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Criminal fly‑tipping gangs are costing governments millions – AI and drones can help track waste dumpers

Criminal fly‑tipping gangs are costing governments millions – AI and drones can help track waste dumpers

Technology could help find illegal waste sites faster and increase the chances of tracking down criminals.

previous day 7

The Conversation

Amani maalouf

Pieter Obels and Feng Xiao‑Min: a compelling exploration of nature through steel and paint

Pieter Obels and Feng Xiao‑Min: a compelling exploration of nature through steel and paint

The two artists have very different, yet curiously complimentary, responses to nature.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Pippa Catterall

Baby slings: what the evidence says about benefits, risks and safe use

Baby slings: what the evidence says about benefits, risks and safe use

New research finds that baby slings offer important benefits, but better safety information could help prevent rare deaths and injuries.

previous day 5

The Conversation

Sophie lovell-kennedy

As AI plays a bigger role in relationships, true intimacy is getting lost

As AI plays a bigger role in relationships, true intimacy is getting lost

The normalisation of AI to mediate and shape intimacy arguably erodes self-curiosity.

previous day 8

The Conversation

Luke Brunning

Fungal highways are vast, yet hidden underground – new study

Fungal highways are vast, yet hidden underground – new study

A new study provides a crucial baseline: the first global map of where these fungal networks are and how much of them exists.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Katie Field

Not all fruits and vegetables are equal when it comes to heart health, our research shows

Not all fruits and vegetables are equal when it comes to heart health, our research shows

Choosing fruits and vegetables more carefully could help us better get important bioactives from our foods.

previous day 5

The Conversation

Gunter Kuhnle

Women’s prize for non‑fiction winner, The Finest Hotel in Kabul, gives voice to the people of Afghanistan

Women’s prize for non‑fiction winner, The Finest Hotel in Kabul, gives voice to the people of Afghanistan

A history of Afghanistan told through the people who stayed and worked at the Kabul Intercontinental.

previous day 8

The Conversation

Magnus Marsden

Magic mushrooms and Alzheimer’s: what one remarkable case can tell us

Magic mushrooms and Alzheimer’s: what one remarkable case can tell us

A woman with advanced dementia appeared to regain speech and independence after psilocybin. The findings are intriguing, but far from proof.

previous day 6

The Conversation

Rahul Sidhu

Trump has backed away from renewed war with Iran – here’s why

Trump has backed away from renewed war with Iran – here’s why

A return to conflict simply would not have been in the interests of the US.

previous day 2

The Conversation

Andreas Krieg

What John Healey’s resignation as defence secretary means for Keir Starmer and the UK

What John Healey’s resignation as defence secretary means for Keir Starmer and the UK

Two defence resignations come at a time of turmoil for the prime minister.

previous day 6

The Conversation

Thomas Caygill

Germany pulled the plug on flagship FCAS fighter jet – the implications for European defence are worrying

Germany pulled the plug on flagship FCAS fighter jet – the implications for European defence are worrying

The programme got bogged down by disputes over leadership, workshare and intellectual property.

previous day 8

The Conversation

Arun Dawson

Windfarms on this Scottish isle are contentious – renewables must work for local people too

Windfarms on this Scottish isle are contentious – renewables must work for local people too

New infrastructure planning is putting the future of community-owned energy at risk.

previous day 2

The Conversation

Laure leglise

Do you lose your whole day to one appointment? ‘Waiting mode’ may be why

Do you lose your whole day to one appointment? ‘Waiting mode’ may be why

A growing term for a familiar feeling: how ‘waiting mode’ captures the difficulty of time and anticipation.

previous day 10

The Conversation

Rebecca Ellis

Why tiny amounts of vitamin B12 matter more as we age

Why tiny amounts of vitamin B12 matter more as we age

A century after liver was found to treat pernicious anaemia, scientists are still uncovering how vitamin B12 helps blood, nerves and cells.

previous day 2

The Conversation

Martin Warren

What is the Common Travel Area? Why the Ireland‑UK border arrangement isn’t a ‘loophole’ for migrants

What is the Common Travel Area? Why the Ireland‑UK border arrangement isn’t a ‘loophole’ for migrants

Violence continued in Belfast after a man from Sudan was charged with attempted murder following a knife attack.

thursday 8

The Conversation

Colin Murray

Ukraine war now longer than the first world war – the similarities are unsettling

Ukraine war now longer than the first world war – the similarities are unsettling

Russia’s war in Ukraine has passed another grim milestone.

thursday 10

The Conversation

Frank Ledwidge

The Gulf Stream suddenly moved north during an ancient cold snap – and it’s a warning for our future

The Gulf Stream suddenly moved north during an ancient cold snap – and it’s a warning for our future

