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The Birkin bag made by French luxury retailer Hermès has become a status symbol for some of the global elite. Notoriously difficult to obtain, a select few obsess over how to get their hands on one.
But when US retailer Walmart recently launched a much cheaper bag that looked very similar to the Birkin, nicknamed a “Wirkin” by others, it sparked discussions about wealth disparity and the ethics of conspicuous consumption. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to sociologists in the US and the UK about the Birkin and what it symbolises.
And has evidence of alien life really been found? We hear about what researchers in Cambridge, England analysed using Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope and why their work has caused a global scientific sensation.
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Darryl Fonseka/Shutterstocl
Ian Whittaker, Nottingham Trent University
It’s the best result yet - but the evidence still isn’t strong enough to convince the scientific community.
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Tony Neil Thompson/Shutterstock
Gemma Ware, The Conversation
The Birkin bag made by luxury retailer Hermès is a must-have for the global elite. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast to hear two sociologist discuss what it symbolises.
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Lennon and Ono in a still from the film.
Magnolia Films
Stephanie Hernandez, University of Liverpool
Rather than perpetuate the simplified myth of Lennon as a lone revolutionary figure, the film spotlights Ono’s equally influential role.
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Cassandra Burke Robertson, Case Western Reserve University
Judge James Boasberg’s order stops short of holding any government officials in contempt, but leaves open the possibility for these sanctions.
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Clive Roland Boddy, Anglia Ruskin University
Recklessness and greed, when combined with a total lack of empathy, are a dangerous mix in the top tiers of finance.
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Wolfgang Alschner, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Trump’s tariffs have redirected billions of dollars in exports originally bound for the U.S. to other markets.
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Inessa De Angelis, University of Toronto
This scholar has found that 86 per cent of replies to tweets sent to women MPs contained some form of harassment. This is a clear threat to women’s participation in politics.
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Charles Wratto, Babes Bolyai University
Child soldiers are victims, not villains. This is why children in conflict zones must be protected.
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Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University
CT scans performed in the US in 2023 alone could eventually lead to over 100,000 extra cancer cases, a new study claims.
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Kat Bolstad, Auckland University of Technology
The first confirmed footage of a juvenile colossal squid in its natural habitat shows a delicate and graceful animal – far from the “monster” narrative we see all too often.
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Jacqueline Boyd, Nottingham Trent University
Cute though they are, a host of germs could be lurking in those bowls.
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