Darwin identified fire and language as the key elements of human progress. Professor Elliot Berry, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, argues that nutrition and food security are equally vital for cultural evolution. He is a Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers in Nutrition – Nutrition and Sustainable Diets, and an Editor of the three volume Encyclopaedia of Food Security and Sustainability. Berry explains that food security supports the development of sociotypes, which describe how individuals interact within society, and emphasizes their importance, especially amid global crises, for sustainable development and public health. He advocates that we recognize food security as a fundamental human right and incorporate sociotype concepts in medicine and public health.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union faced a crisis that demanded a swift and unified response. A new study by Professor Elena Baracani from the University of Bologna examines how Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, used her leadership role to shape the EU’s reaction during the crucial first 10 weeks of the conflict.

Ever wondered why letters look the way they do? Dr Hana Jee at York St John University in the UK investigates intriguing connections between how languages sound and how they are written. Using a number of methodologies, she has conducted innovative research to quantify these relationships. Her work began with Korean Hangul, a writing system intentionally designed to be highly logical and systematic. Dr Jee has since expanded her research to include diverse scripts like Arabic, English, Hebrew and many others. Her findings suggest unexpected patterns across writing systems, opening several fascinating future research avenues.