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Wave energy’s huge potential could finally be unlocked by the power of sound – new research

Underwater waves could also be used to reduce the risks of tsunamis and to improve their early warning systems.

latest 30

The Conversation

Usama Kadri

Consumers are boycotting US goods around the world. Should Trump be worried?

Consumers are boycotting US goods around the world. Should Trump be worried?

As politicians around the world scramble to respond to US “liberation day” tariffs, consumers have also begun flexing their muscles. “Boycott USA”...

friday 20

The Conversation

Alan Bradshaw

US and Russia squabble over Arctic security as melting ice opens up shipping routes

US and Russia squabble over Arctic security as melting ice opens up shipping routes

“You cannot annex another country.” This was the clear message given by the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, at a recent press conference...

friday 20

The Conversation

Stefan Wolff

Why ChatGPT is a uniquely terrible tool for government ministers

Why ChatGPT is a uniquely terrible tool for government ministers

The news that Peter Kyle, secretary of state for science and technology, had been using ChatGPT for policy advice prompted some difficult...

friday 10

The Conversation

Deepak Padmanabhan

Peers elevated to the House of Lords after a career in the House of Commons are often merely being rewarded for loyalty – new study

Peers elevated to the House of Lords after a career in the House of Commons are often merely being rewarded for loyalty – new study

House of Lords reform is being debated once again with the passage of the bill to end hereditary peerages. But far more wide-reaching reform is...

friday 10

The Conversation

Stephen Holden Bates

What politicians could actually do about the issues raised in Adolescence

What politicians could actually do about the issues raised in Adolescence

Netflix hit Adolescence has ignited conversations across the UK about contemporary masculinity, online radicalisation and violence against women...

friday 9

The Conversation

Robert Lawson

The women who shaped Sigmund Freud and a hero who can’t feel pain – what to watch, read and do this week

The women who shaped Sigmund Freud and a hero who can’t feel pain – what to watch, read and do this week

Think of Sigmund Freud, the “father of psychoanalysis”, and a few images probably come to mind. A smouldering cigar. His small wire-frame glasses....

friday 1

The Conversation

Anna Walker

Life-size sculptures uncovered in Pompeii show that ancient women didn’t just have to be wives to make a difference

Life-size sculptures uncovered in Pompeii show that ancient women didn’t just have to be wives to make a difference

Visitors to the site of Pompeii, the ancient Roman town buried (and so preserved for thousands of years) by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD,...

friday 2

The Conversation

Emily Hauser

Taiwan’s latest computer chip has serious implications for technology – and the island’s security

Taiwan’s latest computer chip has serious implications for technology – and the island’s security

On April 1, 2025, the Taiwanese manufacturer TSMC introduced the world’s most advanced microchip: the 2 nanometre (2nm) chip. Mass production is...

friday 6

The Conversation

Domenico Vicinanza

Ireland’s neolithic passage tombs were not just the burial place of the elite – new research

Ireland’s neolithic passage tombs were not just the burial place of the elite – new research

In County Meath in eastern Ireland sits the world heritage site of Brú na Bóinne. The late 4th millennium BC megalithic tombs have been labelled “...

friday 4

The Conversation

Neil Carlin

Even just thinking you’re hungry could change your immune system – new research in mice

Even just thinking you’re hungry could change your immune system – new research in mice

Feeling hungry doesn’t just make you reach for a snack – it may also change your immune system. In a recent study in mice, we found that simply...

friday 6

The Conversation

Giuseppe D&39Agostino

The International Space Station is too clean – what does that tell us about how to co-exist with bugs on Earth?

The International Space Station is too clean – what does that tell us about how to co-exist with bugs on Earth?

