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Editor's note
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It was one of the saddest moments of the week: when the Mars rover Opportunity, which has been sending back information about the Red Planet for 15 years, was officially declared dead by NASA. “My battery is low and it’s getting dark,” were its last words (or at least, this was how its message was interpreted by its emotional controllers). “Oppy” had only been supposed to function for 90 days when it originally landed on Mars in 2004 but
ended up operating until eight months ago, when it sent that message. Scientists tried repeatedly to wake Oppy but to no avail. They finally sent it a farewell message of Billie Holiday singing: “I’ll be seeing you”. If ever a machine deserved an obituary,
it’s Oppy.
Meanwhile the UK woke yesterday morning to the news that Shamima Begum, one of three teenagers last seen running away to join Islamic State in 2015, wants to return home. The Times newspaper interviewed the 19-year-old, who is nine months pregnant, in a refugee camp in Syria. The question of whether she should be allowed to return and, if so, what should happen to a young woman who apparently still embraces jihad, is a question that will
provoke passionate debate around the country.
Some good news for anyone who, if you’re like me, thinks that too much cricket is not enough. Not only did England finally win a test match in its disappointing tour of the West Indies, but onfield microphones caught England captain Joe Root’s admirable response to a homophobic jibe: “Don’t use that as an insult … there’s nothing wrong with being gay.” As one commentator said, in a career full of superlatives, this might have been his greatest hit. There’s no place for homophobia in sport.
This week we also learned that desert romance novels are still hugely popular, we debated whether Winston Churchill was hero or villain and we set the scene for the Nigerian election. Meanwhile our colleagues around the world called on scientists and researchers to set an example in this era of global warming: spend less time on aircraft flying
to climate change conferences.
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Jonathan Este
Associate Editor, Arts + Culture Editor
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Opportunity in Endurance Crater.
NASA
Andrew Coates, UCL
Rovers including 'Rosalind Franklin' will pick up where Opportunity left off – trying to answer the question of whether there is, or ever has been, life on Mars.
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A handout photo of Shamima Begum, who left London in 2015 to join Islamic State.
Metropolitan Police/PA Wire
Katherine E. Brown, University of Birmingham
A schoolgirl who left Bethnal Green to join Islamic State in Syria is now in a refugee camp and wants to return to the UK.
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England captain Joe Root has earned plaudits for his stand against homophobia in cricket.
NAPARAZZI via Wikimedia Commons
Rory Magrath, Solent University
The England cricket captain's reaction to a homophobic insult shows how far attitudes have changed – and how much sport needs champions like him to promote diversity.
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Rudolph Valentino and Agnes Ayres in The Sheik (1921).
Ellen Turner, Lund University
Panned as rubbish when it was published in 1919, The Sheik spawned a legendary movie and hundreds of desert romances, despite its questionable central theme.
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A towering figure.
lonndubh/Shutterstock
Sam Edwards, Manchester Metropolitan University
A complicated man who some would cast as a simple answer to complex times.
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Presidential Candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari (L) and his running mate, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (R) attend a campaign rally.
EPA-EFE
Ejike Bob Udeogu, University of East London
Buhari’s handling of the economy has been somewhere between poor and appalling. But the same could be said of past administrations.
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Mark O. Cuthbert, Cardiff University; Kevin M. Befus, University of Wyoming; Tom Gleeson, University of Victoria
The effects of climate change above ground are well known, but what's happening to underground aquifers which supply most of the world's fresh water?
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Samantha Pegg, Nottingham Trent University
A body modification practitioner has been convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent – even though he had the consent of the 'victims'.
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Simon Usherwood, University of Surrey
Brussels is certainly firm on its red lines, but it's not as intransigent as many in the UK portray it to be.
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Tom Quinn, University of Essex
The Conservative Party might not be able to survive the fallout if May worked with the opposition against her own MPs.
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From our international network
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Xavier Anglaret, Université de Bordeaux; Chris Wymant, University of Oxford; Kévin Jean, Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (CNAM)
Whether to attending a conferences or giving in to a meeting, the global research community is keen on air travel. That’s a habit that needs to change.
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Featured events
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Eldon Building, Winston Churchill Avenue, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2DJ, United Kingdom — University of Portsmouth
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Boilerhouse Auditorium, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom — Royal Holloway
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Room D/L/104 - Education SCR, Derwent College, York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom — University of York
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Event Space, Emily Wilding Davison Building, Egham, Surrey, t, United Kingdom — Royal Holloway
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