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Editor's note
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If you’ve ever watched a hypnotist on television or on stage then you’ll be familiar with the funny things participants can be made to do. But some people swear by it and many hypnotherapists make their living from people who want to quit addictions like smoking, tackle anxiety, or more controversially, recover memories. But is there any evidence whatsoever that it works and if so, how? Two scientists who recently reviewed research on the topic suggest that it may actually be a completely normal part of human behaviour.
But if you’re not interested in sinking into a relaxed state this weekend, then you could instead follow the scientists taking to the streets in Washington DC today to defend their field. More than 500 solidarity marches are also taking place in cities across the world in protest against what they say is an anti-science agenda in Donald Trump’s administration. However, not everyone agrees – the concept has become a divisive issue.
On Sunday, the 37th London marathon will take place and it’s getting more popular each year. It’s so oversubscribed in fact that it’s easier to get a place if you show a commitment to fundraising. One in three starting places are “owned” by charitable organisations who are free to offer them.
Also, don’t forget to check out our latest quiz.
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Miriam Frankel
Science Editor
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Top story
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On the count of three, you will forget this ever happened.
Everett Collection/Shutterstock
Devin Terhune, Goldsmiths, University of London; Steven Jay Lynn, Binghamton University, State University of New York
A review of studies in psychology and neuroscience shows we are well on the way to understanding what goes on in our brains when we are hypnotised.
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Science + Technology
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Joseph Roche, Trinity College Dublin
A march for science has become a divisive topic among scientists.
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James Foster, Lund University
New research shows the insects use the brightness of different stars to work out which direction to go.
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Kevin N Laland, University of St Andrews
Our secret? We're better at sharing our ideas.
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Rhys James Jones, Swansea University
For the papier-mache headed Frank Sidebottom, the ZX Spectrum was more than a basic computer – it was like a musical instrument
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Alan Bilton, Swansea University
Pimania was a product of Thatcherite entrepreneurial spirit, mixed with a dash of cheekiness and drippings of subverted expectations.
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Politics + Society
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Eglantine Staunton, University of Leeds
The killing of a policeman in a terror attack has heightened tensions ahead of the first round of voting on April 23.
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Victoria Honeyman, University of Leeds
A look at the pressure points for the contenders in this last minute election.
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Andy Price, Sheffield Hallam University
In calling a snap election, the prime minister accused her opponents of playing party politics. She should know.
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Maria Ryan, University of Nottingham
Having campaigned on a promise to focus on problems at home, Donald Trump is realising how important the US's global supremacy is.
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Nicolas Lemay-Hébert, University of Birmingham; Rosa Freedman, University of Reading
By not acknowledging what Haitians themselves think they need, the UN is failing to sort out one of its worst ever blunders.
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Matthew Rendle, University of Exeter
Radical political change is not something Putin wants to celebrate.
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Environment + Energy
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Sarah Bassett, The Conversation
It's not all doom and gloom when it comes to work being done to secure the future of the planet.
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Emma Gilberthorpe, University of East Anglia
The Dani people were part of a thriving agricultural society long before Westerners 'discovered' them in the 1930s.
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Leslie Noble, University of Aberdeen
Super-fertile slugs from the continent have bred with their cousins in the UK.
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Business + Economy
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Julius Probst, Lund University
The soaring cost of housing has helped make capital ownership more profitable than work.
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Richard Murphy, City, University of London
Theresa May has read the economic runes – and called an election while she still confidently can.
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Health + Medicine
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George Kirov, Cardiff University
ECT is a highly effective treatment for severe depression and psychosis, so why does it still have a bad rap?
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Anna Waldstein, University of Kent
Could holistic medicine partly explain the 'Hispanic health paradox'?
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Podcast
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shutterstock.com
Will de Freitas, The Conversation; Annabel Bligh, The Conversation; Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Miriam Frankel, The Conversation
This episode of The Anthill podcast delves into the world of memory. We talk to psychologists, historians and political scientists about how and why we remember some things and forget others.
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Quiz
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Pressmaster / shutterstock
Will de Freitas, The Conversation; Fiona Lally, The Conversation
Test your knowledge against a week of Conversation content.
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