Benjamin Plackett
Since 2013, Benjamin has been travelling to the Arab world to tell stories of science and research, sometimes in recent post-conflict zones. He’s met researchers, who at great personal risk, hurriedly buried their expensive lab equipment as ISIS approached Mosul and he’s interviewed university administrators attempting to rebuild the region’s answer to Oxbridge even as terrorist attacks continue to threaten the campus. His work has been published by Scientific American, Associated Press, CNN, and Engadget amongst others. He has an M.A. in journalism from New York University and a B.Sci. in biology from Imperial College, London.
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News & Reports
Mosul’s Students Return to a Battered Campus
The University of Mosul’s professors and students have come back to the campus, but have to cope with demolished and…
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News & Reports
Iraqi City Displays Grassroots Urban Planning
New informal settlements built in Duhok are improving their designs, partly out of fear of government reprisals.
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News & Reports
Books in Bags Lead to Back Pain
New research measured the forces on students’ spines created by heavy backpacks, and how poor posture amplifies those forces.
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News & Reports
Arab Citizens Are Disenchanted with Politics
Analysis of detailed 2016 survey data indicates a lack of interest among residents of Arab countries in civic engagement.
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News & Reports
Qatari Research Shows Environmental Cost of Bitcoin
New research shows that the digital currency has a large environmental impact, but not all experts agree that it is…
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News & Reports
Keeping an Eye on Blindness, A Regional Issue
The causes of vision loss in the Arab region are changing, researchers say, and public health policy makers need to…
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News & Reports
Tunisian Youth Find a Political Voice in Rap
Since the revolution a new art form among Tunisia’s youth has provided a political outlet.
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News & Reports
Saudi Students Are Caught in a Diplomatic Row
Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic row with Canada has upended the future of thousands of Saudi students at Canadian universities, forcing them…
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Tips & Resources
What Science Says About Getting Good Sleep
Sleep scientists say research points to specific measures people can take to get a better night’s rest.
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