New evidence shows a major climate shift ‘within a lifetime’ 13,000 years ago.

thursday 6

The Conversation

Alice carter-champion

Creative employers are struggling to fill vacancies due to a lack of skills – here’s how we can fix that

Creative employers are struggling to fill vacancies due to a lack of skills – here’s how we can fix that

A new skills report reveals how we can future-proof the UK’s creative industries.

thursday 6

The Conversation

Bernard hay

AI doesn’t just help us think, it thinks instead of us: what this means for the process of learning

AI doesn’t just help us think, it thinks instead of us: what this means for the process of learning

When AI hands us an answer, we risk bypassing the process through which learning happens.

thursday 10

The Conversation

Lucy Gill-Simmen

The ticket price fiasco for the men’s Fifa World Cup has been a spectacular own goal

The ticket price fiasco for the men’s Fifa World Cup has been a spectacular own goal

Dynamic pricing is not always a bad system. But monopolies usually are.

thursday 2

The Conversation

Ronnie Das

Boys want to challenge harmful ideas about manhood – working with them, not lecturing them, is the key

Boys want to challenge harmful ideas about manhood – working with them, not lecturing them, is the key

Boys want to change the narrative, and education is vital in helping them.

thursday 4

The Conversation

Maria lohan

How Maison Schiaparelli pioneered a new form of fashion currency

How Maison Schiaparelli pioneered a new form of fashion currency

The Schiaparelli haute-couture brand continues to capitalise on its founder’s erstwhile connections to the artworld and understanding of the...

thursday 4

The Conversation

Emanuela prandelli

The hidden history of Wales and the Jewish world

The hidden history of Wales and the Jewish world

A new book reveals how Jews, Judaism, Israel and Palestine helped shape Welsh identity across centuries.

thursday 9

The Conversation

Nathan Abrams

Ukraine war now longer than the first world war – but the similarities are unsettling

Ukraine war now longer than the first world war – but the similarities are unsettling

Russia’s war in Ukraine has passed another grim milestone.

thursday 6

The Conversation

Frank Ledwidge

Ovarian cancer drug approved for NHS use will prolong lives

Ovarian cancer drug approved for NHS use will prolong lives

Mirvetuximab soravtansine (also known as Elahere) is the first new drug to be approved for hard-to-treat ovarian cancer in over 20 years.

thursday 2

The Conversation

Steve conlan

Farmers are key to restoring native woodlands – here’s what’s holding them back

Farmers are key to restoring native woodlands – here’s what’s holding them back

Forests benefit everyone – but farmers carry the risk.

thursday 2

The Conversation

Kate harrington

The fraudsters’ playbook: our study of Enron traders shows how easily the language of trust can be abused

The fraudsters’ playbook: our study of Enron traders shows how easily the language of trust can be abused

A linguistic expert explains the techniques Enron traders used to build and retain trust in their criminal strategies.

thursday 5

The Conversation

Matteo fuoli

Why some men with prostate cancer may soon need only five radiotherapy sessions

Why some men with prostate cancer may soon need only five radiotherapy sessions

The treatment is shorter and more convenient, but it will not suit every man with prostate cancer.

thursday 10

The Conversation

Justin Stebbing

Supergirl: why DC comics is betting big on a hero long stuck in Superman’s shadow

Supergirl: why DC comics is betting big on a hero long stuck in Superman’s shadow

Supergirl has long struggled to emerge from the shadow of her cousin, Superman.

thursday 8

The Conversation

John Caro

Hardening the body: the science behind martial arts conditioning

Hardening the body: the science behind martial arts conditioning

Centuries-old conditioning techniques are remaking bone, muscle and skin at a cellular level. Modern science is only just catching up.

thursday 7

The Conversation

Adam Taylor

How the US finally fell in love with soccer

How the US finally fell in love with soccer

Listen to football historian John Sloop trace the history of soccer in the US on The Conversation Weekly podcast.

thursday 10

The Conversation

Gemma Ware

Earth’s energy imbalance has doubled – here’s why that matters

Earth’s energy imbalance has doubled – here’s why that matters

A key climate warning sign just hit a record high.

thursday 10

The Conversation

Piers Forster

Belfast violence: an uncomfortable reminder of the innocent people ‘burnt out’ during the Troubles

Belfast violence: an uncomfortable reminder of the innocent people ‘burnt out’ during the Troubles

Families fled burning homes as violence flared in the city.

10.06.2026 10

The Conversation

Brendan Ciarán Browne

Belfast unrest shows the power of social media as far‑right views on immigration enter the mainstream

Belfast unrest shows the power of social media as far‑right views on immigration enter the mainstream

Calls for calm as tensions rise are often a case of too little, too late.

