Category: English

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Eleftheria Kodosaki, Research Fellow in Neuroimmunology, UCL

A new test could help to diagnose memory issues associated with Alzheimer’s disease in as little as three minutes. According to recently published findings the test, called the Fastball EEG test, may one day help doctors flag people who need further checks for Alzheimer’s disease without the need for unnecessary waits or time-consuming procedures.

Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of people worldwide. It’s a progressive condition, in which brain cells are slowly damaged and die – leading to memory loss, confusion and difficulties with thinking and daily tasks.

The disease process begins long before symptoms manifest. Proteins called amyloid and tau gradually build up in the brain, forming plaques and tangles that interfere with communication between nerve cells. By the time memory problems are significant enough for diagnosis, much of the damage has already been done.

It’s important to note that the signs of Alzheimer’s disease and symptoms don’t develop similarly in all patients. This means the amount of amyloid plaques and tau tangles a person has in their brain doesn’t always match the severity of the disease.

In addition, the amount of plaques and tangles can only be estimated via imaging or blood tests. These factors make Alzheimer’s disease difficult to diagnose and predict how it will progress. This is why researchers are keen to develop tests that can spot signs of the disease earlier.

Traditionally, diagnosis has relied on cognitive screening tests, where a doctor asks a patient to remember words, copy drawings or complete problem-solving tasks. These tools are effective, but take time and require trained staff. They may also be stressful for the patients and can be influenced by factors such as a person’s education level, their language skills or test-related performance anxiety.

More advanced diagnostic options, including brain scans and laboratory analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (a fluid which protects the brain and spinal cord), can indicate the presence of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain. But these tests are expensive and invasive.

But the Fastball EEG test uses a different approach.

Instead of asking patients to actively recall or solve problems, it measures how the brain responds to images flashed on a screen. Participants first see a set of eight pictures, which they’re asked to name but not memorise.

Then, during the test, hundreds of images are shown in quick succession – around three per second. Every fifth image is one of the eight previously shown. The EEG headset records the brain’s electrical activity, picking up tiny signals that reveal whether the brain recognises these familiar images.

In healthy people, the recognition response is clear. But in people with mild cognitive impairment (problems with thinking, memory or problem-solving which often precedes Alzheimer’s disease) and especially those with memory issues, the response is weaker.

To understand the test’s suitability, researchers recruited 106 participants to their study. This included 54 healthy adults and 52 people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Among the latter group, some had memory-specific problems (amnestic MCI), while others had difficulties unrelated to memory – such as problems with attention (non-amnestic MCI).

The researchers found that the Fastball test was sensitive enough to distinguish between these groups. Those with amnestic MCI showed significantly reduced brain responses to the familiar images compared to healthy adults and those with non-amnestic MCI. In other words, the test quickly identified the kind of memory impairment most closely linked to early Alzheimer’s.

They then repeated the test a year later. Some of the participants who’d only had mild cognitive impairment in the first test had progressed to either Alzheimer’s disease dementia or another type of dementia, called vascular dementia, which manifests in symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s.

The researchers also asked the participants who developed dementia to perform the standard cognitive tests currently used to diagnose Alzheimer’s. These participants showed no or little difference in this test, which means the test wasn’t sensitive enough to detect the transition from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. But with the Fastball test, the participants performed marginally worse than they had previously.

However, of the 42 participants with mild cognitive impairment who repeated the Fastball test a year later, only eight had transitioned to dementia. So, although the results are very promising in illustrating the test’s accuracy, they should be interpreted with caution as they’re based on a small number of people.

The future of diagnosis

Crucially, the test is fast – lasting only three minutes. It also doesn’t rely on the participant’s effort, mood or test-taking ability, which can influence cognitive test results. It can also be done at home or in a GP’s office, which might reduce anxiety for patients and make it easier to reach a larger group of people.

However, the study did not include other conditions where memory impairment is also present – such as depression or thyroid problems – so it cannot be used as a standalone diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease. Future studies in more diverse populations which take these other conditions into account will be needed to better understand the test’s strengths, limitations and potential.

Other tests, which are currently in development, may be better for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease specifically. For example, blood tests could transform Alzheimer’s diagnosis once they’re more widely rolled out.

