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Doubts about women in combat don’t stand up to history

A person’s gender does not matter on the battlefield, and history agrees.

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The Conversation

Ashleigh Percival-Borley

Teenagers are preparing for the jobs of 25 years ago – and schools are missing the AI revolution

One-third of students in an OECD survey said school has not taught them anything useful for a job.

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The Conversation

Irina Rets

Christmas at the end of the world: the curious allure of festive apocalypse films and TV

Why not wrap up in a warm blanket, grab a mulled wine and settle down to consider the end of everything this Christmas?

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The Conversation

Andrew Crome

With UK unemployment rising, will the goverment’s plan for young people pay off? An economist’s view

Will higher minimum wages put employers off young workers?

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The Conversation

Rachel Scarfe

How cranberries can be a Christmas cracker for health this festive season

Cranberries contain compounds that may help prevent urinary tract infections and support heart and brain health, but supplements are not always the...

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The Conversation

Dipa Kamdar

The ten most surprising facts from the 2024 election revealed

The ten most surprising facts from the 2024 election revealed

As a landmark study of the 2024 election is published, The Conversation asked Tim Bale, who co-authored with Rob Ford, Will Jennings and Paula...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Tim Bale

Amadeus: Will Sharpe and Paul Bettany bring Mozart and Salieri to life in this smart and sexy TV remake

Amadeus: Will Sharpe and Paul Bettany bring Mozart and Salieri to life in this smart and sexy TV remake

Revisiting Peter Shaffer’s 1979 play Amadeus is no small feat. Joe Barton, the writer behind Netflix’s Black Doves, has taken on the challenge of...

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Dominic Broomfield-Mchugh

Dissecting the Grinch: what anatomy reveals about Christmas’s most famous villain

Dissecting the Grinch: what anatomy reveals about Christmas’s most famous villain

The Grinch is one of the holiday season’s most familiar icons. The grumpy, green, fur-covered misanthrope who plotted to sabotage Christmas in Dr...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Lucy E. Hyde

Think you know Hans Christian Andersen? Four experts pick his weirdest fairy tales to read this Christmas

Think you know Hans Christian Andersen? Four experts pick his weirdest fairy tales to read this Christmas

Hans Christian Andersen is one of Denmark’s most cherished writers – a master of the literary fairy tale whose influence stretches far beyond The...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Ane Grum-Schwensen

Clackers, magnets and water beads: how to avoid a trip to the emergency room this Christmas

Clackers, magnets and water beads: how to avoid a trip to the emergency room this Christmas

We officially started watching Christmas films this weekend gone (alright, three weekends ago). One of them was the hilariously awful Jingle All...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Dan Baumgardt

In this age of global uncertainty, where in the world can we look for guidance?

In this age of global uncertainty, where in the world can we look for guidance?

When Donald Trump stood on the White House lawn in April 2025 holding a large, laminated poster announcing the first round of trade tariffs to be...

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Ian Scoones

As flu cases spike, is it time to start wearing masks again?

As flu cases spike, is it time to start wearing masks again?

With flu season arriving early and NHS leaders encouraging people with symptoms to wear masks in public, a question arises: do masks actually work...

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The Conversation

Paul Hunter

Christmas adverts are hijacking the Love Actually feel-good spirit to get us spending more

Christmas adverts are hijacking the Love Actually feel-good spirit to get us spending more

The Christmas advert season has officially started, and Richard Curtis’s genius is all around – again. From the carrot expressing love on a...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Michal Chmiel

Sophie Kinsella showed that ‘light’ fiction can speak to women’s real lives

Sophie Kinsella showed that ‘light’ fiction can speak to women’s real lives

The bestselling British author Sophie Kinsella “peacefully” died two days before her 56th birthday on December 10, 2025. Across more than 30 books...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Charlotte Ireland

Buy now, panic later is the new holiday ritual – stopping it won’t be easy

Buy now, panic later is the new holiday ritual – stopping it won’t be easy

The holiday season brings celebration and gift-giving, but it also ushers in something less festive: financial stress. In the UK, retailers now...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Olga Cam

What makes people welcome or reject refugees? What research in Germany reveals

What makes people welcome or reject refugees? What research in Germany reveals

Across the EU, immigration is one of the most divisive topics in politics today. Germany, a country once known for its “Willkommenskultur” (welcome...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Tobias Hillenbrand

How abandoned land can power a fair energy transition

How abandoned land can power a fair energy transition

Across the UK, millions of households are struggling to afford to heat their homes. Energy poverty has risen sharply since 2021, with around 6...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Harry Radzuan

How bus stops and bike lanes can make or break your festive city trip

How bus stops and bike lanes can make or break your festive city trip

Picture yourself strolling through Christmas markets, sipping mulled wine. Would you want to spend more time exploring the city or waiting for a...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Harry Radzuan

The best dinosaur discoveries of 2025

The best dinosaur discoveries of 2025

In 2025, dinosaurs were everywhere. In May, the BBC revived their landmark series Walking With Dinosaurs, while July saw the release of Jurassic...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Richard Butler

Cannabis dependence is rising in England and Wales – but treatment is lagging

Cannabis dependence is rising in England and Wales – but treatment is lagging

Cannabis dependence is on the rise, according to the latest data on drug use and dependence published by NHS England. Although cannabis use has...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Francesca Spiga

Did Donald Trump order piracy on the high seas?

