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It’s only 18 months since Rishi Sunak first stood up as chancellor to deliver his COVID crisis budget, but he already feels like such an old hand. Up he got for the autumn budget, smoothly apologising to the deputy speaker for pre-announcing so much to the media, then offering a message of pure hope and glory to the house.
The Conservative recovery plan is working, he told them: growth is up, the deficit is falling, and an “age of optimism” is imminent. Sure, there are flies in the ointment like the energy crisis and supply shortages, but they will soon be a bad memory.
Sunak unveiled billions of pounds for NHS waiting lists, R&D, colleges, and, er, Aberdeen Airport. Benefits are being boosted, alcohol duty is being reformed, and there’s even big money for museums and galleries. But what to make of it all? We asked a team of experts to offer their views (spoiler alert: they don’t think he’s very environmentally friendly).
Elsewhere, we hear why so many people enjoy watching violent films and TV, and why we should be worried about facial recognition technology in schools.
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Steven Vass
Business + Economy Editor
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What’s in the box?
Guy Corbishley/Alamy
Ernestine Gheyoh Ndzi, York St John University; Alexander Tziamalis, Sheffield Hallam University; Cam Donaldson, Glasgow Caledonian University; Despina Alexiadou, University of Strathclyde ; Edward Thomas Jones, Bangor University; Gabriella Legrenzi, Keele University; Gavin Midgley, University of Southampton; Jonquil Lowe, The Open University; Karl Schmedders, International Institute for Management Development (IMD); Michael Jacobs, University of Sheffield; Phil Tomlinson, University of Bath; Steven McCabe, Birmingham City University
Sunak talked about a new age of optimism, but it doesn’t feel like that for many people.
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Is it a form of masochism?
Simon McCarthy-Jones, Trinity College Dublin
We may not be attracted to movie violence as much as people think.
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Africa Studio/Shutterstock
Pin Lean Lau, Brunel University London
Several schools in Scotland have paused the rollout of facial recognition technology in school canteens following inquiries from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.
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Environment + Energy
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Mikey Biddlestone, University of Cambridge; Sander van der Linden, University of Cambridge
Academics are among the most trusted sources for news about climate change.
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Marc Abrams, Penn State
Warm autumn weather has produced dull leaf colors across the eastern US this year, but climate change isn’t the only way that humans have altered trees’ fall displays.
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Mary Zhang, University of Bristol; Dann Mitchell, University of Bristol; Vikki Thompson, University of Bristol
Research shows how heat can have negative effects on emotional states, mental health conditions and aggressive behaviours.
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Alex Arnall, University of Reading
The Maldives is facing coastal erosion, overdevelopment and a tide of plastic pollution.
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Ruth Saint, Edinburgh Napier University; Francesco Pomponi, Edinburgh Napier University
New research has found that low-rise urban environments are more space and carbon efficient than high-rise buildings which have a drastically higher carbon impact.
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Jack Marley, The Conversation
Listen to the fourth episode of a new series from The Anthill Podcast ahead of the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow.
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Arts + Culture
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Alec Charles, University of Winchester
From the indie to the blockbuster, Halloween viewing recommendations whatever your taste.
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Sabina Rahman, Macquarie University
The hero of The Green Knight, played brilliantly by Dev Patel, is flawed and less than honorable. The film is a deliberately unromantic exploration of the world of King Arthur and his court.
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Politics + Society
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Peter Coe, University of Reading
Journalists and whistleblowers are being targeted by expensive lawsuits to stop them working.
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Science + Technology
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Harith Omar Morgadinho Farooq, University of Gothenburg; Allison Perrigo, University of Gothenburg
Detailed field notes can help researchers track down rare species.
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Health + Medicine
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Peter Sivey, University of York
Cases are high in people over 60, who are far more likely to develop severe COVID and need hospital treatment.
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Featured events
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— Museum of London, 150 London Wall, Barbican, London, EC2Y 5HN, London, London, City of, EC2Y 5HN, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Gresham College
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— Thomas Paine Study Centre Lecture Theatre, University of East Anglia, Norwich , Norfolk, NR4 7TJ , United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of East Anglia
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— Edgbaston Campus, Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Birmingham
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— Online, London, London, City of, UB8 3FG, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Brunel University London
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