Read more:
Alzheimer’s disease blood tests: here’s what they look for, and what they can tell you about your risk

These measure proteins linked to Alzheimer’s and can give a snapshot of disease processes happening in the brain. Some tests currently being studied would only require a finger-prick of blood. If they prove to be accurate, this could mean patients could do these tests at home and mail them in for analysis.

Tools such as the Fastball test and blood tests could help shift the focus of Alzheimer’s care from late diagnosis to early intervention. By identifying people at risk of the disease years earlier, doctors could recommend lifestyle changes, monitor patients more closely or provide them with appropriate therapies earlier, while they can still make the most difference.

Eleftheria Kodosaki does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Alzheimer’s disease: new three-minute test can spot memory issues – here’s how it works and what it can tell you – https://theconversation.com/alzheimers-disease-new-three-minute-test-can-spot-memory-issues-heres-how-it-works-and-what-it-can-tell-you-264519

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Oliver, Professor of Applied Ecology, University of Reading

How do you build 1.5 million new homes in five years without destroying nature? Housing is unaffordabe for most people, so the UK government plans to build as many homes as possible, as soon as possible. Assuming this brings house prices down (which isn’t a given), how can it be done without harming wildlife and worsening climate change?

The UK is already one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. According to UK government reports, nature loss drives a loss of benefits to humans, leading to increased risks of flooding, food insecurity, disease and pollution. Nature loss already contributes significantly to the declining physical and mental health of the UK population, with nature poverty varying markedly between postcodes.

In my research as an ecologist, I study how urban planning can be nature-centric. Being sensitive to the history of a place when designing housing, asking what other beings already have their homes there and how people can live alongside them, puts humans on par with other species, rather than objectifying them as lifeless “assets”.

No longer seeing humans as the centre of everything is a worldview shift that’s recognised by organisations such as the UN and the European Environment Agency as essential for a sustainable civilisation. It might seem radical, but when existing approaches aren’t working, you need to change tack.

Even with current environmental regulations, the UK government is failing to meet its own targets for restoring wildlife and providing clean water and air. It remains on track for just nine out of 43 environmental commitments. Environmental protection policies and their implementation are failing.

Take, for example, the concept of biodiversity net gain. This policy outlines how much habitat needs to be “restored” in exchange for developers destroying nature to build homes. Yet the promised nature restorations rarely happen.

Doubling down on this approach, under new planning-system reforms to quickly build new homes, the government is enabling developers to pool promised habitat “units” and restore them elsewhere.

But simply destroying nature in one place and rebuilding it elsewhere isn’t the answer. Not least because ecosystems (such as the complex interactions between soil fungi, plants and insects) take decades to mature. Plus, people living in new homes in areas where nature has been cleared will experience fewer health benefits.

Instead of treating nature something as separate from us, like a property we have a right to destroy, we can reassess our relationship to it. Nature as being an intrinsic part of us is a more scientifically accurate worldview, as well as essential for protecting it.

Last year, an international science body produced a report ratified by 147 governments, including the UK. The conclusion identified the main causes of global biodiversity loss as the disconnection from and domination over nature, the concentration of power and wealth, plus the prioritisation of short-term, individual and material gains. That report, along with many others, states the need for “fundamental system-wide shifts in views, structures and practices”.

Scaling up eco-homes

Many nature-centric housing solutions already exist in Brazil, Italy and the Netherlands. The challenge is how to build them at scale, while adapting them to the nature in a local region. Housing design and surrounding areas can be tailored to help regionally rare animals like otters, certain bats as well as amphibians, insects and plants.

I recently led a workshop with experts from law, urban planning, architecture, garden design and housing policy, and they agreed that the technical expertise to build such homes already exists. What is missing, they said, is the deeper mindset shift needed to bring about such an ambitious programme of social change.

The key challenge is to expand our imaginations for how we can live more in harmony with other species and build political courage for such housing. Building these homes may take longer than the government’s five-year target, but anything less will continue to drive the loss of nature on which our health and prosperity depends.

Research my colleagues and I conducted shows that promoting this nature-centric shift in worldviews must become a top priority. It goes beyond just the housing sector and relates to the design of our businesses, governance and education systems.

Without a change in underlying attitudes, environmental regulations are simply rules that get ignored, hence the poor state of our rivers and the loss of our nations plants and wildlife.

We cannot build 1.5 million homes with a casual attitude to trashing nature in the process. The real solutions to the housing crisis go beyond bricks and mortar and rules about where to put them. We need to rebuild our care and responsibility to the natural world, acknowledging nature as something we humans are deeply part of, instead of apart from.

