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The Conversation’s Curious Kids article series has long been on hand to help parents when their children come up with those seemingly unanswerable questions. If you’ve ever struggled to explain how birds evolved wings, if grownups still grow, or why we can’t put people on Mars – we’ve got you covered.
Now, school closures as a result of COVID-19 mean that many parents are overseeing their children’s education – and facing even more of those questions. So, we’ve lined up some experts to answer them instead, and on a topic lots of primary school kids may be covering as part of their curriculum: the rainforest.
Louise Gentle, Senior Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation at Nottingham Trent University, and Liana Chua, Reader in Anthropology at Brunel University London, will be on hand to talk about conservation,
rainforest animals, and the people that call the rainforest home. Join us on Facebook, YouTube or Twitter on February 4 at 2pm GMT, and send questions in advance to curiouskids@theconversation.com.
Elsewhere on The Conversation, we’re venturing into space. Earlier this month, ten small satellites were launched into orbit – but from a plane, not the ground. Physics and astronomy researcher Simon Lindsay explains how it was done. We also look at the new race to the moon, and whether Nasa or SpaceX will get there first. And finally, recent research investigates the possibility that omega-3 fatty acids could reduce the risk of
children developing asthma.
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Grace Allen
Cities, Education and Young People Editor
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SaveJungle/Shutterstock
Grace Allen, The Conversation
Join The Conversation as we answer children's questions on the rainforest.
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Oily fish, like salmon, are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Elena Eryomenko/ Shutterstock
Seif Shaheen, Queen Mary University of London
In the UK alone, around one in 11 children have asthma.
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Nasa’s Space Launch System.
Nasa
Gareth Dorrian, University of Birmingham; Ian Whittaker, Nottingham Trent University
SpaceX is due to test fly its Starship in the coming days.
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Health + Medicine
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Paul Hunter, University of East Anglia
The vaccine is still very likely to be protective in over-65s, even if efficacy in this age group is unknown.
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Simon Kolstoe, University of Portsmouth
Results from individual studies are very precise, and not always the best grounds for making policy decisions.
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Matt Webster, Anglia Ruskin University
On the face of it, it seems like a good idea.
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Catherine Thornton, Swansea University; April Rees, Swansea University
Theories that antibodies affect the placenta are completely unfounded.
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Rob Reddick, The Conversation
Tensions run high as EU vaccine deliveries fall behind schedule, while new vaccines are being created to handle mutant viral strains.
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Business + Economy
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Arturo Bris, International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
There was outrage after Robinhood and other trading apps temporarily suspended buying of the stocks being targeted by the Reddit traders.
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James Bowden, University of Strathclyde ; Edward Thomas Jones, Bangor University
The question is if and how the regulators can respond.
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Regina Frei, University of Southampton; Lisa Jack, University of Portsmouth
As online retailers like Boohoo and ASOS mop up some of the biggest high street brands, shops are increasingly under threat.
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Arts + Culture
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Esperanza Miyake, University of Strathclyde
Audiences have a growing appetite for slow weekly released TV.
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Matthew Smith, University of Winchester; Matt Jewiss, University of Hertfordshire
To overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, sportspeople need to enter a certain state of mind.
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Science + Technology
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Simon Lindsay, University of Leicester
Ten small satellites were launched from 11km above Earth's surface.
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Richard Bowman, University of Bath; Julian Stirling, University of Bath
An 'open' approach to hardware could make production bottlenecks a thing of the past.
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Environment + Energy
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Robert Baxter, Durham University
Glaciers support a unique community of plants, many of which are found nowhere else.
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Politics + Society
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Rod Dacombe, King's College London
If conspiracy theories are going mainstream, we have to start mainstreaming a response.
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Featured events
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Online, Birmingham, Warwickshire, B15 2TT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Birmingham
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Online Oxford Martin School Event, N/A, Oxfordshire, N/A, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Oxford
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Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Essex
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East Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB11PT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Anglia Ruskin University
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