Editor's note
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Politics has arguably never been so polarised and undermined by lies. Efforts to address the rise of fake news and conspiracy theories have largely failed. So is there any hope for the truth and healing divides?
Research suggests there might be. The key is to understand what causes people to disregard the truth in the first place, not to try to educate them with facts. It’s not about ignorance, but rather people’s need to be accepted by a group – avoiding doing things that may get them excluded from it. This need is deeply rooted in evolution, often causing us to deny facts that contradict the group’s belief system.
If your community strongly opposes vaccination or climate change, you often unconsciously prioritise avoiding getting into conflicts about it – even if the facts show that the group is wrong. Better understanding this social dimension may be key to winning the battle against disinformation.
We also investigate how factchecking can play a part in this, and what Boris Johnson’s government needs to do to show it is serious about climate change.
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Miriam Frankel
Science Editor
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Top stories
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The flat Earth conspiracy is becoming increasingly popular.
Elena Schweitzer
Mikael Klintman, Lund University
Being accepted by others matters more to us than being factually correct – and this is the key to tackling our post-truth society.
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How much of what they are telling you is true and how much is spin?
ITV/PA Wire/PA Images
Jen Birks, University of Nottingham
Factchecking became politicised during UK election campaign. But what does it really add to public awareness?
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How green will he really be?
Vickie Flores/EPA
Rebecca Willis, Lancaster University
After his landslide victory, Boris Johnson declared his ambition to make his country 'the cleanest, greenest on Earth'. Here's what he needs to do to prove it.
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Health + Medicine
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Julie Broderick, Trinity College Dublin
There are a lot of misconceptions about exercise. Here are nine.
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Arts + Culture
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Adeline Johns-Putra, University of Surrey
These seven cli-fi novels will get you fired up for action.
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Science + Technology
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Lewis Alcott, University of Leeds; Benjamin J. W. Mills, University of Leeds
New research suggests that Earth's oxygenation didn't require difficult and complex evolutionary leaps forward.
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Environment + Energy
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Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, United Nations University
Directly linking climate change with aggression and mass migration risks dehumanising those vulnerable to environmental stresses. Mufazzar's story does the opposite.
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Politics + Society
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Victoria Honeyman, University of Leeds
The biggest risk is Britain's desire to stand alone in the world.
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William McDougall, Glasgow Caledonian University
Independence support in Scotland is now at critical levels. The ball is in the UK prime minister's court.
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Matthew Flinders, University of Sheffield
The general election 2019 has delivered a seismic shift in the balance of British politics.
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Andre Spicer, City, University of London
Losers suffer a far greater sense of loss than the corresponding euphoria experienced by those on the winning side.
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Featured events
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Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2AB, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Portsmouth
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