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How wildfire, humans and a warming climate led to the extinction of California’s big mammals 13,000 years ago – podcast

Paleoecologist Emily Lindsey on the wildfires that led to mass extinction during California’s Ice Age. Listen to The Conversation Weekly.

yesterday 7

The Conversation

Gemma Ware

Trump returns: nine things to expect for the climate

Academics glean grim portents – and some continuities with supposedly pro-climate presidents of the past.

yesterday 7

The Conversation

Jack Marley

Farewell to Smithfield – how past, present, commerce and culture collide in London’s 900-year -old meat market

Many fear Smithfield’s special sense of place will be lost once the meat market is gone. But could a new emerging cultural quarter bring social...

yesterday 7

The Conversation

Monica Montserrat Degen

How a mindful hobby could help you break your after-work ‘doomscrolling’ habit

Many people have successfully replaced their ‘doomscrolling’ habit with a hobby.

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Emma Palmer-Cooper

Elon Musk and the history of the ‘Roman salute’

When Elon Musk performed a gesture that many saw as a fascist gesture, his supporters claimed it was a Roman salute. So what’s the difference?

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Samuel Agbamu

Ancient DNA study shows women at the centre of societies in iron age Britain – supporting decades of archaeology

Genetics shows that women stayed put in Late Iron Age Dorset, while men moved to other groups.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Rachel Pope

Southport attack: changing the definition of terrorism won’t stop the violence

An expert on what terrorism law says, and why we don’t need a new one.

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Alan Greene

The Sun settles with Prince Harry: here’s what we still don’t know

Another court victory in Harry’s campaign to hold the press to account, but what are the broader implications?

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Steven Barnett

Pope Francis autobiography: we’ve never known so much about the pontiff before

The Pope’s new autobiography mixes moral messages with unique insight into the pontiff’s life.

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Liam Temple

Whole-body deodorants: a solution to a non-existent problem

Marketers want us to be worried about smelly intimate parts. The thing is, they are mostly self-cleaning.

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Michelle Spear

How global inequalities hinder climate action

Climate breakdown and inequality are deeply interwoven, with each crisis exacerbates the other; according to a new report.

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Susan Ann Samuel

AI voice technology used in The Brutalist is nothing new – the backlash is about transparency

The technology can deceive so easily that public confidence in generative AI is only possible with full disclosure.

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Dominic Lees

Is Trump changing tack on ending the war in Ukraine?

Trump is urging Putin – as well as others – to end the war in Ukraine, or face consequences.

yesterday 0

The Conversation

David J. Galbreath

Will Donald Trump be ranked as a great president? Here’s what the research tells us

Some presidents are considered great, others are not. What are the factors that make a difference?

yesterday 0

The Conversation

David Andersen

Netflix is snapping at the heels of the BBC. But there’s more to the battle than just viewing figures

Domestic broadcasters add value for viewers in ways the big streamers can’t.

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Jean Chalaby

How American Latinos came to embrace Donald Trump’s immigration policy

It seems counter-intuitive that many US voters who identify as having Latino heritage are in favour of strict restrictions on migration from Latin...

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Fernando Pizarro

How we uncovered the UK’s biggest site of dinosaur tracks in a quarry in Oxfordshire

The footprints were uncovered at a large quarry in Oxfordshire.

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Kirsty Marie Edgar

The Moon has been listed as a threatened historic site – but the value of ‘lunar heritage’ needs defining

The World Monuments Fund submission highlights that there are almost 100 sites on the Moon bearing traces of the human history of space exploration.

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Alessandra Marino

Expanding Heathrow is incompatible with net zero – here’s the evidence

The UK’s environmental commitments leave no room for extra runways.

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Richard Sulley

Assisted dying bill: why fears about coercion may be exaggerated – a philosopher’s view

Assisted dying bill: why fears about coercion may be exaggerated – a philosopher’s view

The UK parliament’s assisted dying bill recently passed its second reading in the House of Commons, with 330 votes in favour and 275 against. But...

previous day 40

The Conversation

Christopher Belshaw

The UK’s international commitments on climate and nature could soon become law – and better protect our environment

The UK’s international commitments on climate and nature could soon become law – and better protect our environment

As climate and biodiversity scientists, we spend most of our lives trying to understand how our planet works and how best to address the...

previous day 8

The Conversation

Paul Behrens

Donald Trump’s presidency presents Benjamin Netanyahu with a crisis that could be existential – here’s why

Donald Trump’s presidency presents Benjamin Netanyahu with a crisis that could be existential – here’s why

Having agreed to a complex ceasefire in Gaza under pressure from the incoming US president, Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu now confronts a range...

previous day 2

The Conversation

John Strawson

Why Manchester City offered Erling Haaland the longest contract in Premier League history

Why Manchester City offered Erling Haaland the longest contract in Premier League history

