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Editor's note
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These days pharmaceutical companies are more likely to design compounds in the laboratory than find new medicines through bioprospecting in nature. But recent developments in genetics mean renewed interest in drugs that could be sourced from among other things, insects.
Hollywood musical La La Land clinched a staggering 14 Oscar nominations. But is it really any good? Lots of reviewers have raved about this as a musical for the modern era, but for Will Brooker it's a self-congratulatory white male vision of the American Dream – and it couldn't better reflect the times in which we live.
Reports of alien abductions may be rare but by some estimates as much as 50% of people in Western cultures believe in extraterrestrial beings. Reports of a secret US military project at Roswell in the 1940s have played a part in this, as have hoaxes, but psychology may offer some scientific explanations.
And if you listen to our podcast, The Anthill, we'd be grateful if you could spare a couple of minutes to complete a short survey about it. Your input will help us work out what you've really enjoyed and what we should be doing more of.
Have a great weekend.
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Jo Adetunji
Deputy Editor
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Top story
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Ababil Wings SS / shutterstock
Ross Piper, University of Leeds
We have barely begun to tap into the pharmaceutical potential of the most diverse animals of all.
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Arts + Culture
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Will Brooker, Kingston University
No film could be more perfectly circular, more self-congratulatory and more suited to the time.
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Emily Torricelli, University of York
As T2 Trainspotting hits cinemas, a great deal has changed since the original.
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Philip Seargeant, The Open University
Language is not fixed and meaning is what people make it.
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Jonny Murray, University of Edinburgh
No cultural milestone this time around, but some memorable moments on ageing.
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Science + Technology
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Ken Drinkwater, Manchester Metropolitan University; Neil Dagnall, Manchester Metropolitan University
Millions of people claim to have had encounters with aliens, but most can be explained by psychology rather than UFOs.
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Annabel Bligh, The Conversation; Gemma Ware, The Conversation
Three stories about researchers who have dabbled in self-experimentation – with varying results.
To complete a short survey about the podcast, please click here https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QR7WVMF
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Ruth Dalton, Northumbria University, Newcastle; Nick Dalton, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Mazes are as important now as they were in Greek mythology.
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Kathryn Harriss, University of Kent
Often eclipsed by Apollo 11, the final manned moonshot left far more than bootprints in the dust. In these troubling times, it also left us with a lasting message of hope.
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Julie Dunne, University of Bristol
The proof is in the pottery.
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Jelena Dzakula, London School of Economics and Political Science
Social networks built on blockchain technology, such as Steemit, promise a far more democratic experience.
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Lena Grinsted, University of Sussex
New research into how wasps divide up their jobs shows how economics can be key to understanding animal behaviour.
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Politics + Society
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Jo Wilding, University of Brighton
Many Eritreans whose asylum claims are rejected have them overturned on appeal.
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Louise Thompson, University of Surrey; Simon Usherwood, University of Surrey
It's only two lines long, but this piece of parliamentary business could cause a lot of trouble.
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Martin Farr, Newcastle University
The unique parliamentarian who coined the West Lothian question.
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Andrew Fagan, University of Essex
You may not be free but buying lots of stuff can create the illusion that you are.
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Ruth Blakeley, University of Kent
The UK has yet to properly grapple with its past complicity in prisoner abuses and torture.
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Roxana Pessoa Cavalcanti, University of Westminster
Fed up with corruption, violence and stagnant public services, more Brazilians are turning to hardline conservatism.
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Environment + Energy
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John Grant, Sheffield Hallam University
Ecologically sound housing needs to be built on a much larger scale.
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Wayne Martindale, Sheffield Hallam University
Understanding the best food option is getting complicated. Enter the new flexitarians.
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Rachel Norman, University of Stirling
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to global food insecurity except that the West needs to learn to consume, and waste, less.
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Mark Maslin, UCL
We have the penis of a monogamous primate yet our body sizes suggest our ancestors slept around a lot.
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Health + Medicine
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Robbie Rae, Liverpool John Moores University
From losing inhibitions and anger to schizophrenia and dementia – science is uncovering the role small critters play in a range of illnesses and behaviours.
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Richard Hoffman, University of Hertfordshire
Vitamin B1 can reduce your risk of getting Alzheimer's disease, but some groups, such as the elderly, aren't getting enough.
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Claire Fox, Keele University
Does your child use self-defeating humour? Researchers have found it can be linked to depression.
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Business + Economy
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Paolo Aversa, City, University of London
Ecclestone made F1 the success it is today. But the sport needs rejuvenating if it's to continue to prosper.
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Jeremy Green, University of Cambridge
The Conservatives may be willing to sacrifice what’s left of the UK’s beleaguered social model to maintain the City’s global status.
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Benjamin Selwyn, University of Sussex
In work poverty is a sign the icy tide of capitalism is now lapping at our ankles in the global north.
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Richard Whittle, Manchester Metropolitan University
Ridiculed and ignored in 2016, what can the 'dismal science' offer us now?
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Benjamin Selwyn, University of Sussex
In work poverty is a sign the icy tide of capitalism is now lapping at our ankles in the global north.
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David Cockayne, University of Liverpool
The sleeping giant of world football has started flexing its financial muscles.
Can the Premier League and other European clubs compete with the might of China?
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Education
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Tom Perry, University of Birmingham
Three reasons why the new progress measures may be a misleading indicator of school performance.
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Featured events
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Online event, Online, Bath and North East Somerset, Online, United Kingdom — University of Bath
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Room ARC/014, Alcuin Research Resource Centre, Alcuin College, York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom — University of York
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51 Gordon Square, London, London, City of, WC1H 0PN, United Kingdom — UCL
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Berrill Theatre, Open University, Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, United Kingdom — The Open University
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