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Editor's note
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Mumps is at its highest level in a decade across the UK, all down to the alarming spread of anti-vax information, according to the government. Many blame social media for the growth in suspicion about the potential harm done by vaccines.
It’s tempting to think that such beliefs are relatively modern, dating back to the now-discredited work of Andrew Wakefield in the 1990s which tried to link the MMR vaccine to autism in children. But fear of vaccines is far from new – and new forms of media have fanned the flames before, according to Sally Frampton. When smallpox vaccination began in the late 18th century, it was commonly believed that it could cause cow horns to sprout from
children. At least we’ve moved on from that.
Are voters prejudiced against ethnic minority politicians? Nicole Martin and Scott Blinder have been finding out. And if you’re interested in taking a gamble by investing in cryptocurrencies this year, then don’t choose bitcoin – other currencies are rising more sharply.
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Josephine Lethbridge
Interdisciplinary Editor
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Top stories
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© Wellcome Collection
Sally Frampton, University of Oxford
Anti-vaccinators today echo 200-year-old debates.
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Prime minister Boris Johnson with his new intake MPs.
Leon Neal/PA
Nicole Martin, University of Manchester; Scott Blinder, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Participants were asked to choose between white and ethnic minority candidates.
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‘We have you surrounded!’
Wit Olszewski
Gavin Brown, Manchester Metropolitan University; Richard Whittle, Manchester Metropolitan University
Bitcoin is up over 40% in 2020, but the likes of ethereum, bitcoin cash and bitcoin SV have all achieved triple-digit rises.
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Health + Medicine
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John J Reilly, University of Strathclyde
The problematical body-mass index method of measuring fatness means the number of people who are obese has been seriously underestimated.
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Melissa Grant-Peters, University of Oxford
A drug created to target this gene was found to be effective in treating autoimmune conditions like lupus and psoriasis.
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Jonathan R Goodman, University of Cambridge; Paul Ewald, University of Louisville
China needs to tell the world what is going on in its detention camps in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.
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Environment + Energy
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Grant Williamson, University of Tasmania; Gabi Mocatta, University of Tasmania; Rebecca Harris, University of Tasmania; Tomas Remenyi, University of Tasmania
The current state of our climate shouldn't be dismissed as a 'new normal'. The hard truth is many of our ecosystems will not recover from the damage.
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Marilyn A. Norconk, Kent State University
Wildlife crime is difficult to track but of deep concern since about 60% of primate species are now threatened with extinction.
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Science + Technology
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Mark Button, University of Portsmouth
Cyber security firms have sparked a revolution similar to the spread of private police forces.
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Catherine Cullingham, Carleton University
Information collected from DNA samples can be used to identify species, track their movements and diagnose genetic diseases. This information is useful in conservation and management projects.
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Arts + Culture
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Mark Thomas, Nottingham Trent University; Samantha Pegg, Nottingham Trent University
The defacing of a new Banksy mural in Bristol has raised some interesting legal questions.
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Adam Behr, Newcastle University
Hailed as a genius at the mixing desk, Weatherall's eclectic knowledge and skill came to define a musical era.
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Politics + Society
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Cassandra Wiener, City, University of London
It is important that police forces and the CPS are able to recognise that coercive control and couple violence are different and require different handling.
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Umut Korkut, Glasgow Caledonian University; Tarik Basbugoglu, Glasgow Caledonian University
As Syrian forces bombard the opposition enclave of Idlib, Turkey lacks an ongoing strategy.
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Business + Economy
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Adam Nix, De Montfort University; Stephanie Decker, University of Bristol
Both 'cum ex' and Enron scandals show how traders can manipulate complex financial regulations to their advantage.
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