In the fast-moving world of Premier League football, fans are a constant. While a club’s managers, players and owners come and go, the one true...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Christina Philippou

Why your retirement fund might soon include cryptocurrency

Why your retirement fund might soon include cryptocurrency

Pension funds are investment pools that manage people’s retirement savings. They aim to encourage long-term saving and provide financial security...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Larisa Yarovaya

Mandelson goes to Washington – or does he? Why neither is a good option now

Mandelson goes to Washington – or does he? Why neither is a good option now

Although it will impinge on the consciousness of few, the appointment of the next UK ambassador to the US is growing into a crisis. It would not do...

previous day 1

The Conversation

Martin Farr

Objectivity, independent media and news avoidance: the terms you need to know to understand news today

Objectivity, independent media and news avoidance: the terms you need to know to understand news today

The way we get our news is changing fast. The latest research from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University shows...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Matt Walsh

Five ways to cut emissions from shipping

Five ways to cut emissions from shipping

Shipping generates 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This could increase to 10% if current trends continue, according to Transport &...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Guy Collender

D.H. Lawrence’s final days were marked by medical scepticism

D.H. Lawrence’s final days were marked by medical scepticism

As the NHS enters its annual winter crisis, we are encouraged to think carefully before ringing 111, 999 or going to A&E. Quite when to relinquish...

previous day 6

The Conversation

David Ellis

Social media is making many people more depressed – Buddhist philosophy may offer an explanation

Social media is making many people more depressed – Buddhist philosophy may offer an explanation

In the Buddhist language, Pāli, the word for human dissatisfaction and suffering is dukkha. For Buddhist thinkers, all human suffering is caused...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Lee Clarke

Controversy over compensation for Gerry Adams does nothing to deliver truth and justice to Troubles victims

Controversy over compensation for Gerry Adams does nothing to deliver truth and justice to Troubles victims

Each episode of the Netflix adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe’s book Say Nothing, which addresses the IRA’s tactic of disappearing alleged...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Kieran Mcevoy

How AI can predict rugby injuries before they happen

How AI can predict rugby injuries before they happen

Picture this: a rugby player sprints down the pitch with no opponent in sight, only to collapse mid-run. It’s a non-contact injury, a frustrating...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Seren Evans

Nintendo Switch 2 and anticipated sequels – what to look forward to in gaming in 2025

Nintendo Switch 2 and anticipated sequels – what to look forward to in gaming in 2025

Bookended by the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD in January and Grand Theft Auto 6, at the end of the year (it’s already winning wards...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Michael Samuel

Why more twins are being born than ever before – even though birthrates are falling

Why more twins are being born than ever before – even though birthrates are falling

Globally, mothers are having fewer children. Yet despite this latest observed decline in birth rates, the number of twins and triplets being born...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Elizabeth Bailey

We’re turning waste bread crusts into nutritious food with ancient Asian fermentation

We’re turning waste bread crusts into nutritious food with ancient Asian fermentation

Do you find yourself tossing away the crusts of your bread? You’re not alone, but the scale of bread waste is staggering. Around 10% of the 185...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Juan Felipe Sandoval Rueda

Voice of America has to provide ‘accurate, objective and comprehensive’ news – could that all change?

Voice of America has to provide ‘accurate, objective and comprehensive’ news – could that all change?

With President Donald Trump installed for a second term, one big item on the new administration’s agenda appears to be rearranging the media...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Kate Wright

Denmark’s new royal coat of arms marks the end of a 400-year -long Swedish-Danish conflict

Denmark’s new royal coat of arms marks the end of a 400-year -long Swedish-Danish conflict

King Frederick X of Denmark announced a change of the royal coat of arms on January 1 this year. This change was understood by many – rightly or...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Martin Sunnqvist

How Vladimir Putin was able to change Russia’s constitution and become ‘president for life’

How Vladimir Putin was able to change Russia’s constitution and become ‘president for life’

At some point during a political leader’s final term they start to become prey to what is commonly known as “lame duck syndrome”. Donald Trump...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Paul Edward Fisher

Andrew Carnegie and the 19th-century ‘robber barons’ have lessons for today’s oligarchs about the responsibilities of wealth

Andrew Carnegie and the 19th-century ‘robber barons’ have lessons for today’s oligarchs about the responsibilities of wealth

When Mark Zuckerberg recently announced sweeping changes to his company Meta’s work practices in anticipation of a Trump 2.0 presidency,...

tuesday 5

The Conversation

Tobias Jung

Trump 2.0: what we learned from the 47th US president’s first day in office

Trump 2.0: what we learned from the 47th US president’s first day in office

Donald Trump said he’d be a “dictator for a day” when he returned to the Oval Office for a second term. And he certainly hit the ground...

tuesday 4

The Conversation

Christopher Featherstone

The rise of firefighters-for -hire exposes the inequality of climate-driven disasters