Did Donald Trump order piracy on the high seas?

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

12.12.2025 30

The Conversation

Jonathan Este

The UAE is leaving Saudi Arabia squeezed in Yemen

The UAE is leaving Saudi Arabia squeezed in Yemen

Fighters aligned with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group in southern Yemen, raised their flags in the provinces of...

12.12.2025 30

The Conversation

Andreas Krieg

What looks like ‘overdiagnosis’ is really a system struggling to provide continuous care

What looks like ‘overdiagnosis’ is really a system struggling to provide continuous care

After waiting more than a year to see an NHS specialist, Sam’s assessment for ADHD took less than two hours. It happened over video, involved a...

12.12.2025 10

The Conversation

Oladayo Bifarin

Lily Allen’s West End Girl reflects the idea women are becoming increasingly disaffected with men

Lily Allen’s West End Girl reflects the idea women are becoming increasingly disaffected with men

In October 2025, singer-songwriter Lily Allen released her fifth studio album, West End Girl, to great critical acclaim and commercial success....

12.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Kate Mcnicholas Smith

Rumours about replacing Keir Starmer overlook several important polling details

Rumours about replacing Keir Starmer overlook several important polling details

A prime minister who led a party to win 412 seats in an election held only 18 months ago might be expected to have the full support of his party...

12.12.2025 10

The Conversation

Hannah Bunting

Why domestic politics keeps complicating the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia

Why domestic politics keeps complicating the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia

The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, which had previously flared up in July, resumed on December 7. More than 20 people, including...

12.12.2025 3

The Conversation

Petra Alderman

England’s synthetic phonics approach is not working for children who struggle to read

England’s synthetic phonics approach is not working for children who struggle to read

Since 2012, England has taken an increasingly narrow approach to how primary school teachers should teach reading. The policies on teaching reading...

12.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Dominic Wyse

The quiet rise in the tax burden for UK businesses will hit workers and consumers too

The quiet rise in the tax burden for UK businesses will hit workers and consumers too

Many businesses in the UK saw the 2025 budget as a tightening of the screw in a period of already difficult conditions. While the government...

12.12.2025 10

The Conversation

Jagannadha Pawan Tamvada

Cities aren’t built for older people – our study shows many can’t walk fast enough to beat a pedestrian crossing

Cities aren’t built for older people – our study shows many can’t walk fast enough to beat a pedestrian crossing

To many people, crossing a road at a traffic light is a mundane task requiring little thought or effort. But for the growing population of senior...

12.12.2025 3

The Conversation

Max Western

Who owns your chicken? We’ve mapped the corporate power behind the world’s favourite meat

Who owns your chicken? We’ve mapped the corporate power behind the world’s favourite meat

When you next bite into a chicken sandwich, consider this: 2,400 of these birds are being slaughtered somewhere in the world every second. From...

12.12.2025 5

The Conversation

Ambarish Karamchedu

Persuasion, Paddington and Patti Smith: what to listen to, read, see, and sing along to this week

Persuasion, Paddington and Patti Smith: what to listen to, read, see, and sing along to this week

This week saw the launch of the final episode of our hit podcast Jane Austen’s Paper Trail (although a bonus Q&A episode is coming in January for...

12.12.2025 2

The Conversation

Jane Wright

Eleanor the Great: a tonally uncertain Holocaust drama with a wonderful central performance

Eleanor the Great: a tonally uncertain Holocaust drama with a wonderful central performance

Despite a wonderful central performance from June Squibb, Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut is a sentimental, tonally uncertain drama about...

12.12.2025 2

The Conversation

Matt Jacobsen

ADHD: girls’ symptoms are often missed in school because they don’t fit stereotypes – new research

ADHD: girls’ symptoms are often missed in school because they don’t fit stereotypes – new research

Many girls with ADHD aren’t diagnosed until their late teens or adulthood. My recent research points to a possible explanation for this. The study,...

12.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Vlad Glăveanu

One sperm donor fathered 200 children and passed on a deadly mutation – and it could easily happen again

One sperm donor fathered 200 children and passed on a deadly mutation – and it could easily happen again

Around 200 children in several countries were conceived with sperm from a single donor who unknowingly carried a rare genetic mutation linked to...

12.12.2025 3

The Conversation

Nicky Hudson

Stakeknife: should the British government reveal the real name of its top IRA informer?