More effective institutions and legal innovations (such as giving rights to nature) then follow from that. To solve the housing crisis in ways that are genuinely sustainable requires a shift in mindset as a prerequisite for housing development.

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Tom Oliver has received research funding from BBSRC, NERC, Natural England and VKRF for developing climate adaptation plans for humans and other species, and for critically investigating ‘nature-centric’ governance approaches. He was affiliated with Defra as a senior scientific fellow on their Systems Research Programme, with the Government Office for Science working on long-term risks to the UK, and spent four years with the European Environment Agency on their scientific committee. He currently sits on the Food Standards Agency science council and Office for Environmental Protection expert college. He is author of The Self Delusion: The Surprising Science of Our Connection To Each Other and the Natural World, published by Weidenfeld and Nicholson, and the forthcoming book The Nature Delusion: Why We Can’t Fix The World Without Fixing Ourselves, published by Bristol University Press.

– ref. Why building nature-centric housing involves a mindset shift – https://theconversation.com/why-building-nature-centric-housing-involves-a-mindset-shift-261995

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Abigail Parrish, Lecturer in Languages Education, University of Sheffield

Australia and England are both multicultural countries where hundreds of languages are spoken. However, in both, levels of language learning at school are worryingly low.

Australia has seen a major downturn in language learning. In 2021, fewer than 10% of students in year 12 – the final year of compulsory education – were studying a language.

Exam entry figures for England show the numbers of young people taking languages at GCSE is stabilising to some degree. However, since 2004, when a language subject was made optional after the age of 16, there has been a decrease of 35%.

In both countries, the lack of a strong language learning culture contributes to low enrolment and achievement rates in foreign language education. That both countries are English-speaking also leads to the idea that there is limited use in learning additional languages, because English is so widely spoken worldwide.

This has resulted in the perception that inhabitants of both Australia and England are poor language learners.

Appetite to learn

Our research suggests this is not necessarily true. There is an appetite for language learning among young people in both countries, along with support from their parents. However, challenges such as harsh grading and teacher recruitment problems have meant this doesn’t always translate into full classrooms.

As fewer young people take languages after the ages of 14 and 16, there is a knock-on effect at degree level and beyond. This affects the supply of new language teachers.

Australian educators consistently argue that making language learning compulsory for longer is vital to increasing participation in language subjects. However, research by one of us (Abigail) in England indicates that students who choose to study a language are more motivated than those for whom it is compulsory.

European languages have traditionally dominated language teaching in both countries. However, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, GCSE entries in “other modern languages” – any language other than French, German, Irish, Spanish and Welsh – are rising. In Wales, government initiatives are attempting to secure the Welsh language learning pipeline from early years all the way to university, in addition to making Welsh more visible in media and daily life.

Numerous attempts have been made to improve Australia’s Asian language capacities, in an effort to strengthen regional ties. Despite over $337 million AUD (adjusted for inflation) of investment in government programs, the past 20 years have seen a continued decline in numbers studying Asian languages there. Only Korean has seen any growth – but this can mostly be attributed to the rise of K-pop, rather than any Australian government initiative.

This musical phenomenon, along with other cultural exports such as the Netflix series Squid Game and the film Parasite, has seen interest in the Korean language grow globally.

Both England and Australia could use these successes to capitalise on language learning potential. Some Australian schools are already making the most of this wave of Korean popularity, called hallyu, to entice as many students as possible to the subject – but the language is not available as a school subject in England.

Australia is also taking steps to revitalise the teaching of Indigenous languages and to ensure their survival with future generations. Prior to colonisation, more than 250 Indigenous languages and 800 dialects were spoken throughout Australia. But a 2013 survey found only approximately 123 were in use, with only 12 being considered “strong”.

Read more:
‘It’s about making our children feel proud’: how schools can learn about local Indigenous language and culture

Australian primary students in particular have expressed a desire to learn Indigenous languages. This desire was also reflected in Louisa’s PhD data collection, with one university student saying: “If we have a look [at the languages spoken] internally, before we look externally, I think we’ll find a lot more answers, because there’s a wealth of resources here.”

This reflects a growing appetite among young people in Australia to learn Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages as part of a more locally grounded education.

Through our work, we feel strongly that educators should listen more closely to what students are saying they want, rather than taking the well-worn route of telling them to learn a language for economic or strategic reasons.

