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It’s difficult for many people to imagine what life will be like in old age. But one of the main worries about ageing is whether or not we will have someone by our side to help us navigate those difficult years. COVID-19 and lockdown brought the longstanding issue of loneliness and isolation in the lives of older people back into the public consciousness. A new study has tried to delve into what that kind of isolation is really like.
The Loneliness Project – a large-scale, in-depth exploration of how older people experience loneliness and what it means for them – generated over 130 hours of conversations. These honest and moving discussions have been brought to life by researchers Sam Car and Chao Fang in the latest Insights long read from The Conversation.
They discovered that loss, physical deterioration, biographical pain and regret all give rise to a unique sense of disconnection from the world. As Sam says, “Loneliness in later life runs deep – much deeper than we might think.”
Meanwhile in Israel, a stall in vaccine coverage and increased mixing have combined to drive new outbreaks. And new research finds we need to leave 90% of the world’s coal and 60% of its oil in the
ground if we are to have any hope of keeping global heating below 1.5°C.
Plus read all our latest expert analysis on the UK government’s plan to raise taxes to pay for health and social care reform.
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Paul Keaveny
Investigations Editor
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Islandstock / Alamy Stock Photo
Sam Carr, University of Bath; Chao Fang, University of Bath
Over 130 hours of conversations with older people reveal the truth of what it’s like to get old and how to cope with loneliness.
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Atef Safadi/EPA-EFE
Michael Head, University of Southampton
A stall in vaccine coverage and increased mixing have combined to drive new outbreaks.
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Evgenii Parilov/Alamy Stock Photo
Daniel Welsby, UCL; James Price, UCL; Steve Pye, UCL
Our new study reveals how tight the world’s remaining carbon budget is.
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Business + Economy
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Alex de Ruyter, Birmingham City University
Boris Johnson is raising national insurance for employees and employers to help pay for the NHS and social care.
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Jonquil Lowe, The Open University
Key loopholes in the proposed cap on social care spending mean all assets won’t necessarily be protected.
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Gavin Midgley, University of Southampton
Some economists think it should be replaced.
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Science + Technology
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David Comerford, University of Stirling
Some thought Dan Ariely’s faked data study might be a blow to behavioural science, but actually its exposure shows how behavioural scientists are rooting out false research.
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Steve Taylor, Leeds Beckett University
The mind is a powerful thing – it can generate both symptoms of illness and symptoms of healing. Here’s what this could tell us about consciousness.
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Andrew Maynard, Arizona State University
If you see the Tesla Bot as a joke or a harbinger of a dystopian future, you could be missing the real threat, which has more to do with Elon Musk’s power than robots run amok.
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Arts + Culture
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Ben Lamb, Teesside University
The Wire was a Greek tragedy, a novel and a bingeworthy social commentary.
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Stacy Gillis, Newcastle University
This separation or segregation of women’s writing should be understood as part of the patriarchal control of what and who matters – and, historically, women have not.
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Politics + Society
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Tejendra Pherali, UCL
The recent Taliban takeover has observers worried about Afghan education. But even under western occupation, the education system was plagued by corruption and political instability.
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Sophie Wushuang Yi, King's College London; Changkun Hou, National Taiwan University
Beijing has reacted to the withdrawal with the message that the US can’t be trusted as an ally.
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Health
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James Brown, Aston University; Srikanth Bellary, Aston University
Ageing and other health conditions can both complicate matters when it comes to managing this condition.
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