The rise of firefighters-for -hire exposes the inequality of climate-driven disasters

The Los Angeles wildfires have exposed a controversial practice that starkly illustrates the divide between the city’s wealthy elite and the...

tuesday 4

The Conversation

Doug Specht

Women were at the centre of iron age Britain – new find reminds us how misogyny has shaped our view of the past

Women were at the centre of iron age Britain – new find reminds us how misogyny has shaped our view of the past

Roman writers found the relative empowerment of Celtic women in British society remarkable, according to surviving written records. New DNA...

tuesday 4

The Conversation

Jay Silverstein

Tyson Fury is such a big hitter on social media that retirement should be another major earning opportunity

Tyson Fury is such a big hitter on social media that retirement should be another major earning opportunity

Boxer Tyson Fury recently announced that he was retiring from the sport. Just like he did in 2013 and 2017. And then again in 2022. Maybe this time...

tuesday 6

The Conversation

Wasim Ahmed

Processed red meat isn’t just bad for your heart, it’s also associated with dementia

Processed red meat isn’t just bad for your heart, it’s also associated with dementia

Less red meat is good for the planet and a growing number of people have started the new year resolving to pursue a meat-free diet. Besides being...

tuesday 5

The Conversation

Eef Hogervorst

Kyoto: timely and enthralling play about first climate treaty reveals potent power of consensus

Kyoto: timely and enthralling play about first climate treaty reveals potent power of consensus

With California poised for more fires and a climate-change denying plutocrat back in the White House, the London opening of Joe Murphy and Joe...

tuesday 4

The Conversation

Steve Waters

Joan Plowright – a leading actress in British theatre’s post-war class revolution

Joan Plowright – a leading actress in British theatre’s post-war class revolution

Dame Joan Plowright, who has died aged 95, was an actress of enormous and wide-ranging talent across a 60-year stage and screen career. Plowright...

tuesday 5

The Conversation

Jen Harvie

Five ways to save your legs – by a vascular surgery specialist

Five ways to save your legs – by a vascular surgery specialist

Gangrene, or a rapidly spreading foot abscess. Sound like diseases of the past? Well, sadly not. Leg amputation is one of the oldest surgical...

tuesday 6

The Conversation

John Houghton

Reading Picasso’s Guernica like a comic strip offers a new way to understand the story it is telling

Reading Picasso’s Guernica like a comic strip offers a new way to understand the story it is telling

Guernica by Pablo Picasso is one of the most famous artworks of the 20th century. The painting is huge and violent, and when it was first displayed...

tuesday 7

The Conversation

Harriet Earle

A Passage to India: how global pandemics shaped E.M. Forster’s final novel

A Passage to India: how global pandemics shaped E.M. Forster’s final novel

E.M. Forster’s final novel and masterpiece, A Passage to India, celebrated its centenary in 2024. It tells the story of Adela Quested, who arrives...

tuesday 4

The Conversation

Chris Mourant

The heroes of Homer’s Iliad are eco-warriors battling to protect nature

The heroes of Homer’s Iliad are eco-warriors battling to protect nature

Homer’s Iliad is so canonical in world literature that even without having read the epic, most people are familiar with the broad scenario of the...

tuesday 5

The Conversation

Wayne Mark Rimmer

Regeneratively farmed is the new buzz label on supermarket shelves – but what does it actually mean?

Regeneratively farmed is the new buzz label on supermarket shelves – but what does it actually mean?

Have you noticed “regenerative” popping up on food labels or in marketing ads? It sounds promising – farming that heals the soil and helps...

tuesday 3

The Conversation

Jessica Chapman

Lobbying in ‘forever chemicals’ industry is rife across Europe – the inside story of our investigation

Lobbying in ‘forever chemicals’ industry is rife across Europe – the inside story of our investigation

A team of academic researchers, lawyers and journalists from 16 European countries has exposed a huge lobbying campaign aimed at gutting a proposed...

tuesday 5

The Conversation

Gary Fooks

With Trump back in the White House, the age of free trade could be coming to an end

With Trump back in the White House, the age of free trade could be coming to an end

For a superpower like the US, free trade is, in practice, an invitation to partake in its wealth. But it also implies an obligation, including...

tuesday 7

The Conversation

Sami Bensassi

Saving lives and limbs on the high seas: the extraordinary world of early modern ship’s surgeons

Saving lives and limbs on the high seas: the extraordinary world of early modern ship’s surgeons

Imagine you are at sea facing a violent battle with an enemy ship. The experienced 17th-century surgeon John Moyle asked his reader to do just...

20.01.2025 3

The Conversation

Jasmine Kilburn-Toppin

LA fires risk reinforcing the false idea that we’re all in this together

LA fires risk reinforcing the false idea that we’re all in this together

Sobering images of fires in Los Angeles highlight one of the few cases where some of those who contributed the most to climate change are also...