One of the cleanest places beyond Earth may be making its residents ill. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have had rashes,...

friday 3

The Conversation

Samuel J. White

Shop smarter, not harder. How gentle messaging can help the planet more than tough talk

Shop smarter, not harder. How gentle messaging can help the planet more than tough talk

Fast fashion is booming, but so is its environmental toll. With up to 10% of global carbon emissions linked to the industry, the over-consumption...

friday 2

The Conversation

Jasmine Mohsen

‘Signalgate’: how the US government creates and guards its secrets

‘Signalgate’: how the US government creates and guards its secrets

The conundrum of when classified information is not deemed top secret is at the heart of the recent “Signalgate” controversy in which the US...

friday 8

The Conversation

Kaeten Mistry

Here’s how to create a more nature-literate society

Here’s how to create a more nature-literate society

Spring is the time of year when my friends remember what a strange job I have, because a stripy insect has just appeared in their kitchen and they...

friday 3

The Conversation

Seirian Sumner

A brief history of dance music – from basements to beaches, dancefloors have mirrored social change

A brief history of dance music – from basements to beaches, dancefloors have mirrored social change

When US rock'n'roll arrived in the UK in the mid-1950s, there were few places for British teenagers to dance to this exciting new genre. But by the...

03.04.2025 1

The Conversation

Katie Milestone

From Tiffany earrings to mobile phones – this is what happens when you swallow something you shouldn’t

From Tiffany earrings to mobile phones – this is what happens when you swallow something you shouldn’t

A man in Florida recently visited a Tiffany & Co jewellery store posing as a buyer for a professional US athlete. While viewing the items, together...

03.04.2025 1

The Conversation

Adam Taylor

COVID modelling reveals new insights into ancient social distancing – podcast

COVID modelling reveals new insights into ancient social distancing – podcast

Five years since COVID emerged, not only has the pandemic affected the way we live and work, it’s also influencing the way researchers are thinking...

03.04.2025 6

The Conversation

Gemma Ware

‘Doom loops’ are accelerating climate change – but we can break them

‘Doom loops’ are accelerating climate change – but we can break them

Vicious cycles are accelerating climate change. One is happening at the north pole, where rising temperatures caused by record levels of fossil...

03.04.2025 6

The Conversation

Jack Marley

Why is Israel expanding its offensive in Gaza and what does it mean for the Middle East? Expert Q&A

Why is Israel expanding its offensive in Gaza and what does it mean for the Middle East? Expert Q&A

Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza in March, blaming Hamas for rejecting a new US proposal to extend the ceasefire and free the...

03.04.2025 5

The Conversation

Scott Lucas

How the UK and Europe could respond to Trump’s ‘liberation day’ tariffs

How the UK and Europe could respond to Trump’s ‘liberation day’ tariffs

In a carefully choreographed address from the White House Rose Garden, US president Donald Trump announced a massive package of trade tariffs....

03.04.2025 5

The Conversation

Renaud Foucart

As Israel begins another assault in Gaza, Netanyahu is fighting his own war against the country’s legal system

As Israel begins another assault in Gaza, Netanyahu is fighting his own war against the country’s legal system

The Israel Defense Forces has launched a further major ground assault in Gaza – this time with the intention of taking and holding significant...

03.04.2025 8

The Conversation

Leonie Fleischmann

How the ‘manosphere’ spreads through online gaming, influencers and algorithms

How the ‘manosphere’ spreads through online gaming, influencers and algorithms

The Netflix series Adolescence has generated discussions about masculinity, male violence and the effect of “manosphere” content on boys. The...

03.04.2025 2

The Conversation

Lisa Sugiura

Why has Trump launched so many tariffs and will it cause a recession? Expert Q&A

Why has Trump launched so many tariffs and will it cause a recession? Expert Q&A

Donald Trump has always talked about how much he likes tariffs. And on April 2 2025, he showed that he meant it. For the president it was...

03.04.2025 2

The Conversation

Linda Yueh

Consecutive El Niños are happening more often and the result is more devastating – new research

Consecutive El Niños are happening more often and the result is more devastating – new research

El Niño, a climate troublemaker, has long been one of the largest drivers of variability in the global climate. Every few years, the tropical...

03.04.2025 5

The Conversation

Zhengyao Lu

Would you join the resistance if stuck in an authoritarian regime? Here’s the psychology

Would you join the resistance if stuck in an authoritarian regime? Here’s the psychology

Most of us like to believe we would have opposed the rise of Nazism in 1930s Germany. We may even like to imagine that we would have bravely fought...

