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Top stories
Note from Will
If you’re over 40, it’s probably much easier to remember a time when climate change wasn’t in the news. Before the late 1980s, politicians rarely talked about the greenhouse effect, and climate correspondent was a role unheard of in media organisations. But the world’s press has actually been delivering reports on the world’s increasing temperature – and fossil fuels’ role in it – from a much earlier date.
In fact, it’s now 70 years since the first news story about humanity’s role in the warming Earth went truly global. The claim made in 1953 by Canadian physicist Gilbert Plass that carbon dioxide from industrial activity was behind rising temperatures was picked up by newspapers around the world. And it marked the beginning of a focus on greenhouse gases that eventually produced the scientific consensus we have today. We can’t say we weren’t warned a long time ago.
One of the consequences of climate change is increasingly erratic weather patterns, of the kind we’ve seen in Britain and much of Europe over the past few months. Here’s what the recent rainfall – or lack thereof – means for the drought forecast this year.
And have you heard the claim that loneliness is as bad for you as smoking? We’ve looked at the evidence for whether being on your own is really as bad as “15 a day”.
Almost two weeks into our campaign and we're a third of the way towards our donations target. Thank you very much to readers who have already supported us. If you appreciate The Conversation's approach to tackling misinformation and want to ensure that your daily reading isn't, like smoking, a habit that's bad for you, please consider becoming a donor today.
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Will de Freitas
Environment + Energy Editor
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A coal power station in London, 1952.
John F Oughton / Simon Webster / Alamy
Marc Hudson, University of Sussex
In May 1953, scientist Gilbert Plass made some extraordinarily prescient comments.
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Politics + Society
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Brian J. Phillips, University of Essex
The UK’s proscription of Wagner would be an important global signal, but is not without risks.
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Valeria Skafida, The University of Edinburgh
The cost of living crisis is making it even harder for women to leave their abusers.
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Dina Matar, SOAS, University of London
Many in the west are unaware of the millions of Palestinians displaced in 1947-8.
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Arts + Culture
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Vanessa Brown, Nottingham Trent University
Thanks to the popularity of shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race, camp is now mainstream. This is perhaps one reason Eurovision has suddenly become perceived as cool.
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Jonathan Faiers, University of Southampton
The exhibition’s Alexander McQueen garments show how the designer catapulted tartan into the 21st century, reclaiming its potential for resistance and revolt.
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Matt Weaver, University of Portsmouth
Offering an inclusive and diverse space for self-expression, Eurovision has found an appreciative audience in the LGBTQ+ community over the years.
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Nathan Abrams, Bangor University
The 90s sitcom featuring Jerry Seinfeld influenced the type of cinematic television we are so familiar with nowadays.
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Padraic Heaton, University of Technology Sydney
I’m a game design researcher focused on creating systems that allow games to be played by anyone. There cannot be a better example of that than The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
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Business + Economy
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Abigail Taylor, University of Birmingham; Ceri Hughes, University of Manchester
People who are out of work for reasons such as long-term ill-health are often not well served by national employment support.
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Gulcin Ozkan, King's College London
Whoever wins, the road ahead does not look pretty.
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Education
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Sophie King-Hill, University of Birmingham; Abby Gilsenan, University of Birmingham; Willem Stander, University of Birmingham
LGBTQ+ education is still recovering from the effects of 1988’s Section 28.
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Netta Weinstein, University of Reading
Listen carefully to what your teenager has to say.
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Health
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Andrea Wigfield, Sheffield Hallam University; Jan Gurung, Sheffield Hallam University; Laura Makey, Sheffield Hallam University
A statistic from a 2010 study is doing the rounds again. But is it helpful?
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Agatha A. van der Klaauw, University of Cambridge; I. Sadaf Farooqi, University of Cambridge; James E. D. Thaventhiran, University of Cambridge
We found the protection offered by COVID vaccines wanes more quickly in people with severe obesity compared to those of normal weight.
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Science + Technology
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John McAlaney, Bournemouth University; Emily Arden-Close, Bournemouth University; Sarah Hodge, Bournemouth University
We can make better use of technology to limit problem online gambling.
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