the conversation | Public Interest Media

Could a new revolution in Nicaragua spark another migrant crisis?

Jul 24, 2018 | Politics & Society

By Jose Miguel Cruz Could new-found political turmoil in Nicaragua trigger the next Central American refugee crisis? Central American migrants have long been at the center of what consecutive U.S. administrations have called the immigration “crisis.” Each year,...

100,000 bombs later, why is the Islamic State still active?

Jul 19, 2018 | Politics & Society

By Paul Rogers Islamic State has survived 100,000 bombs and missiles and is still active, but why? Paul Rogers investigates. Shortly after the fall of the Syrian city of Raqqa in October 2017 – the centre of the Islamic State (IS) caliphate – US President Donald Trump...

Are we in the midst of a sixth mass extinction event?

Jul 19, 2018 | Science & Technology

By Elizabeth Boakes & David Redding Extinction is a natural process, but it’s happening at 1,000 times the normal speed. Does this mean we are experiencing a sixth mass extinction event? When Sudan the white rhino was put down by his carers earlier this year, it...

Peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia, explained

Jul 19, 2018 | Politics & Society

By Martin Plaut After twenty years of conflict, Eritrea and Ethiopia have finally made peace. Martin Plaut explains how it happened and what this means now for the two countries. This week Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed visited neighbouring Eritrea, to be...

CO₂ shortage: Why can’t we just pull carbon dioxide out of the air?

Jul 18, 2018 | Science & Technology

By Peter Styring & Katy Armstrong With the effects of climate change continuing to be widely felt around the world and the ongoing increase of CO₂ in the atmosphere, why can’t we just pull carbon dioxide out of the air? More people than ever are acutely...

How have Orangutans adapted to human behaviour?

Jul 12, 2018 | Science & Technology

By Douglas Sheil, Mike Bruford, Serge Wich, and Stephanie Spehar New research has shown that Orangutans have been adapting to humans for 70,000 years. If you are very lucky you might have seen an orangutan in the wild. Most people have only seen them on television. In...

Black cats and cracked mirrors: Why do we believe the unbelievable?

Jul 11, 2018 | Science & Technology

By Neil Dagnall & Ken Drinkwater What is the science behind superstition, and why do we believe the unbelievable? Neil Dagnall and Ken Drinkwater investigate. The number 13, black cats, breaking mirrors, or walking under ladders, may all be things you actively...

Have the Americans lost the sense of democracy?

Jul 11, 2018 | Politics & Society

By Marc Fleurbaey Marc Fleurbaey explores in these polarized times whether Americans have lost their sense of democracy. In Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville praised America’s egalitarian society, but warned against the tyranny of an ignorant majority and...

Star Wars: Should we be worried about Trump’s space plans?

Jul 5, 2018 | Politics & Society, Science & Technology

By Gbenga Oduntan The militarization of outer space? Gbenga Oduntan looks into Donald Trump’s plan to create a space force. In a recent speech, President Donald Trump announced a new policy for the American space programme. It is time, he argued, for America to...

Change or status quo? Recapping the Turkish election

Jul 4, 2018 | Politics & Society

By Erdi Öztürk & Faith Ceran Ahmet Erdi Öztürk & Fatih Ceran recap the Turkish election and discuss whether change has really come to Turkey. On June 24, Turkish citizens voted in presidential and parliamentary snap elections, with a huge turnout. As...