03.04.2025 8

The Conversation

Magnus Linden

Parents’ fear of maths linked to lower achievement in children – new research

Parents’ fear of maths linked to lower achievement in children – new research

Mathematics anxiety is a feeling of tension and fear when dealing with numbers or performing calculations. It is a common form of academic anxiety:...

03.04.2025 6

The Conversation

Kinga Morsanyi

Blue Origin’s all-female space flight urges women to shoot for the stars – but astronaut memoirs reveal the cost of being exceptional

Blue Origin’s all-female space flight urges women to shoot for the stars – but astronaut memoirs reveal the cost of being exceptional

For the first time since Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963, a spacecraft will enter orbit with only women aboard. Blue...

03.04.2025 7

The Conversation

Jasleen Chana

Industrial chicken farms are trashing Britain’s rivers – and planning reforms could make things worse

Industrial chicken farms are trashing Britain’s rivers – and planning reforms could make things worse

Once voted the UK’s favourite river, the River Wye flows from the Welsh mountains to the Severn estuary – 150 miles through an officially...

03.04.2025 1

The Conversation

Rosalind Malcolm

The bizarre-looking dinosaur challenging what we know about the evolution of fingers

The bizarre-looking dinosaur challenging what we know about the evolution of fingers

Oviraptorosaurs are weird dinosaurs, which look a bit like flightless birds. But these ancient animals aren’t just funny looking fossils. As my...

03.04.2025 1

The Conversation

Milly Mead

This mucus-loving gut bacteria is important for health – here’s how to keep it happy

This mucus-loving gut bacteria is important for health – here’s how to keep it happy

The microbial community living within our large intestine is a highly dense and complex ecosystem. While some of these microbes cause illness and...

03.04.2025 1

The Conversation

Lucy Crouch

World Affairs Briefing: World considers response to Trump’s tariffs – and Israel launches new Gaza offensive

World Affairs Briefing: World considers response to Trump’s tariffs – and Israel launches new Gaza offensive

This article was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email newsletter. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest...

03.04.2025 5

The Conversation

Sam Phelps

What these new landing barges can tell us about China’s plans to invade Taiwan

What these new landing barges can tell us about China’s plans to invade Taiwan

China’s intentions when it comes to Taiwan have been at the centre of intense discussion for years. Both mainland China and Taiwan claim to...

02.04.2025 20

The Conversation

Matthew Heaslip

Flies are masters of migration – it’s about time they got some credit

Flies are masters of migration – it’s about time they got some credit

As I sprinted across the flower-rich meadow on the eastern coast of Cyprus, I could barely see my car. The air was full of tiny black dots, pelting...

02.04.2025 2

The Conversation

Will Hawkes

Babe at 30: why this much-loved film is one of the best cinematic translations of a children’s book

Babe at 30: why this much-loved film is one of the best cinematic translations of a children’s book

This spring, Babe is returning to cinemas to mark the 30th anniversary of its release in 1995. The much-loved family film tells the deceptively...

02.04.2025 2

The Conversation

Kiera Vaclavik

How your smelly farts can tell you what’s going on in your gut

How your smelly farts can tell you what’s going on in your gut

We’ve all been there: you try your best to keep it in, but you just can’t hold it anymore. You have to let it slip – how bad could it be? Then the...

02.04.2025 2

The Conversation

Maximilienne Toetie Allaart

Adolescence in schools: TV show’s portrayal of one boyhood may do more harm than good when used as a teaching tool

Adolescence in schools: TV show’s portrayal of one boyhood may do more harm than good when used as a teaching tool

Netflix television series Adolescence follows a 13-year-old boy accused of the murder of his female classmate. It touches upon incel online hate...

02.04.2025 1

The Conversation

Sophie King-Hill

Why AI therapists could further isolate vulnerable patients instead of easing suffering

Why AI therapists could further isolate vulnerable patients instead of easing suffering

Imagine a therapist could live in your pocket. They’d be on hand for every wobble, every meltdown, every crisis – no matter where or when....