By listening more closely to the interests and goals of young people in schools, we can start to provide teaching which supports their need for autonomy – even if, in the short-to-medium term, systemic problems such as the supply of teachers and resources also need to be addressed.

Students need to see the benefits of learning a language for themselves, and have the opportunity to connect with a language on their own terms. Louisa’s PhD thesis asked language students in Australia about improving language participation. As one participant answered, students need to realise “what a cool life they’re going to have from knowing a language”.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Young people in England and Australia are supposedly poor at learning languages – our research shows this isn’t true – https://theconversation.com/young-people-in-england-and-australia-are-supposedly-poor-at-learning-languages-our-research-shows-this-isnt-true-237249

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jennifer Mathers, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, Aberystwyth University

After a meeting hosted by the French president, Emmanuel Macron on September 4, 26 countries have pledged to create a “reassurance force” to provide security guarantees for Ukraine in the event that a peace agreement with Russia is reached. The Russian president reacted by saying that Russia would target any European troops deployed in Ukraine.

He said if they appeared in Ukraine while Russia’s “military operation” was still underway, “we proceed from the fact that these will be legitimate targets for destruction”. And if a peace deal were eventually agreed, he added: “I simply do not see any sense in their presence on the territory of Ukraine, full stop.”

Russia is maintaining its demand that any peace deal should involve Ukraine ceding the regions it has occupied or part occupied: Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

But new evidence has come to light suggesting that Putin’s territorial ambitions in Ukraine go well beyond those regions.

A map, spotted in the background during a briefing given by Russia’s chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, in August, shows the two countries divided by a thick black line. On the Russian side of the line are not only the five publicly claimed regions of Ukraine but also the territories of Odesa and Mykolaiv.

These areas, which hug the coastline of the Black Sea, are of considerable geostrategic significance. Russian occupation of Odesa and Mykolaiv would go a long way towards fulfilling one of Russia’s longstanding ambitions: domination of the Black Sea region.

Control of this territory would give Russia a land corridor to Transnistria, a breakaway region in eastern Moldova with strong pro-Russian sympathies. The leaders of Transnistria declared independence from Moldova following a civil war in the early 1990s. In a 2006 referendum, 97% of respondents supported Transnistria joining Russia. Russia currently has approximately 1,500 troops stationed there, and the territory has long been discussed in the west as a possible platform for a Russian invasion of Moldova.

Like Ukraine, Moldova was formerly part of the Soviet Union but is now orienting itself more towards western Europe and is currently seeking EU membership.

In addition to putting Russia in a strong position to exert pressure on Moldova, a more significant Russian presence in the Black Sea would increase Moscow’s ability to project power in neighbouring regions. This includes the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Africa.

Black Sea strategy

The Black Sea is also a vital site for east-west transport and communications. So much so that the European Union announced a Black Sea strategy in May 2025. The strategy recognises the region’s significance for different forms of security, including its importance for the environment, access to energy and other forms of trade and economic links. The EU plans to address these security issues by developing mutually beneficial partnerships with countries in the region.

Russian control of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast would be disastrous for Ukraine. It would mean the loss of Ukraine’s naval assets, which make extensive and effective use of maritime drones to target Russian ships and targets in occupied Crimea.

Being cut off from direct access to the Black Sea would also severely restrict Ukraine’s ability to export agricultural produce, an important source of income for an economy that has been hit hard by the war. Re-establishing and expanding Ukraine’s role as a producer of food for the world also forms the centrepiece of Kyiv’s efforts to build stronger relationships with Africa and other developing regions.

Putin’s hunger for ‘Novorossiya’

In addition to its strategic importance, these regions along Ukraine’s Black Sea coast also have special historical and symbolic significance for Putin’s Russia. Putin himself has described Odesa as a “Russian city” and claimed that the entire coastal area rightfully belongs to Russia as spoils of its war with Turkey in the 18th century.

The Black Sea coast also plays an important role in Putin’s use of Russian imperial history to justify his war against Ukraine. Empress Catherine the Great significantly expanded the Russian empire into southern Ukraine and Crimea. For more than a decade, Putin has presented his own actions in Ukraine as a continuation of Catherine’s legacy in increasing the territory controlled by Russia.

