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Editor's note
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In 2005, President Bush used the word “victory” 15 times in a speech about the Iraq War. Things had changed in 2009, when President Obama sought to get rid of the idea of victory in US strategic discourse, arguing that it evokes crude associations with conquest. But the idea of “winning” wars has very much come to the fore again in Trump’s presidency.
Despite this uneven US rhetoric, it is undeniable that wars no longer produce clear-cut victories. Just look at the legacy of wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Libya. Many, Obama chief among them, argue that in such a context the language of victory is unsuitable, especially as historically, wars have seldom ended that way. But as Cian O'Driscoll argues, this overlooks the fact that the ideal of victory still very much guides how we think about
war – and not only the Bushes and Trumps of the world. All of which indicates that it’s high time we had a real think about victory, war, and what it means today.
Forget microdosing and Huel – the latest craze in Silicon Valley is dopamine fasting – by abstaining from food, sex, drugs and social media. An expert debunks it. And find out exactly what’s happened to UK migration since the EU referendum with these four graphs.
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Josephine Lethbridge
Interdisciplinary Editor
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Top stories
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A protester wearing a Guy Fawkes mask flashing a victory sign in Beirut in November 2019.
EPA-EFE/WAEL HAMZEH EPA-EFE/WAEL HAMZEH
Cian O'Driscoll, University of Glasgow
Wars don't produce winners and losers – they never really did.
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Methamphetamine abuse (right) decreases dopamine transporter activity in the brain.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Ciara McCabe, University of Reading
There are more efficient ways to stop addictions than fasting from rewards.
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Net migration has gone down since the referendum.
1000 words/Shutterstock
Nik Lomax, University of Leeds
There is substantial difference in what's happening to migration from inside and outside the EU.
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Politics + Society
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Fraser McMillan, University of Glasgow
Research from around the world shows that UK leaders are actually better at putting their pledges into action when they win office than voters think.
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Jackie Goode, Loughborough University; David Deacon, Loughborough University
It isn't just politicians: experts, business representatives, even academics quoted in the media are more likely to be male.
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Kenton White, University of Reading
With Brexit on the horizon, Britain's role in NATO won't change, but its defence priorities might.
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Business + Economy
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Lucian Tipi, Sheffield Hallam University
PayPal CEO Dan Schulman sees much more potential in blockchain ID than payments at present. He's absolutely right.
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Maria Berghs, De Montfort University; Simon Dyson, De Montfort University
Lessons from a study of sickle cell and employment.
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Ian Jones, University of Leeds; Anthony Whiteing, University of Leeds; Greg Marsden, University of Leeds
Delivery companies are constantly learning from past mistakes to better serve customers, but they neglect crucial energy, mobility and health issues.
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Environment + Energy
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Andreas Busch, Heriot-Watt University
Effective engineering solutions to tackle climate change already exist but there is a desperate lack of conviction to address the emergency.
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Fatima Garcia Elena, Nottingham Trent University
While celebrating the millions on streets in London and Vancouver, we must not forget the sacrifices of people in the Global South.
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Health + Medicine
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Charlotte Currie, Newcastle University; Christopher Vernazza, Newcastle University; Justin Durham, Newcastle University; Simon Stone, Newcastle University
It’s not all about the cost of treatment – and this is something the next government will need to address.
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Featured events
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Julian Study Centre Lecture Theatre, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of East Anglia
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Oxford Martin School, 34 Broad Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3BD, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Oxford
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Lecture Theatre One, UEA, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of East Anglia
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Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2AB, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Portsmouth
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