02.04.2025 1

The Conversation

Nigel Mulligan

Misokinesia: when repetitive movements are infuriating to some people

Misokinesia: when repetitive movements are infuriating to some people

For some people, the mere sight of someone tapping their foot, twirling their hair or clicking a pen can trigger an intense sense of discomfort, or...

02.04.2025 1

The Conversation

Rebecca Ellis

Engineering hope: how I made it my mission to help rebuild Ukraine’s critical infrastructure

Engineering hope: how I made it my mission to help rebuild Ukraine’s critical infrastructure

The war in Ukraine is often marked by specific dates, like February 24, 2022 – the day of the full-scale invasion. But for many Ukrainians, that...

02.04.2025 10

The Conversation

Nadiia Kopiika

Shakespeare’s Cymbeline explores how to live through the end of the world

Shakespeare’s Cymbeline explores how to live through the end of the world

Written in 1611, Shakespeare’s Cymbeline is a raw mess – full of feeling and as messy as life. The 18th-century man of letters, Samuel Johnson...

02.04.2025 1

The Conversation

Michael Newton

What parents need to know to talk to their children about the manosphere

What parents need to know to talk to their children about the manosphere

The success of Netflix drama Adolescence, along with concerns about misogynistic influencers such as Andrew Tate, has brought the “manosphere” into...

02.04.2025 1

The Conversation

Annabel Hoare

People with dementia could stay in the workplace longer – with the right tech

People with dementia could stay in the workplace longer – with the right tech

For Paul, a finance administrator, things came to a head when his report mistakenly included £7,000,000 of costs rather than £700,000. Fearing...

02.04.2025 9

The Conversation

James Fletcher

Hyrox: this challenging race could improve your strength, endurance and fitness – here’s the evidence

Hyrox: this challenging race could improve your strength, endurance and fitness – here’s the evidence

Whether you’re an avid runner or frequently go to the gym, many fitness enthusiasts find they eventually get stuck in a routine – logging the same...

02.04.2025 3

The Conversation

Nicola Robinson

Five ways to improve net zero action – our new research highlights lessons from the past

Five ways to improve net zero action – our new research highlights lessons from the past

The current UK government and its recent predecessors have shown a reluctance to encourage and enable lifestyle changes that reduce our collective...

02.04.2025 2

The Conversation

Karen Bickerstaff

How Islamic State used video to legitimise its caliphate

How Islamic State used video to legitimise its caliphate

The rise of the self-styled Islamic State (IS) has been described as an “accident of history” which took place as a result of the illegal invasion...

02.04.2025 1

The Conversation

Moign Khawaja

Trips to the playground and jigsaw puzzles: five surprising ways to help children learn to write

Trips to the playground and jigsaw puzzles: five surprising ways to help children learn to write

It’s a milestone that leaves parents beaming with pride: the first time their child shakily writes out their own name. And it’s the start of many...

02.04.2025 20

The Conversation

Sinéad Mccauley Lambe

Barry Lyndon at 50: why Kubrick’s most overlooked masterpiece deserves another viewing

Barry Lyndon at 50: why Kubrick’s most overlooked masterpiece deserves another viewing

Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, struggled at the box office when it was released. It remains one of the...

02.04.2025 30

The Conversation

Nathan Abrams

Dogs see their world through smell – and scientists are starting to translate it like never before

Dogs see their world through smell – and scientists are starting to translate it like never before

Scent is how dogs largely experience the world, a lot like the way we humans rely on sight. We know little about how dogs interpret scent, but...

01.04.2025 7

The Conversation

Jacqueline Boyd

The dark side of psychiatry – how it has been used to control societies

The dark side of psychiatry – how it has been used to control societies

In his new book, No More Normal, psychiatrist Alastair Santhouse recalls an experience from the 1980s when he was a university student in the UK...

01.04.2025 1

The Conversation

Caitjan Gainty