As the results of the 2024 European elections came in, it became clear that voter support for the far right had risen — and strongly. In the days that followed, researchers sought to provide explanations to shocked EU citizens who had thought it impossible that a continent that was torn apart in the 20th century by war could see support for the far right surge.

There may also have been a connection to our current craving for immediacy, suggests the social and political movements historian Jesús Casquete. Democracy and lawmaking are slow processes. Populism, by contrast, promises quick fixes to problems that are achingly complex. Despite the fact that their ability to deliver on such solutions is questionable, support for far-right candidates can be tempting, even for those otherwise inclined.

Social media is regularly cast as the villain in this drama. But large-scale cross-cultural study based on conversations with more than 15,000 people came to some surprising conclusions: although social media platforms provide optimal conditions for polarisation of opinions – such as anonymity or the possibility of transmitting fake or inflammatory messages to millions of people at once – not everyone involved inevitably becomes an abusive Internet troll. Rather, radicalised and aggressive posters tend to already exhibit confrontational personalities in the real world.

Meanwhile, in Denmark they are facing their own kind of heat: chili peppers. Among all of the threats on the rise today, the government chose to ban the marketing of Buldak Ramen noodles for being “dangerously spicy”. Mark Lorch, a professor of chemistry, explains where “heat” comes from and whether spiciness can really carry health risks.

Claudia Lorenzo Rubiera

Editor, Madrid

The modern world’s relationship to time is broken – and it’s fuelling the rise of the far right

Jesus Casquete, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

Our fast-track society has made voters impatient – the far right promises fast-track, simplistic solutions to complex problems.

Is social media fuelling political polarisation?

Antoine Marie, École normale supérieure (ENS) – PSL

Do social networks and their algorithms really amplify political hostility and polarisation? Interdisciplinary research nuances this pessimistic view.

Denmark bans noodles for being too hot – what you need to know about chilli heat

Mark Lorch, University of Hull

Chillies only give the illusion of heat. Here’s why the Dane’s should chill out.

UK plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda may never happen but other European leaders still want to copy it – podcast

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

Nando Sigona and Michaela Benson argue Britain’s Rwanda plan was brought about as a result of a Brexit-made policy failure. Listen on The Conversation Weekly podcast.

Catalonia independence: electoral shift marks the beginning of a new era in a region fraught with political tension

Víctor Climent Sanjuán, Universitat de Barcelona

Pro-independence parties have slumped in Catalonia’s recent elections, but is the dream of Catalan independence dead?

The problems with climate scenarios, and how to fix them

Riccardo Rebonato, EDHEC Business School

Climate modelling wields huge influence on governments and investors’ decisions. Yet, researchers point out a lack of precision.

Ukraine summit fails to provide a path to peace for Kyiv and its allies

Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham; Tetyana Malyarenko, National University Odesa Law Academy

Volodymyr Zelensky and his friends in the west are failing to get support from the rest of the world for their demand that Russia completely withdraw from Ukraine.

Euro 2024: football is a magnet for online abuse – but it is also the ideal platform to challenge it

Gary Sinclair, Dublin City University

The abuse heaped on players in high-profile matches is just the tip of the iceberg – a culture of online abuse permeates football at all levels.

Leadership and teamwork at high altitude: seven lessons from Everest

Edurne Pasabán Lizarribal, IE University; Borja Santos Porras, IE University

Nobody climbs Everest alone, and mountain expeditions can teach us a lot about how to work in a team.

Epstein-Barr virus: how does a common infection trick the immune system into attacking the brain in people with MS?

Olivia Thomas, Karolinska Institutet; Graham Taylor, University of Birmingham; Jill Brooks, University of Birmingham

Our study provides new insights into the way that immune cells which fight a common virus behave in people with MS.

European populists back Putin as they roll out their anti-Ukraine positions

Natasha Lindstaedt, University of Essex

Europe’s far right parties are winning more backing in the polls, and will have increasing influence on policy over the Ukraine war.