The Latest Breaking News from The Conversation

Small-scale farmers produce more of the rich world’s food than previously thought – new study

Who grows our food? This seemingly simple question is getting harder to answer in a world where our food crosses borders to get to our plate.

The Conversation · Jan 28

How much can we really know about Jane Austen? Experts answer your questions

Jane Austen’s Paper Trail is a podcast from The Conversation celebrating 250 years since the author’s birth. In each episode, we investigate a different aspect of Austen’s personality by interrogating one of her novels with leading researchers. Along the way, we visit locations important to Austen to uncover a particular…

The Conversation · Jan 28

Why Heineken’s zero-alcohol London Underground campaign fell flat

Brewing giant Heineken’s advertising campaign promoting its zero-alcohol beer on the London Underground forced its way into the public conversation. By temporarily altering signs and renaming stops to things like Oxf0.0rd Circus and Waterl0.0, the 0.0 brand placed itself inside one of the UK’s most recognisable public institutions.

The Conversation · Jan 27

People, not glaciers, transported rocks to Stonehenge, study confirms

A new analysis of mineral grains has refuted the "glacial transport theory" that suggests Stonehenge's bluestones and Altar Stone were delivered to Salisbury Plain by glaciers.

LiveScience · Jan 23

Love, fear, anger and hope: how emotions influence climate action

Climate targets have long been treated as technical challenges, focused on infrastructure and behaviour change. Yet as climate movements show, people often need to connect emotionally to the facts in order to be compelled to act by them. Whether goals mobilise action or not depends on how they are felt…

The Conversation · Jan 23

Writers Victoria has been defunded – but writers’ centres are ‘fundamental’ to literary culture

Writers Victoria, one of a national network of centres providing crucial support and employment to writers, has lost its funding – putting its “very survival” at risk. Its loss would make Victoria (whose capital, Melbourne, is a UNESCO City of Literature) the only mainland state without a state government-funded peak…

The Conversation · Jan 23

Trump’s Board of Peace launches into a warring world

This newsletter was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox.

The Conversation · Jan 22

Why Greenland plays an outsized role in climate change science

This roundup of The Conversation’s climate coverage was first published in our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter, Imagine.

The Conversation · Jan 22

What detox really means, and why most detox diets miss the point

After the indulgence of festive treats, the idea of starting the year with a clean slate can be appealing. Detox powders, pills, teas and juice “cleanses” all promise a fast reset, often with bold claims about flushing toxins from the body.

The Conversation · Jan 21

The truth about detoxes – by a liver specialist

Every January, the same wave of “detox” promises rolls in. Juice cleanses, detox teas, charcoal capsules and liver “resets” all sell a familiar story: you overdid it over Christmas, your body is full of toxins, and you need a product to flush them out.

The Conversation · Jan 20