The Latest Breaking News from The Conversation

HIV treatment has transformed lives in the UK, but stigma lingers

Nearly half a century has passed since the first recognised case of Aids in the UK in December 1981. During that time, perceptions of HIV and people living with HIV have been transformed by medical advances and changing cultural attitudes. Yet the stigma created during the early years of the…

The Conversation · Oct 6

How geopolitical tensions tainted the 2026 Asian Games

The 2026 Asian Games in Japan drew to a close on October 4 following two weeks of competition between 45 countries and territories across 43 sports. Despite the official slogan “imagine one Asia”, fragmented regional politics came to the fore as the event unfolded.

The Conversation · Oct 6

Digger channels Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove for the climate crisis – until its twist

Warning: this article contains major spoilers for Digger.

The Conversation · Oct 6

Sudan’s death toll in 2025 could be as high as 100,000: how we did the count

Estimates of the number of people directly killed in Sudan’s civil war vary widely, in part because counting casualties in active conflict zones is extremely difficult. In 2025, for instance, one conflict monitoring organisation reported around 19,000 direct deaths from political violence across Sudan. Other research teams put the toll…

The Conversation · Oct 6

A camera combined with AI could help further diagnosis of movement disorders like spinal muscular atrophy in newborns

Detecting impaired motor function as early as possible after birth with the help of a standard camera linked to intelligent systems can help in diagnosing infantile conditions characterised by hypotonia: reduction or loss of active muscle movement. A research team is investigating this approach based on the work carried out…

The Conversation · Oct 6

Rebel Rebel the Musical stages David Bowie’s dystopian vision

“If you can listen to Rebel Rebel and not be a tiny bit glad you’re alive,” the Irish writer Joseph O’Connor once claimed, “you’ve got an answering-machine for a heart”.

The Conversation · Oct 6

The ick: the psychology of why a romantic partner can suddenly repulse you

Ever felt a sudden wave of cringe toward someone you were into – all because they wore questionable shoes or chewed a bit too loudly? Congratulations, you’ve caught “the ick”.

The Conversation · Oct 6

Why antidepressants can stop working after initially helping

Antidepressant use continues to rise. In England, 96 million antidepressant prescription items were dispensed to an estimated 9.1 million patients in 2025 to 2026. These medicines are prescribed for depression and other conditions, including anxiety and some forms of pain.

The Conversation · Oct 6

Did the hot summer make more people worry about climate change? Here’s what the latest indications show

This summer broke records around the UK for maximum temperatures and dry weather.

The Conversation · Oct 6

Columbus’ own writings reveal how tightly religion and conquest were intertwined from the start

Few historic figures are as divisive as Christopher Columbus. For some, in both Spain and the United States, he remains a great hero, an explorer who found a “new world.” He is reviled by others who see him as an arrogant conqueror: the first European to enslave Indigenous Americans, and…

The Conversation · Oct 6