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Editor's note
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The novel coronavirus outbreak is a fast-moving story. To stay up to date, each morning I read the World Health Organization’s latest situation report. Situation Report 21, which arrived in my inbox on Monday evening, put the number of confirmed global cases at 40,554 and the number of deaths at 910. Useful though these figures are for working out what is happening, they only provide a snapshot in time.
I was glad when Edward Parker, a systems biologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, asked me if we could launch their interactive coronavirus map on The Conversation. The map lets you wind back the clock and view the global situation of the coronavirus outbreak on any given day, so it’s possible to tell if the situation is getting better or worse, and to what extent control efforts are working.
The map is also unique in that you can compare the novel coronavirus outbreak with other recent outbreaks, including Sars (2003), the swine flu pandemic (2009), and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa (2014).
Elsewhere, a storm in a coffee cup has been brewing. People – including artist Grayson Perry – were outraged that Tate Britain is recruiting a new head of coffee for the princely salary of £39,500. An expert explains the cultural value of such a role and why we shouldn’t get into such a froth about it. We also take a glimpse at the economic and physical feasibility of building a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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Clint Witchalls
Health + Medicine Editor
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Top stories
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Coronavirus outbreak mapper.
Edward Parker, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
A new tool has been developed to track the history of the novel coronavirus and other recent outbreaks.
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The Tate Britain in London houses the roastery for the coffee that is served across the group’s all four sites. Managing it is one the responsibilities of the Tate’s master of coffee.
Kiev.Victor/Shutterstock
Chris Land, Anglia Ruskin University
Should a master of coffee be paid less than a curator or do they have equal cultural value and therefore be paid the same?
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Eva Mont/Shutterstock
Wanda Lewis, University of Warwick
Floating bridges and submerged tunnels could be used to cross the Irish Sea.
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Health + Medicine
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Annabel Bligh, The Conversation; Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Holly Squire, The Conversation
Introducing a new series from The Anthill podcast on the future of personalisation in healthcare.
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Umair Akram, Sheffield Hallam University
Memes that feature dark or depressing jokes might seem alarming – but our research shows that they might provide a sense of community for those struggling.
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Susan Walker, Anglia Ruskin University
Hormone-based contraceptives are in short supply.
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Politics + Society
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Roberto Foa, University of Cambridge; Andrew James Klassen, University of Cambridge
Dissatisfaction with democracy is rising around the world. But there are a few 'islands of contentment'.
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Wendy Sims-Schouten, University of Portsmouth
Considerations of whether children and young people are deserving of help are reminiscent of 19th-century approaches to child services.
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Science + Technology
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Paul Kyberd, Brunel University London
When scientists created the Higgs particle with protons, they needed the 10km-wide Large Hadron Collider. A muon machine could achieve it with a diameter of just 200 metres.
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Environment + Energy
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Iokiñe Rodríguez, University of East Anglia; Mirna Inturias, Universidad Nur
A new study revealed that indigenous territories store more than half the carbon in the Amazon forest.
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Arts + Culture
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Agata Lulkowska, Staffordshire University
It's the first non-English language film to win best picture – here's hoping this is the start of something big for world cinema.
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Featured events
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Portland Building, Portland Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 3AH, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Portsmouth
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Yorkshire Room, JB Morrell Library, Campus West, York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of York
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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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School of the Arts, 19-23 Abercromby Square, Liverpool, L69 7ZG, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Liverpool
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