The Conversation UK

An independent news and commentary website produced by academics and journalists. Free to read and republish.

Flips

Big gods came after the rise of civilisations, not before, finds study using huge historical database
The Conversation UK - Harvey Whitehouse and Patrick E. Savage and Peter Turchin and Pieter Francois
When you think of religion, you probably think of a god who rewards the good and punishes the wicked. But the idea of morally concerned gods is by no …
European Union
Theresa May requests short Brexit extension: how to understand this reckless move
The Conversation UK - Simon Lee
Before the October 1964 general election, Harold Wilson was reported to have stated “a week is a long time in politics”. Never has that maxim been …
Culture (UK)
Meghan Markle: reports of her 'British accent' sound like journalistic licence, say linguistics experts
The Conversation UK - Adrian Leemann and Jane Setter and Sam Kirkham
Fairly soon after her marriage to Prince Harry in May 2018, articles about Meghan Markle started to appear – in the BBC, Mirror, Daily Star and Daily …
Bill Clinton
The Mueller probe: Kenneth Starr sees 'eerie echoes' of his 1990s Clinton investigation
The Conversation UK - Clodagh Harrington
As with Vladimir and Estragon awaiting Godot in Samuel Beckett’s play, those eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Mueller Report may have to …
Elephants
Safari tourism may make elephants more aggressive – but it's still the best tool for conservation
The Conversation UK - Isabelle Szott and Nicola F. Koyama
Going on safari in Africa offers tourists the opportunity to see some of the most spectacular wildlife on Earth – including African elephants …
Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse: the psychology of coercive control remains a legal battlefield
The Conversation UK - Charlotte Bishop
Not everyone was celebrating when Sally Challen’s murder conviction for killing her husband was quashed. The backlash on social media indicates we …
Gang Violence
British army: should 16-year-olds be able to enlist? Academic experts debate
The Conversation UK - Matt Fossey and Nick Caddick
In the UK, 16 and 17-year-olds can join the British Army as soldiers, with consent from their parents. Soldiers cannot be deployed to the front line …
Economy
Small brewers show how craft principles could reshape the economy – but they're under threat
The Conversation UK - Maikel Kuijpers and Catalin Popa and Jochem Kroezen
Our economy currently relies heavily on unsustainable industrial principles of mass scale, never-ending growth and throwaway consumerism. The …
Economy
Ending austerity: make tax fairer and more transparent
The Conversation UK - Kate Pickett
To end austerity and make the economy work better for the whole country requires transforming the tax system. It is time for the UK to have a …
Health (UK)
Even light physical activity has health benefits – new research
The Conversation UK - Richard Metcalfe
Most people probably don’t think of everyday activities – such as hanging out the washing or putting away the groceries – as having an effect on …
NATO
We war-gamed an escalation of the Ukraine-Russia crisis – here's what it taught us about the real world
The Conversation UK - Holger Nehring and Megan Dee
It is 9am on a chilly March morning. Delegates from across the world have assembled for an emergency meeting of the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s …
Mexico-U.S. Border Wall
The unspoken violence of Donald Trump's border wall
The Conversation UK - Nour Halabi
Ever since his days on the election campaign trail the US president, Donald Trump, has assured voters of his intentions to build a wall along the US …
Islamophobia
Christchurch attacks show Islamophobia is real, deadly and spreading around the world
The Conversation UK - Imran Awan
When I woke up to the news that 50 people had been killed and at least 20 wounded in shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, I couldn’t help but …
Health (UK)
How we solved the mystery of the human sperm tail – and what it could mean for the future of IVF
The Conversation UK - Hermes Gadelha
Every time a man ejaculates about 55m sperm are released. This is equivalent to more than six times the entire population of London or New York, and …
Boeing 737 MAX
Boeing 737 MAX: after two fatal crashes, an expert explains the issues
The Conversation UK - Guy Gratton
The Boeing 737 is the most produced commercial aeroplane in history: over 10,000 have been built since it first flew in 1967, with thousands more on …
Education
Students, this is how you can stand out from the crowd in a very competitive job market
The Conversation UK - Amy Irwin and Gabi Lipan
The employment market is saturated with graduates who have good degrees and the right qualifications. So the question on many recruiters’ minds is: …
Irish Government
Brexit: Ireland determined to avoid no-deal scenario as UK plays politics with the Irish border
The Conversation UK - Etain Tannam
Despite the UK parliament’s decision to reject a no-deal Brexit, unless MPs at Westminster finally agree Theresa May’s Brexit deal, or the EU agrees …
John Bercow
John Bercow's Brexit bombshell – it was arrogant for the government not to see this coming
The Conversation UK - Matthew Flinders
Just when you think John Bercow, the speaker of the House of Commons, cannot possibly sink any lower in the eyes of the Conservative Party, he …
Politics
National service for the environment – what an army of young conservationists could achieve
The Conversation UK - Michelle Bloor
The school climate strikes show that young people want to fight climate change, but their enthusiasm for collective action is largely untapped. A …
Culture (UK)
The Wandering Earth: why you need to see China's latest sci-fi blockbuster
The Conversation UK - Hiu Man Chan
As China demonstrated its space credentials by landing a lunar probe on the far side of the moon in January 2019, a science fiction movie was hitting …
Economy
Austerity has pushed the UK's poorest households further into debt – here's how
The Conversation UK - Hulya Dagdeviren and Sheilla Luz
Debt is a growing problem for people on low incomes and it has been made worse by the austerity policies that followed the 2007-08 financial crisis. …
Health (UK)
Eggs and health: unscrambling the message
The Conversation UK - Tom Sanders
It’s hard to keep up with the message on eggs. Are they good for you or not? In the 1960s, people were told: “Go to work on an egg”. But in the 1970s …
Social Media
Extreme far right: 'pick’n’mix' ideologies and direct messaging online make for deadly new combination
The Conversation UK - Chris Allen
While it is difficult to look beyond the atrocities committed in New Zealand, that they were perpetrated by someone inspired by the extreme right …
Social Media
Four ways social media platforms could stop the spread of hateful content in aftermath of terror attacks
The Conversation UK - Bertie Vidgen
The deadly attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in which 50 people were killed and many others critically injured, was streamed live …
Ice Age
Indian summer monsoon amplified global warming 130,000 years ago, helping end ice age
The Conversation UK - Katrina Nilsson-Kerr and Pallavi Anand
The past may be a surprisingly useful guide for predicting responses to future climate change. This is especially important for places where extreme …
Rwanda
Rwanda: as tensions mount with Uganda, here's how to defuse the crisis
The Conversation UK - Jonathan Beloff
Tensions are mounting dangerously between Rwanda and Uganda. The two central African countries historically have been closely linked, with each …
Health (UK)
How can I help a friend with depression?
The Conversation UK - Lowri Dowthwaite
How do I help a depressed friend? She’s 13 and she says it’s due to trauma, and even though we’re bffs she’s never told me what the trauma is. – …
Driverless cars: how you'll use free time for work and rest – according to research
The Conversation UK - Zia Wadud
One of the most attractive things about driverless cars is their potential to free up the time spent driving from A to B. Like passengers on trains …
Cyber-attacks
Why Emmanuel Macron's plan for a European agency to fend off fake news makes sense
The Conversation UK - Alexi Drew
When French president Emmanuel Macron sent an open letter to the people of Europe, he said their first freedom is democratic – “the freedom to choose …
Culture (UK)
Brexit: Europe has changed UK food culture for the better – leaving could turn back the clock
The Conversation UK - Richard Tresidder
When the UK joined the Common Market in 1974, the country’s restaurants had a total of 26 Michelin stars, the industry standard restaurant rating, in …