By Laura Wise, Senior Research Fellow and Programme Coordinator with the Peace and Conflict Resolution Evidence Platform, University of Edinburgh
Mediators in both the Iran and Ukraine wars have struggled to achieve meaningful ceasefires. Although the US and Iran reached an initial two-week truce on April 7, brokered by Pakistan, the agreement has been fragile from the beginning.
By May 11, Donald Trump had declared that the ceasefire was “on massive life support” and has threatened to
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By Catherine Clarke, Professor in the History of People, Place and Community, School of Advanced Study, University of London
As the Bayeux Tapestry comes to London, the year 1066 and the Norman Conquest are in the spotlight. The tapestry – an embroidered cloth nearly 70 metres long, created soon after the events it depicts – tells the story of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and William of Normandy’s triumphant defeat of Harold Godwinson, King of England.
The tapestry depicts William of Normandy as the victor, and Harold as a slippery oath-breaker who promises the English throne to William then goes back on his word. But…
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By Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation
Economist Can Cinar talks to The Conversation Weekly podcast about how Javier Milei’s policies to cut inflation are making Argentinians feel poorer.
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By JuYoung Lee, Associate Professor of Fashion Design and Merchandising, Mississippi State University
Caroline Kobia, Associate Professor of Fashion Design and Merchandising, Mississippi State University
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.
Why are zippers on different sides of male and female jackets? – Agrima, age 13, Delhi, India
Imagine you’re at a clothing store that stocks items for the whole family. You pick up a white buttoned shirt…
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By Jamie Meyers-Riczu, Post-doctoral fellow, Music, Carleton University
James Deaville, Professor of Music, Carleton University
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By Anaïs Remili, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Tanya Brown, Assistant Professor, Marine Ecotoxicology, Simon Fraser University
New research shows seals are being affected by chemical pollution in the Arctic food web and rapid climate-driven warming that is transforming their sea ice habitat.
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By Louise Gentle, Principal Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University
It may sound too bizarre to be true but the Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa), a fish that inhabits rivers, lakes and swamps in Mexico and Texas, exists over much of its range in populations that are 100% female. In 1932, the Amazon molly became the first known vertebrate to reproduce by cloning itself, producing all-female populations. A new genetic study has given scientists insights into the longstanding mystery about how and why this…
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By Faith Martin, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Bath
Young people across different cultures describe self-harm less as a symptom of mental health difficulties, and more as a response to unbearable pressures.
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By Ahmed Elbediwy, Senior Lecturer in Cancer Biology & Clinical Biochemistry, Kingston University
Nadine Wehida, Senior Lecturer in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Kingston University
Prescriptions for two antiparasitic drugs, ivermectin and fenbendazole, have recently surged in the US, according to a new study. Originally developed to treat parasitic worms, the drugs are now being discussed online as possible cancer treatments.
In January 2025, Mel Gibson appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast claiming that ivermectin and fenbendazole can treat cancer. He said the drugs cured three friends of stage 4 cancer.…
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By Muhammad Imran, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Aston University
Walk into any supermarket and you are surrounded by carbon. Not the kind measured in parts per million in climate reports, but carbon in its most tangible form: the polymer shell of a shampoo bottle, the insulation behind the ceiling tiles, the synthetic fibres in the bag hanging from your wrist.
These are not accidental byproducts of the fossil fuel era. They are its second act, less visible than combustion but no less consequential.
The global conversation about net zero has been almost entirely…
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