10.06.2026 10

The Conversation

Paul Reilly

Farmers in a national park are turning down lights at night to help wildlife – it could be good for crops too

Farmers in a national park are turning down lights at night to help wildlife – it could be good for crops too

The intiative looks to reduce glare and introduce lighting that is less disruptive to wildlife.

10.06.2026 10

The Conversation

Jenny Hall

Savage House’s filth and farce are closer to the real bawdiness of the 18th century

Savage House’s filth and farce are closer to the real bawdiness of the 18th century

Dirt, sex and faeces abound in 18-century ilterature.

10.06.2026 7

The Conversation

Adam J Smith

Message drift: why things get taken out of context online and why it matters

Message drift: why things get taken out of context online and why it matters

As content is clipped, reposted and reframed, audiences encounter fragments rather than the original message.

10.06.2026 4

The Conversation

Cavell ord-shrimpton

The Milky Way was rewired by a cataclysmic collision billions of years ago. Now it is on course for another

The Milky Way was rewired by a cataclysmic collision billions of years ago. Now it is on course for another

As a galactic archaeologist, my job is to reconstruct the past of our galaxy – and read the signs of its future.

10.06.2026 5

The Conversation

Vasily belokurov

US and Iran’s exchange of strikes shows how far diplomacy has changed

US and Iran’s exchange of strikes shows how far diplomacy has changed

The Middle East risks state of permanent confrontation where violence periodically erupts, diplomacy intervenes and neither changes the underlying...

10.06.2026 10

The Conversation

Bamo Nouri

I ran the Thames from source to sea – here’s what I discovered

I ran the Thames from source to sea – here’s what I discovered

I followed the course of the river as closely as I could over a continuous period of 14 days.

10.06.2026 5

The Conversation

Véronique chance

Breaking free from fossil fuels is urgent but hard – Colombia shows why

Breaking free from fossil fuels is urgent but hard – Colombia shows why

Colombia expanded renewables under Gustavo Petro, but struggled to reduce its dependence on oil, gas and coal.

10.06.2026 4

The Conversation

Pierre wokuri

Footballer Christian Eriksen’s ICD kept his heart beating after he collapsed on the pitch – here’s how these devices work

Footballer Christian Eriksen’s ICD kept his heart beating after he collapsed on the pitch – here’s how these devices work

ICDs are highly effective devices.

10.06.2026 5

The Conversation

Klaus witte

‘Lime bike leg’: what doctors are seeing in ebike crashes

‘Lime bike leg’: what doctors are seeing in ebike crashes

Shared ebikes are transforming city transport, but trauma surgeons are seeing a new pattern of serious leg injuries emerge alongside them.

10.06.2026 4

The Conversation

Jerry tsang

Hip dips: what are they and can you really get rid of them?

Hip dips: what are they and can you really get rid of them?

Social media has turned a normal part of your skeleton into a problem to fix. It isn’t, and the fixes mostly don’t work anyway.

10.06.2026 6

The Conversation

Adam Taylor

Nasa names Artemis III crew, but a rocket explosion has thrown US Moon plans into turmoil

Nasa names Artemis III crew, but a rocket explosion has thrown US Moon plans into turmoil

The New Glenn explosion could seriously delay the timetable for returning to the Moon.

09.06.2026 10

The Conversation

Daniel Brown

Left‑of‑centre parties like Labour face challenges from both right and left – here’s what they can do about it

Left‑of‑centre parties like Labour face challenges from both right and left – here’s what they can do about it

The social democratic movement is clearly under pressure.

09.06.2026 10

The Conversation

Mark wickham-jones

Mamma Mia! is Shakespeare’s Tempest in campy musical disguise

Mamma Mia! is Shakespeare’s Tempest in campy musical disguise

Both are tales set on islands where romance and mystery abound.

09.06.2026 10

The Conversation

Elizabeth Schafer

Spice Girls at 30: how girl power changed pop

Spice Girls at 30: how girl power changed pop

When the Spice Girls burst onto the scene in 1996 with their debut single Wannabe, they helped to reshape discussions around gender sexuality, power...

09.06.2026 10

The Conversation

Joel Gray

Why the EU economy should embrace digital currencies to become less dependent on the US

Why the EU economy should embrace digital currencies to become less dependent on the US

The US dominates international payment systems.

09.06.2026 10

The Conversation

Francesco Grillo

Can AI really spot the next football superstar – or is it changing the game in troubling ways?

Can AI really spot the next football superstar – or is it changing the game in troubling ways?

Technology increasingly promises to make talent identification more efficient and more objective. But can talent can be reduced to numbers and can AI...

09.06.2026 5

The Conversation

Leah monsees