20.01.2025 10

The Conversation

Andrea Rigon

The key takeaways from Donald Trump’s inauguration speech

The key takeaways from Donald Trump’s inauguration speech

Donald Trump has been sworn in as president of the US for a second term – and this time there won’t be any arguments about crowd sizes. The...

20.01.2025 10

The Conversation

Dafydd Townley

Elon Musk and the narratives of decadence that link all anti-democratic movements

Elon Musk and the narratives of decadence that link all anti-democratic movements

“It’s the birthrates. It’s the birthrates. It’s the birthrates,” echoed the introduction line in the manifesto of the Christchurch shooter...

20.01.2025 20

The Conversation

Felix Schilk

Social media rewires young minds – here’s how

Social media rewires young minds – here’s how

That satisfying feeling after doomscrolling through endless TikTok videos or impulsively shopping online mimics the relief of scratching an itch....

20.01.2025 7

The Conversation

Laura Elin Pigott

David Lynch’s musical creations were as visionary as his filmmaking

David Lynch’s musical creations were as visionary as his filmmaking

The dark, surrealistic artistic vision of David Lynch, whose death was announced on January 16, was shown through films like Eraserhead (1977),...

20.01.2025 1

The Conversation

Glenn Fosbraey

TikTok users migrate to RedNote in an unexpected success for Chinese soft power

TikTok users migrate to RedNote in an unexpected success for Chinese soft power

The new US president, Donald Trump, has given TikTok a reprieve one day after a law came into effect banning the Chinese-owned app in the US on...

20.01.2025 4

The Conversation

Tom Harper

Knowing less about AI makes people more open to having it in their lives – new research

Knowing less about AI makes people more open to having it in their lives – new research

The rapid spread of artificial intelligence has people wondering: who’s most likely to embrace AI in their daily lives? Many assume it’s the...

20.01.2025 2

The Conversation

Chiara Longoni

Food and medicine that can change your skin colour – sometimes permanently

Food and medicine that can change your skin colour – sometimes permanently

When an 84-year-old man in Hong Kong went to hospital with an enlarged prostate, doctors were startled to see that his skin – and even the whites...

20.01.2025 4

The Conversation

Michelle Spear

How to fix democracy? Ancient philosopher Plato may have an answer

How to fix democracy? Ancient philosopher Plato may have an answer

The Republic, the best-known work of ancient Greek philosopher Plato, authored around 375BC, has shaped western political thought. Greece is now...

20.01.2025 1

The Conversation

Matthew Duncombe

Why Kurds face an uncertain future in Ahmed Al-Shara ’s rebel-led Syria

Why Kurds face an uncertain future in Ahmed Al-Shara ’s rebel-led Syria

More than a month has passed since Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group, became the de facto leader...

20.01.2025 1

The Conversation

Pinar Dinc

The narratives of decadence, decline and apocalypse that link Elon Musk and all anti-democratic movements

The narratives of decadence, decline and apocalypse that link Elon Musk and all anti-democratic movements

“It’s the birthrates. It’s the birthrates. It’s the birthrates,” echoed the introduction line in the manifesto of the Christchurch shooter...

20.01.2025 4

The Conversation

Felix Schilk

Three ways to assess how Liverpool’s tidal energy plan will affect the environment

Three ways to assess how Liverpool’s tidal energy plan will affect the environment

A proposed tidal energy scheme on Liverpool’s River Mersey is entering an early assessment and consultation phase. This multi-billion pound...

20.01.2025 2

The Conversation

Kenneth Kang

Antibacterials are everywhere: for the sake of our microbiome, we need to control their use

Antibacterials are everywhere: for the sake of our microbiome, we need to control their use

In a world increasingly obsessed with cleanliness, antimicrobial chemicals have become a staple in everyday life. From soaps and cosmetics to...

20.01.2025 2

The Conversation

Anastasia A. Theodosiou

Trump has few good options to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb

Trump has few good options to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb

The administration of new US president Donald Trump is reportedly considering various options to prevent Iran from being able to build a nuclear...

20.01.2025 5

The Conversation

Aniruddha Saha

Five commercials that show how David Lynch elevated advertising to an art form

Five commercials that show how David Lynch elevated advertising to an art form

The late filmmaker David Lynch’s unique approach to storytelling, with TV and films like Twin Peaks (1990-2017), Blue Velvet (1986) and...

20.01.2025 1

The Conversation

Jonatan Sodergren

A Complete Unknown: Chalamet’s brilliant performance captures the elusive essence of a young Dylan

A Complete Unknown: Chalamet’s brilliant performance captures the elusive essence of a young Dylan

The cultural sound and imagery of Bob Dylan has long eclipsed his personal identity. He has always been an elusive figure who seemingly endures...

17.01.2025 5

The Conversation

Daniel O&39Brien