An important example of this practice came in April 2014, just weeks after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, when Putin used the phrase “Novorossiya” on Russian television. This is a term dating from Catherine the Great’s reign that refers to a large part of southern Ukraine, including Crimea. By invoking this historical term, Putin was signalling his intention to follow in the footsteps of the 18th century ruler and claim these lands for Russia.

In 2014, Moscow not only made a rhetorical claim on the city of Odesa and its surrounding region – it took active steps to turn that claim into reality. In the spring of that year, Russia used disinformation to persuade local people in eastern parts of Ukraine that the government in Kyiv did not have their best interests at heart and even posed a danger to them. At the same time, Russia provided money, weapons and training to local militant groups looking to stir up trouble.

These efforts were not limited to areas of the Donbas region, where they met with some success. They were also attempted in Odesa, where they were rebuffed.

More than a decade later, a map on the walls of Russia’s ministry of defence showing Odesa region as part of Russia demonstrates that Moscow has not abandoned its ambition to gather up lands that were once part of the Russian empire. As Kyiv’s European allies debate the extent of their involvement in providing security guarantees for Ukraine, there are still plenty of unanswered questions about the precise nature of the reassurance force being planned by the “coalition of the willing”.

But there is no question about the need for Ukraine’s international supporters to provide Kyiv with the strongest possible security guarantees.

Jennifer Mathers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Russia has provided fresh evidence of its territorial ambitions in Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/russia-has-provided-fresh-evidence-of-its-territorial-ambitions-in-ukraine-264592

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Harper, Lecturer in International Relations, University of East London

While Beijing has been showing off its latest military hardware to an array of international leaders, Chinese cultural icons are making their mark with a very different audience.

At Naomi Osaka’s opening match at the US Open, she had a Labubu attached to her racket bag as she walked on to court which attracted a lot of attention. After the match she told reporters that the doll was a tribute to Billie Jean King (it has big BJK trademark glasses and she calls it Billie Jean Bling).

One of the most notable symbols of the increasing global reach of China’s popular culture is the popularity of the Labubu, a collectable toy with rabbit ears and a grin. Rihanna, David Beckham and Blackpink’s Lisa are among the celebrities photographed with a Labubu doll.

While the doll has been on the market for a few years, sales really took off in 2025. The doll’s Chinese manufacturer, Pop Mart, saw toys from The Monsters franchise, primarily the character Labubu, create US$670 million (£498 million) in revenue in the first six months of 2025, a 668% increase compared to the same period in 2024. And about 40% of its toy sales were outside China.

There have even been fights over the doll in the UK, which led to Pop Mart temporarily suspending sales of the doll at its UK stores.

Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency, said that Labubu “shows the appeal of Chinese creativity, quality and culture in a language the world can understand”.

Chinese pop culture is also starting to be more influential in the video game industry. For instance, Black Myth Wukong, a retelling of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, sold 10 million copies within three days of its 2024 launch. A follow up, Black Myth Zhong Kui, was quickly announced by developer Game Science.

Changing global images

The popularity of these cultural trends could have benefits for China’s soft power, a theory of how countries can influence other nations, or change their international image, by using culture, rather than military power or conflict.

This concept was first detailed by the late US academic Joseph Nye in the late 1980s. China may be looking to follow in the footsteps of soft power titans such as Japan and South Korea, which have had some success creating a different, more modern international image by exporting their pop culture.

Since 2010, the Japanese government has encouraged the spread of its pop culture outside its national borders under the “Cool Japan” initiative. A particular style of Japanese comics (manga) and stylised cartoons (anime) gained international popularity, spreading a different image of what modern Japan was, while delivering significant economic benefits.

These kinds of modern icons went some way to creating a more attractive image of the country, moving it away from the western concept of Japan, often based on its role as a hostile power in the second world war.

Soft power superstars

South Korea, another Asian soft power superstar, has been exporting its popular culture since the removal of censorship in the 1980s allowed for greater creativity in its cultural industries. The most notable examples have been the global popularity of K-pop, with streams of K-pop songs (online listens) exceeding 90 billion in 2023.

South Korea has also used its K-pop music in its relationship with North Korea, with artists such as Girls’ Generation and Bigbang gaining popularity in the communist state through recordings smuggled over the border.

Meanwhile, South Korean dramas, such as Squid Game, won large worldwide audiences, with the first season receiving 265 million views.

These initiatives have allowed Japan and South Korea to increase their influence in global affairs, to connect with huge audiences and to reshape and modernise their national image.

What’s changed?

