RTÉ Brainstorm

The convergence of geology, climate, vegetation and human history allowed peat to accumulate on an extraordinary scale over thousands of years.

You might not know it, but Ireland is dotted with extinct volcanoes that have shaped the island we know and love today.

The spice bag sits proudly alongside the spiceburger, jumbo breakfast roll, jambon and chicken fillet roll in the pantheon of great 21st century Irish dishes.

An Ceithearnach Caoilriabhach was a rule-breaking trickster in Early Modern Irish culture, a figure who caused chaos wherever he went.

New social norms and behaviour are behind the rise of headphone dodgers on public transport showing zero consideration for those around them.

Art created by Ken Howard during the Troubles shows the power of images to control the conflict narrative and conceal the reality of war.

Until switching banks is as easy as switching mobile network, most of us will stay in the same financial relationship we began in college.

Can we trust AI with our health, our hearts or our sanity? Not yet at least, not without supervision.

Buckley's prep for the Trinity Ball, his first ever European show, involved drinking tea, eating Mikado biscuits and watching The Late Late Show

Governments are increasingly advising people to keep cash on hand for emergencies which may severely impair electronic payments systems.

The German trend for airing your house even in the depths of winter has become a TikTok trend, but does it actually make a home healthier?

The price of a pint of plain in Irish pubs has increased at a much higher rate than headline inflation over the past three years.

You're certainly getting more than oxygen as DNA captured from the atmosphere shows exactly what's in the air in the capital city.

Shipping the Cloch Bán up to Boston is a slightly eccentric idea, but it captures how diaspora communities find joy in heritage.

The city centre was home to many businesses and trades involving the byproducts of animals until the 1980s.

The benefits of reading with young children, including babies, are well documented. However, not all parents start reading with their baby as early as they might.

Biometric fraud like voice spoofing and audio deepfakes are part of broader social engineering attacks by scammers and criminals.

You have probably heard all the positives about learning a second language. So, what’s the catch? Well, learning a new language might actually cause you to lose parts of your first language.

Teachers, parents and children should have a say in the role of technology in schools and on the types of data it collects and why.

From banks to insurance, companies punish loyal consumers with higher prices, while new customers are rewarded with better deals.

Making the most efficient use of your new domestic solar panel installation means a deep dive into usage and storage.

These simple, quick initiatives could deliver financial relief, promote fairer markets and strengthen consumer protections.

How do you feel when you hear the words mucus, cyst and moist? We all have certain words or phrases that make us react in different ways. Certain words can provoke positive feelings, while others may make our skin crawl.

The quietness of electric vehicles is a significant safety challenge for pedestrians, cyclists and people with visual impairments

There are 120 or so women's sheds in operation around the country at present and that number is on the rise.

The A to Z on planning for the unplannable and dealing with the many known and unknown risks and emergencies a country may face.

The Irish language may be having a revival right now, but Gaeilgeoirí up and down the island have some issues they'd like to raise

About a third of the Irish population live in towns which have seen massive changes in recent years and can expect more to come

You may think it's a given that the All Ireland champions for 2026 in all Gaelic codes can only come from a small number of counties, but what about 2036? We take a look at the developments which may well change where the future strongholds will be.

As drones become a constant buzz in our lives, we look at where drones have come from - and just where we can expect them to go next

All you ever wanted to know about how we perceive time as humans, why we use the measurements that we use, how time changes as we get older and why the Universe says time is all relative anyway.

Restaurants are closing on a weekly basis due to rising costs, but Irish consumers are also spending €2.2 billion a year on food delivery. By Ronan Carbery, UCC.

Employers in Ireland are implementing 'quiet redundancies' to scale back workforces in the face of uncertainty, tariffs and AI. By Aoife Ryan-Christensen, Brainstorm.

The legal landscape surrounding the use of drones is currently far from clear and many practical questions remain unanswered. By Kathryn O'Sullivan, University of Limerick.

The use of Gaeilge at demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people is part of the radical tradition of Irish language activism. By Ciara Grant, UCC.

The general belief was that you should leave the statue outside under a bush the night before the wedding to ensure good weather

Warning signs that your job is no longer right for you include burnout, boredom, and feeling undervalued.

From hazelnuts and fish to dairy and beef, new archaeological evidence reveals what our ancestors ate.

Presenteeism—working while sick—is common in Ireland, but it has long-term consequences for health and productivity.

The prospect of Irish Defence Forces making incursions into Northern Ireland was seriously considered in response to the 1969 violence.

From ‘howya lads’ to ‘hiya girls’, Irish greetings reveal a lot about our social norms and changing gender dynamics.

At 92 years of age, Richard Morgan was a four-time world champion in indoor rowing.

The roots of Elverys and its elephant logo lie in a remarkable 19th-century shop on Sackville Street.

President John F. Kennedy attended a state dinner in Iveagh House on 28 June 1963 during his iconic visit to Ireland – here’s how the night unfolded.

The Tipperaryman's adventures as a grandee at large in South America involved everything from coca collection to debt collecting. By Richard Fitzpatrick, Maynooth University.

The sober-curious movement has seen sales of non-alcoholic drinks rocket, but do these beverages come with health benefits? By Ana Soriano and John Kenny, Teagasc

Aside from publishing death notices and condolences, RIP.ie is also a rich source of significant personal, cultural and historical data. By Shannon Mora, TCD.

One of the main factors driving the demand for micro-retirement breaks is the employee's desire to achieve a better work-life balance

There's no doubt that bonus points are driving the uptake of Higher Level maths, but the initiative has had unintended consequences. By Niamh O'Meara, University of Limerick; Páraic Treacy, MIC Limerick and Mark Prendergast, UCC

A bucket list of GAA destinations to explore, all offering unique social insight and powerful historical connections to Gaelic games