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Editor's note
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Former chancellor and sitting MP George Osborne has been appointed as the new editor of the London Evening Standard. Angela Phillips, who carried out research into the free publication while under the previous editor, found particularly close links to the Conservative Party. After suffering early disappointment in launching a journalism career in the 1990s, Osborne entered politics and now it appears it is this experience that is serving him best for the job. But he's certainly not the first
to so easily slip between different elites.
In March 1942, author Isaac Asimov published a short story about a robot called Speedy who operated according to three basic rules. Seventy-five years on, Asimov’s Laws of Robotics are still a pillar of almost any discussion about how robots should act. But while they might seem plausible, the laws have turned out to be incompatible with the reality of robotic behaviour. Here are some ideas about how to update the laws for a 21st-century understanding of artificial intelligence.
Alfred the Great as portrayed as a mastermind in BBC series The Last Kingdom – and it's no wonder given his reputation for being so, well, "great". But archeological evidence and Old English road signs are unsettling his reputation and his supposedly extraordinary military achievements seem to have been part of a much longer process.
The second Conversation quiz is out. See how well you do and if you're keen to mug up before you pit your wits you'll find answers in some of the stories from the week below.
Have a great weekend.
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Laura Hood
Politics Editor, Assistant Editor
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Top story
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PA/Darren Staples
Christopher Shoop-Worrall, University of Sheffield
The former Chancellor is by no means the first the walk the line between media and political elite.
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Politics + Society
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Angela Phillips, Goldsmiths, University of London
The former chancellor has no experience of journalism, but that hasn't prevented him from taking over London's most important newspaper.
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John Preston, University of East London
The powers that be don't want to scare us.
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Christoph Harig, King's College London
Brazilian state governments increasingly use the military for services they should provide themselves.
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Stefanie Khoury, University of Liverpool; David Whyte, University of Liverpool
The UN Human Rights Council needs to be aware of some profound contradictions in human rights law as it applies to corporations.
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Paul Chaney, Cardiff University
New research has found the UK parliament is fraught with institutionalised ableism
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Maria Koinova, University of Warwick
A diplomatic row with the Netherlands over campaigning abroad shows how the Turkish government is changing its strategy.
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Sara Silvestri, City, University of London
After Brexit, the UK could become a more attractive place for Muslim women than the rest of the EU.
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Nick McKerrell, Glasgow Caledonian University
Nicola Sturgeon may have fired a starting gun for indyref2, but much about the proposed sequel remains uncertain.
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Science + Technology
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Mark Robert Anderson, Edge Hill University
Today's robots and artificial intelligence look very different from the androids conceived by Isaac Asimov.
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Tom Sorell, University of Warwick
Humans need greater autonomy than Isaac Asimov's neat science fiction idea permits.
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Simon Cotton, University of Birmingham
Salty or sweet, black or multicoloured, liquorice is all a matter of taste.
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Stijn Wuyts, University of Bath
So where did all the dark matter come from?
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Henrik Jörntell, Lund University
There's both money and prestige invested in the simple idea that different brain areas are responsible for certain functions. But that doesn't make it true.
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Stijn Wuyts, University of Bath
So where did all the dark matter come from?
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Mark Lorch, University of Hull
If it weren't for chemistry, that pile of wrinkled shirts would take even longer to sort out.
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Eric Warrant, Lund University
Nocturnal insects have eyes that act like cameras to enhance their light-gathering abilities.
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Stijn Wuyts, University of Bath
So where did all the dark matter come from?
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Arts + Culture
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Stuart Brookes, UCL
New research suggests his military achievements might have been exaggerated.
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Will Slocombe, University of Liverpool
In the face of recent political events in Britain and America, sci-fi imaginings of the 'citizens of the future' have taken on a new resonance.
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Valerie Derbyshire, University of Sheffield
There was more than meets the eye to one of the most famous versions of Beauty and the Beast.
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Sean Lang, Anglia Ruskin University
It has been meticulously planned for ... but the end of the Elizabethan Age will throw up plenty of surprises.
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Lyndsay Duthie, University of Hertfordshire
ITV's attempt at an American style talk show has been poorly reviewed.
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Health + Medicine
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Ana Valdes, University of Nottingham
The make-up of your gut bacteria will determine whether or not you put on weight.
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Janet Cade, University of Leeds
Accuracy is a big problem when people self-report what they eat. A new online tool could help researchers and clinicians overcome this hurdle.
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Geoff Webb, University of East London
A new study links 10-a-day with living longer but that's not the full picture.
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Environment + Energy
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Vera Thoss, Bangor University
It is essential to maintain global food supply, but the clock is ticking.
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Judith Schleicher, University of Cambridge; Bhaskar Vira, University of Cambridge
We need environmentally-adjusted measures that don't just focus on material goods.
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Rob Marchant, University of York
Everything you need to know about the 'Indian Ocean Dipole' climate phenomenon.
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Business + Economy
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David Spencer, University of Leeds
The UK government's U-turn on a national insurance increase for self-employed people exposes the flaws in its approach to building a stronger and more inclusive economy.
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Emma Williams, University of Bath; Debi Ashenden, University of Portsmouth
You know it's a serious problem when even Google and Paypal have been targeted.
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Costantino Grasso, University of East London
Fighting corruption in the business world requires transforming the internal structure and culture of big companies.
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Tim Rees, Bournemouth University
To what extent do hours of practice, development squads and role models really make a difference?
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Featured events
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Vincent Drive, Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom — University of Birmingham
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SOAS University of London, 10 Thornhaugh Street Russell Square , London, London, City of, WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom — SOAS, University of London
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University of Stirling, Stirling , Stirling, FK9 4LA, United Kingdom — University of Stirling
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Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom — University of Essex
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