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Editor's note
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The high seas are so far from land that no single state governs what happens there. But these vast and mostly empty places aren’t beyond human influence – nor are their most fearsome inhabitants. The world’s largest sharks stalk the open ocean, but a new study has revealed their habitat is under threat like never before.
Shark “hotspots” – where lots of these endangered species gather to feed, breed and rest – are increasingly crowded by huge fleets of longline fishing vessels. One in four of these vital habitats is regularly raked by boats deploying thousands of baited hooks. Some internationally protected species like the great white share half of their range with these fisheries, which often span entire oceans.
Marine protected areas on the high seas have been proposed to protect sharks, but climate change is a threat which will prove more difficult for wildlife to escape. While humans might enjoy the recent heat wave, research has found that temperatures are likely to rise too steeply in the coming decades for most species to adapt. As milder winters give way to earlier springs, species will find they’re increasingly out of sync with the changing
environment and struggle to feed and reproduce in the places and times they’re used to.
The hidden epidemic of postpartum psychosis is another crisis that demands urgent attention. Though scientists know more about this severe mental illness that can affect new mothers, those suffering still aren’t getting the help they need. Meanwhile, in the big political news of the day, new Prime Minister Boris Johnson mulls his first steps in office. Is an early election on the cards?
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Jack Marley
Commissioning Editor
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Top stories
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Though they’re protected worldwide, great white sharks encounter longline fishing vessels in half of their range.
Wildestanimal/Shutterstock
David Sims, University of Southampton
Even the remote open ocean offers no escape from industrial fishing for sharks.
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scullydion / shutterstock
Christopher Hassall, University of Leeds
Scientists looked at thousands of studies to see how animals were adapting to higher temperatures.
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Symptoms of postpartum psychosis are severe but most mothers do go on to make a full recovery.
Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock
Marisa Casanova Dias, Cardiff University
Postpartum psychosis affects one to two mothers in every 1,000 births but specialist help in the UK is seriously lacking.
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Henry Nicholls/PA
Nicholas Allen, Royal Holloway
It's not actually unusual for a British prime minister to enter power like this. But does Johnson need a mandate more than most?
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Science + Technology
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Miriam Frankel, The Conversation; Martin Archer, Queen Mary University of London
In the fourth episode of our podcast series, we look at the practical, legal and ethical questions about going to set up base on the moon – and mining its resources.
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Ian Whittaker, Nottingham Trent University; Gareth Dorrian, University of Birmingham
Any base on the moon would need very thick walls.
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Alessandro Rossi, University of Strathclyde ; Fernando Gonzalez-Zalba, University of Cambridge
The head of Google's Quantum AI Labs, Hartmut Neven, claims the current speed of development means a quantum computing breakthrough is near.
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Wim Naudé, United Nations University
Prominent thinkers exaggerating the potential or danger of artificial intelligence are pushing us towards a new AI winter.
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Health + Medicine
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Lucy Anne Livingston, King's College London; Francesca Happé, King's College London; Punit Shah, University of Bath
What adults with autism told us about their everyday experiences.
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Duane Mellor, Aston University; Shahid Merali, Aston University
It seems like an easy question, until you take a closer look. Then things get messy.
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Dani Barrington, University of Leeds; Emily Wilson, University of Sheffield; Hazel Barrett, Coventry University
There is little evidence that pads alone will keep girls in school – stigma, lack of appropriate infrastructure, and embarrassment need to be dealt with too.
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Politics + Society
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Simon Usherwood, University of Surrey
Britain's new prime minister has spoken ... now he needs to act.
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Kevin Booton, Staffordshire University
The processing time for the government's Funeral Expenses Payment is decreasing, but the costs related to a funeral are still high.
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Alex Glennie, Nesta; Robyn Klingler-Vidra, King's College London
From the Tory leadership election to innovation policy, a small number of similarly-minded people are making the big decisions.
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Cities
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Silvio Carta, University of Hertfordshire
Instead of trying to explain the mystifying mathematics behind how algorithms work, this researcher started looking at how they actually 'see' the world we live in.
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Environment + Energy
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Anitha Karthik, Edinburgh Napier University
Half the deaths from Atlantic hurricanes are down to storm surge. People in vulnerable regions need to be aware of what it is and how it threatens their safety.
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Arts + Culture
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Daniel Read, Loughborough University
Why swimmers are protesting against China's Sun Yang at the World Championships.
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Featured events
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King's Manor, York, York, YO1 7EP, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of York
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Meadow Suite, Park House, University of Reading Whiteknights Campus,, Reading, Reading, RG6 6UA, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Reading
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University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Essex
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