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Editor's note
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Are you hanging up your stocking on the wall? Some time ago, we published an article about earworms. Slade’s Christmas classic didn’t appear, but surely, for at least a couple of weeks a year it is the ultimate in “tunes you just can’t get out of your head”.
So, apologies for lodging that one in there. But I hope The Conversation can give you more than an earworm this festive season.
Through the year, we have set agendas with coverage of the climate crisis, health and social issues, political and economic developments and scientific breakthroughs – all explained by specialist authors working in collaboration with our team of professional journalists. This content reached millions of you via this email, Google, Apple News and republications in leading titles around the world.
We will bring you even more of this research-based journalism in 2020. In particular we’ll seek to develop further long reads that dig deep into studies tackling some of the biggest challenges facing society. And we’ll be channelling the strength of our international network to create articles and podcasts that draw on knowledge from across the global academy.
This week and next we’ll publish fewer articles than usual. But stay tuned, because emails will still arrive, with pieces looking at those key questions (festive and others) that you know need answered. We will be back with our full service in the new year.
And as always, if you enjoy and value the work we do, please forward this email to friends and relatives and encourage them to sign up for free. Go on, give the gift of Conversation this year.
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Top stories
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Manger Square with Bethlehem Peace Centre and Christmas tree, December 2019.
Dorina Buda
Dorina-Maria Buda, Leeds Beckett University
'Solidarity tourism' has made Christmas a very busy time of year in Palestine.
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Elur/Shutterstock
Hal Sosabowski, University of Brighton
The science of the Christmas drinking binge.
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Bruce MacQueen/Shutterstock
Jason Gilchrist, Edinburgh Napier University
If harm to native wildlife is the main concern then there are much bigger targets for control than grey squirrels.
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Politics + Society
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Ken Rotenberg, Keele University
Ethology, social psychology and criminology can help us understand why humans lie and why scammer scam.
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Lara Flynn Hudspith, University of Huddersfield
Neither jurors nor judges can be relied upon to put aside their incorrect beliefs about rape. What's the answer?
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Sofia Collignon, Royal Holloway
The good news is that one party has more women than men now. The bad news is it's not the party of government.
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Clare Frances Moran, Edinburgh Napier University
With the ICC facing intense criticism and scrutiny, its member states have met to create a plan to improve the court's standing and performance.
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Drew Mikhael, Queen's University Belfast; Allison McCulloch, Brandon University
A power-sharing agreement that shares power between Lebanon's different sectarian communities is no longer fit for purpose.
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Business + Economy
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Carl W. Jones, University of Westminster
A religion of conspicuous consumption has replaced Christianity at the centre of Christmas – and it’s big business which will be most pleased of all.
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David Poyton, Aberystwyth University
The EU needs to reconsider its approach if digital platforms are to thrive.
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Environment + Energy
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Karen Rial-Lovera, Nottingham Trent University
We're not powerless to change the future of food. Nature and technology can combine to nourish both the earth and its inhabitants.
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Education
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Daniel Madigan, York St John University
A focus on more realistic performance outcomes can help students cope when things do not go to plan.
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Featured events
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Ron Cooke Hub, Campus East, , York, York, YO10 5GE, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of York
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East Building 1.1, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, Bath and North East Somerset, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Bath
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Aston Triangle, Birmingham, Birmingham, B4 7ET, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Aston University
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