Category: Analysis
-
Brides offers a unique insight into the roots of far-right activism and Islamophobia in Britain
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Naida Redgrave, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing & Co-Course Leader in Journalism, University of East London Warning: includes some minor spoilers. Brides is a warm and relatable story of two 15-year-old British Muslim schoolgirls travelling alone to Syria in 2014. It’s not the first film to…
-
Why US military action against Latin America’s cartels won’t win the war on drugs
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amalendu Misra, Professor of International Politics, Lancaster University The Trump administration appears to be laying the groundwork for a possible military escalation against Latin American drug traffickers. Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock At the start of September 2025, US president Donald Trump sent a naval task force into…
-
Green electricity deals are too complex – even as a researcher in sustainability I’ve been confused
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lala Rukh, PhD Candidate, Energy, University of Galway P Stock/Shutterstock After comparing electricity tariffs on a spreadsheet, I can confirm that deciphering the plans feels a bit like learning ancient Greek. As part of my doctoral research, I decided to explore smarter electricity plans (those that…
-
Why people are watching livestreams of influencers gambling – and how it could be fuelling addiction
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jamie Torrance, Lecturer and Researcher in Psychology, Swansea University Top streamers are paid by gambling operators to broadcast themselves betting, often with company money rather than their own. Beto Chagas/Shutterstock Every night, millions of people across the world tune in to watch influencers spin slot machines,…
-
The alleged British links to mass deforestation and displacement in a conflict few have even heard of
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Samira Homerang Saunders, Researcher, Centre for Climate Crime and Climate Justice, Queen Mary University of London UK banks, energy giants and arms exporters are at the heart of one of the world’s least-known human rights and environmental crises, our research has revealed. West Papua – the…
-
Runny noses, black toenails and ‘coregasms’: here are seven weird ailments that exercise can trigger
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy, Lancaster University ‘Exercise-induced rhinitis’ may explain why your nose runs when you workout. Maridav/ Shutterstock Exercise is good for the body and the mind. A good workout can leave you feeling energised, recharged and ready to take on the rest of…
-
Nobel chemistry prize awarded for crystal materials that could revolutionise green technology
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Griffin, Professor in Materials Chemistry, Lancaster University Three scientists have been awarded the 2025 Nobel prize in chemistry for discovering a new form of molecular architecture: crystals that contain large cavities. Susumu Kitagawa from Kyoto University, Japan, Richard Robson from the University of Melbourne, Australia,…
-
What AI-generated Tilly Norwood reveals about digital culture, ethics and the responsibilities of creators
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ramona Pringle, Director, Creative Innovation Studio; Associate Professor, RTA School of Media, Toronto Metropolitan University Imagine an actor who never ages, never walks off set or demands a higher salary. That’s the promise behind Tilly Norwood, a fully AI-generated “actress” currently being courted by Hollywood’s top…
-
Ethiopia has struggled to build national unity: can its big new dam deliver it?
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Namhla Thando Matshanda, Associate Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria The formal launch of Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in September 2025 made news across the world. There was pomp and ceremony as Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam was officially inaugurated after 14 years…
-
We tested if a specialised magnetic powder could remove microplastics from drinking water: the answer is yes
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Riona Indhur, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Durban University of Technology Microplastics are the crumbs of our plastic world, tiny pieces that come from bigger items breaking apart or from products like synthetic clothing and packaging. They’re now everywhere. Scientists estimate there are about 51 trillion of…