Stakeknife: should the British government reveal the real name of its top IRA informer?

Of the countless people who provided intelligence to help the British state fight terrorism during the Troubles in Northern Ireland (1968-98),...

12.12.2025 3

The Conversation

Samantha Newbery

How we unlocked the secrets of Denmark’s oldest plank boat – with the help of an ancient fingerprint

How we unlocked the secrets of Denmark’s oldest plank boat – with the help of an ancient fingerprint

Around 2,400 years ago, before the emergence of the Roman empire, a small armada of boats approached the island of Als off the coast of southern...

12.12.2025 2

The Conversation

Mikael Fauvelle

How traditional Himalayan burning could help prevent mega wildfires

How traditional Himalayan burning could help prevent mega wildfires

Every year during December and January, in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, rural communities carry out traditional burning on steep hill...

12.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Kapil Yadav

Why Jane Austen readers still leave letters at her graveside

Why Jane Austen readers still leave letters at her graveside

When Jane Austen died in July 1817, aged just 41, she was buried in Winchester Cathedral. I moved to the city in 2025. As a lecturer in English...

12.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Naomi Walker

Polar bears are adapting to climate change at a genetic level – and it could help them avoid extinction

Polar bears are adapting to climate change at a genetic level – and it could help them avoid extinction

The Arctic Ocean current is at its warmest in the last 125,000 years, and temperatures continue to rise. Due to these warming temperatures more...

12.12.2025 4

The Conversation

Alice Godden

Lily Allen’s West End Girl reflects the idea that women are becoming increasingly disaffected with men

Lily Allen’s West End Girl reflects the idea that women are becoming increasingly disaffected with men

In October 2025, singer-songwriter Lily Allen released her fifth studio album, West End Girl, to great critical acclaim and commercial success....

12.12.2025 2

The Conversation

Kate Mcnicholas Smith

What is super flu? And other questions answered

What is super flu? And other questions answered

The NHS is facing severe pressure this winter as flu cases surge earlier than usual, with some calling it “super flu”. Here’s what you need to know...

12.12.2025 1

The Conversation

James Hay

Why global environmental negotiations keep failing – and what we can do about it

Why global environmental negotiations keep failing – and what we can do about it

In the past year alone, four major environmental negotiations have collapsed. Global talks on a treaty to cut plastic pollution fell apart....

11.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Catalina Turcu

What does international law tell us about the US seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela?

What does international law tell us about the US seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela?

“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela – a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized actually,” said Donald Trump on...

11.12.2025 20

The Conversation

Mark Chadwick

Donald Trump’s strikes against narcoterrorists are new but the logic behind them isn’t

Donald Trump’s strikes against narcoterrorists are new but the logic behind them isn’t

The Trump administration’s push to label drug traffickers as “narcoterrorists” and kill them at sea has generated global outrage. But the...

11.12.2025 10

The Conversation

Elisabeth Schweiger

Why teenagers won’t quit vaping, even when the risks are clear – a psychologist explains

Why teenagers won’t quit vaping, even when the risks are clear – a psychologist explains

Vaping among teenagers is a growing global health problem. In the UK, schools are reporting a surge in young people struggling with dependence,...

11.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Andy Levy

Lahore’s toxic winters: how smog is reshaping daily life in urban Pakistan

Lahore’s toxic winters: how smog is reshaping daily life in urban Pakistan

In November 2025, Lahore, the second-largest city in Pakistan, registered a “hazardous” air quality index of 509, according to IQAir, a global air...

11.12.2025 10

The Conversation

Gulnaz Anjum

Why big shops are trying to sell you a glamorous Christmas

Why big shops are trying to sell you a glamorous Christmas

In the dark months of winter, the warm glow of Christmas fairy lights and flickering candles brings some welcome atmospheric respite. And that...

11.12.2025 3

The Conversation

Lorna Stevens

What’s the safest way to walk home at night? We’ve created an AI-powered app that shows you

What’s the safest way to walk home at night? We’ve created an AI-powered app that shows you

In the historic walled city of Derry (also known as Londonderry) in Northern Ireland, the night-time economy is vibrant. But like many urban...

11.12.2025 5

The Conversation

Ilya Ilyankou

Asia’s scamming gangs target Timor-Leste as their next frontier – but they may have misjudged the small island nation

Asia’s scamming gangs target Timor-Leste as their next frontier – but they may have misjudged the small island nation

Oecusse, a rugged, remote district of Timor-Leste in south-east Asia, is usually a pretty sleepy place. It’s located on the western side of Timor...

11.12.2025 5

The Conversation

Gemma Ware

Donald Trump’s national security strategy puts America first and leaves its allies to fend for themselves

Donald Trump’s national security strategy puts America first and leaves its allies to fend for themselves

Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, many European observers have been in a state of wilful denial. They have been hopeful...

11.12.2025 2

The Conversation

Stefan Wolff