|
|
|
Editor's note
|
|
If you speak with a regional accent, you might find yourself struggling to be understood by Alexa, Siri or any other voice-recognition technology. Perhaps you even alter the way you talk to get your instructions across. Could this have long-lasting effects on the diversity of language, as some have warned? Not so, argues Erin Carrie, who explains why our accents are much more robust.
Claims of “brain orgasm” may be overblown, but new research suggests that watching ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos really can have a positive effect on your mental health. Thomas Hostler believes that the pleasant tingling sensation that they cause and which are brought on by certain sounds and movements could be a valuable therapeutic tool in the digital age.
When news spread that the Morandi bridge in Genoa had collapsed, it didn’t take long for rumours to start circulating about the mafia’s involvement. Anna Sergi has spent years researching the operations of Italy’s most powerful mafia – the ‘ndrangheta. Here, she chronicles the corruption which wracks the region’s construction industry to this day.
And if you wonder what it’s like to research the Italian mafia, now’s your chance to find out: Anna will be answering questions from subscribers of The Conversation UK – to submit yours, hit “reply” to this email, and include your name and town or city of residence.
|
Stephen Harris
Commissioning + Science Editor
|
|
|
Top stories
|
Shutterstock
Erin Carrie, Manchester Metropolitan University
Reports of the death of accents have been greatly exaggerated.
|
More than a feeling?
Shutterstock
Thomas Hostler, Manchester Metropolitan University
On tablets and laptops, people are turning to ASMR videos to unwind in the digital age.
|
The dark side of Italian infrastructure.
Luca Zennaro/EPA
Anna Sergi, University of Essex
In the region of Liguria, and the city of Genoa itself, Calabrian mafia clans have been infiltrating construction projects for decades.
|
Health + Medicine
|
-
Samuel Virtue, University of Cambridge
New mouse study suggests that a heavy meal may be a better test than the glucose tolerance test.
-
Andrew Symon, University of Dundee
Better ante-natal care may not need more cash, just a smarter, consistent and more relatable way of making things work.
-
John Synnott, University of Huddersfield; Calli Tzani Pepelasi, University of Huddersfield; Maria Ioannou, University of Huddersfield
What makes people go online to abuse and harass the vulnerable – or log on to be abused themselves?
-
Claire Hooks, Anglia Ruskin University
The opioid crisis in the US has quadrupled the number of babies born addicted to drugs.
|
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Laura Bainbridge, University of York
Sobriety tags monitor how much alcohol a person drinks – can they work to reduce crime?
-
Richard Youngs, University of Warwick
The transatlantic relationship can no longer be an engine of global democracy thanks to Donald Trump. So the EU must rethink its partnerships with other democratic powers.
-
Heike I Schmidt, University of Reading
The messy and violent aftermath of Zimbabwe's recent elections met with only muted international criticism.
|
|
Business + Economy
|
-
Ajay Patel, Manchester Metropolitan University
It may come as a shock to discover that businesses are allowed to pay local authorities for advice on environmental health standards and food labelling.
-
Julius Probst, Lund University
Watch out, Indonesia and South Africa.
-
Robyn Klingler-Vidra, King's College London; Juergen Braunstein, Harvard University
Talk of Saudi Arabia helping Elon Musk take Tesla private is the latest example of a long line of sovereign wealth fund investments.
|
|
Arts + Culture
|
-
Dr Edward Ademolu, University of Manchester
Why can't fiction's most famous secret agent be played by Idris Elba? Just use your imagination.
|
|
| |
Featured events
|
|
People's History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester, Manchester, M3 3ER, United Kingdom — Manchester Metropolitan University
|
|
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom — University of Manchester
|
|
|
Alliance Manchester Business School, Oxford Road, Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom — University of Manchester
|
|
|
Weston Building, The University of Manchester, Sackville Street, Manchester, Manchester, M1 3BB, United Kingdom — University of Manchester
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
