Researchers from the UK's University of Plymouth and University of Exeter asked patients, some of whom had experienced lower back pain for up to 40 years, if being in nature helped them coped better with their lower back pain. They found that people able to spend time in their own gardens saw some health and wellbeing benefits. However, those able to immerse themselves in larger green spaces such as forests felt even more positive, as they were able to lose themselves in the environment and focus more on that than their pain levels. The researchers have recommended trying to incorporate time spent in nature into people’s treatments plans, and are also using their findings to develop virtual reality interventions that allow people to experience some of the benefits of being in nature without the need to travel anywhere if they are unable to do so.

Anxiety over income and unfair feedback dominates working lives of delivery riders, drivers and “digital labour” workers in UK’s gig economy – with many reporting physical pain and hours spent working without pay waiting for the app to ping.

New research from Michigan State University with colleagues at Stanford shows that the sense of social connection in VR during classroom instruction (called social presence) enhances student outcomes compared to videoconferencing — until virtual meeting fatigue sets in.