half of Irish runners sustain an injury every year and the impact these injuries have on their lives can be significant'

Are you a runner living in 'Niggle City' with pain & discomfort?

What runners tell us about their experiences with the infamous niggles can enhance our understanding of injury

Running • 13 Feb 24

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