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Lockdowns have undoubtedly saved millions of lives. But as with all healthcare interventions, there are trade-offs. Much has been said about the terrible toll on people’s mental health, for instance. Less has been said about people’s sex lives – until now. Liam Wignall and Mark McCormack’s new study explores the effects that the first UK lockdown had on young adults’ sex lives. It turns out there were substantial shifts in behaviour.
One positive of lockdown is that many people have had enough time to stop and smell the roses. The Japanese, however, don’t need a lockdown to admire nature. This time of year, they are organising picnic parties for hanami (flower viewing). Find out how this tradition began, and the beauty and sadness at its heart.
We also report on two “sexist algorithms”: online language translators whose AI learns biased assumptions from scanning volumes of text, and music recommenders that promote male artists over female
ones. The good news is that both problems can be overcome.
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Clint Witchalls
Health + Medicine Editor (UK edition)
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IndiaPicture/Alamy Stock Image
Liam Wignall, Bournemouth University; Mark McCormack, University of Roehampton
Sexual behaviour of UK young adults changed during social lockdown.
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Blue Sky imagery/Shutterstock
Nozomi Uematsu, University of Sheffield
Eagerly anticipated every year, the sakura season in Japan is a time to appreciate change.
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Algorithms help lots of people discover new music.
Shutterstock/WAYHOME studio
Christine Bauer, Utrecht University; Andrés Ferraro, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Music recommendation algorithms are more likely to suggest music by male than female artists.
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Politics + Society
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Alison Scott-Baumann, SOAS, University of London; Simon Perfect, SOAS, University of London
Far from restoring confidence in these institutions, it's likely interventions will just inflame moral outrage
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Tim Luckhurst, Durham University
The Post's editor, Arthur Mann, withstood extreme pressure to fall in with orthodox political thinking over appeasement with Nazi Germany.
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Henrietta Wilson, SOAS, University of London; Dan Plesch, SOAS, University of London
How the UN's weapons inspection programme failed Iraq.
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John Strawson, University of East London
Once again the Israeli election has been inconclusive with no clear winner. But this time it's different.
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Alessandro Soranzo, Sheffield Hallam University
Selfie takers often choose to shoot the left side of their face, from above. But why exactly is that thought to make you look better?
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Health + Medicine
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Neil Clarke, Coventry University
Participants who ingested caffeine powder burned up to 29% more fat.
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Business + Economy
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Gareth Davies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
The UK says its contract is better – it simply put tougher penalty clauses in place.
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Environment + Energy
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Richard Black, Imperial College London; Catherine Happer, University of Glasgow
Discord and doubt are the last things the world needs at this critical moment.
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Science + Technology
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Stefanie Ullmann, University of Cambridge; Danielle Saunders, University of Cambridge
Even the Oxford English Dictionary contains traces of sexism – it's little wonder that our translation tools do too.
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Featured events
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East Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB11PT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Anglia Ruskin University
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Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Cardiff [Caerdydd GB-CRD], CF10 3BA, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Cardiff University
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Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, Birmingham, B4 7ET, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Aston University
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Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Cardiff [Caerdydd GB-CRD], CF10 3BA, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Cardiff University
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