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Listen to British politicians right now and you’ll hear how, when restrictions end later this month, we can all get ready to live with COVID like we live with flu.
But when thinking about living with COVID, there’s a better germ to keep in mind, argues Sarah Pitt – norovirus. The way in which it’s handled – by carefully keeping infected people away from others until they’re well again, and using PPE and patient separation in hospitals to avoid outbreaks – offers a much better model for how to contain COVID when the pandemic has subsided.
Plant-based diets are generally healthy, but some plant-based burgers may be less so. They often aren’t all that different from ultra-processed products and therefore might be considered junk food.
And speaking of plants, why do cauliflowers look so odd? Researchers have the answer, having cracked the maths behind the vegetable’s fractal shape.
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Rob Reddick
Commissioning Editor, COVID-19
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Photoroyalty/Shutterstock
Sarah Pitt, University of Brighton
Comparisons with flu are unhelpful – these diseases need to be treated differently.
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barmalini/ Shutterstock
Richard Hoffman, University of Hertfordshire
Many plant-based products contain similar ingredients to ultra-processed foods.
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Ekaterina Smirnova/Shutterstock
Etienne Farcot, University of Nottingham
Cauliflowers are unique, and now we know why.
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Health + Medicine
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Rob Reddick, The Conversation
The British government has opted to press on with reopening and not wait for the number of fully vaccinated people to rise, while Japan introduces new restrictions ahead of the Olympics.
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Ian Hamilton, University of York
A recent report outlines how the government can reduce the harm caused by the illicit drug trade.
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William Petri, University of Virginia
Though currently approved COVID-19 vaccines effectively provide immunity against the virus, it's unclear how long that protection will last.
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Politics + Society
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Carole Concha Bell, King's College London
Elisa Loncon has pledged to prioritise indigenous and women's rights as part of the constitutional reform.
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Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Justin Bergman, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation
Plus, why sarcasm is so difficult for children to understand – and how to help them. Listen to episode 23 of The Conversation Weekly podcast.
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William Maley, Australian National University
In Afghanistan, it does not pay to be on the losing side. There is a danger that a spreading perception the Taliban are poised to take over could trigger a wave of government and army defections.
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Arts + Culture
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Emily Cock, Cardiff University
A woman's right to use fillers and have plastic surgery was a topic of discussion on the show after a male contestant alluded that he found women who used such enhancements 'fake'.
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Ari Mattes, University of Notre Dame Australia
Netflix requires its narrative feature films be shot on approved cameras. This can lead to a flat, depthless look, in contrast to the graininess of celluloid.
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Business + Economy
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Rebecca Parry, Nottingham Trent University
Estonia and Hungary are arguing that EU member states cannot legally implement the OECD agreement on corporation tax.
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Tom Stacey, Anglia Ruskin University
Supplies of batteries and semi-conductors can put the brakes on ambitious developments.
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Environment + Energy
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Larissa Basso, Stockholm University; Cristina Yumie Aoki Inoue, University of Brasilia
Some Amazon deforestation is caused by recent policy, but there are also long-term issues.
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Featured events
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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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University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Essex
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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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University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Essex
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