Labubu and Black Myth Wukong have marked a break with more traditional forms of Chinese soft power influence, such as its programme to lend its pandas to zoos around the world.

Read more:
Panda diplomacy: what China’s decision to send bears to the US reveals about its economy

Meanwhile, the share of people with a favourable view of China has increased since last year in 15 of the 25 countries surveyed by Pew Research. Overall 54% still have an unfavourable opinion (down from 61% in 2024), compared with 36% having a favourable view (31% in 2024).

Other Pew data shows that younger Americans (aged 18 to 29) are less likely to view China as an enemy (19%), compared to those aged 65 and older (47%). Overall, the percentage of Americans who see China as an enemy has fallen to 33% in 2025 from 42% in 2024.

What this means for Taiwan

Chinese pop culture is also making inroads into the self-governing island of Taiwan, which China sees as part of its territory.

Taiwanese pop culture was popular in mainland China in the 1990s and early 2000s, with music from Jay Chou and S.H.E. being regularly featured on Chinese radio. More recently, the Chinese dance craze Subject Three, inspired by a traditional Chinese wedding dance, took off in Taiwan as well as on global TikTok and YouTube. There is also growing use of Chinese social media platforms, such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu, among younger Taiwanese.

This has coincided with a wider push by Beijing to make China more attractive to younger Taiwanese people, including offering them financial incentives to move to China to work.

2025 was the year that Chinese pop culture reached big new audiences. China’s most successful exports, such as Labubu, may now join anime and K-pop as enduring global phenomena with lasting cultural influence.

Tom Harper does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Labubu is not the only Chinese cultural icon to be making a big hit in 2025 – https://theconversation.com/labubu-is-not-the-only-chinese-cultural-icon-to-be-making-a-big-hit-in-2025-263872

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonatan Pinkse, Professor of Sustainable Business, Centre for Sustainable Business, King’s College London

We extract more than 100 billion tonnes of raw materials from Earth each year, then throw most of them away. The “circular economy” offers a different approach: instead of the linear “take-make-waste” model, we could reuse, repair and recycle materials. But despite growing enthsiasm for a circular lifestyle, we’re actaully moving backwards – and using more virgin resources than ever.

Over the past decade, the idea of a circular economy gained significant traction, inspiring some to aim for a zero-waste lifestyle. It has become a cornerstone of the broader transition to net zero, as the production of oil-based plastics continues to generate waste and carbon emissions.

The reality paints a far less optimistic picture. According to the latest Circularity Gap report, the use of “secondary” materials like recycled plastic or reclaimed wood is declining, while reliance on virgin resources continues to rise.

This raises the question why – with all the enthusiasm for a circular economy – are we still struggling to make meaningful progress towards it?

In our recent research, my colleagues and I argue that progress is being held back by two distinct narratives. One paints a utopian vision – arguing that, with enough innovation, we can eliminate waste and regenerate ecosystems, all while continuing to grow the economy.

The opposite narrative is less hopeful and fixates on the obstacles – high costs, consumer resistance and the lack of government support. It concludes that meaningful change is simply unrealistic.

Trapped between these extremes of utopia and paralysis, people may often find themselves unable to move forward. Our research explores the roots of this impasse and identifies three reasons people struggle to adopt more circular lifestyles – too much talk, too little support and the hard limits of physics.

Beyond recycling

It’s easier to talk about circularity than to practise it. While consumers may embrace the idea of circularity in principle, they often stop short of making the fundamental changes to their consumption habits that it requires.

Part of the appeal lies in its simplicity as a concept. But achieving it is anything but simple.

For example, to jumpstart recycling in the UK plastics sector, the idea of One Bin to Rule Them All was introduced as a trial project in 2021. The framework outlined a single collection system for all plastic waste. While the vision was bold and appealing in its simplicity, research showed that many industry representatives viewed it as idealistic and disconnected from people’s daily realities.

The initiative struggled to gain traction due to concerns about its feasibility in practice. It would require changing the entire waste collection system and investing in digital tracking for plastic waste. Industry support remained limited, as companies were reluctant to invest beyond trials without clearer guidance from the government on legal requirements.

Building a circular economy requires collective effort. To offer another example, some fashion brands have begun to offer to collect clothes for recycling. It’s a promising initiative, but the support systems are not always in place. Even when items are returned, much of what is collected cannot be recycled because the materials are difficult to identify.

To make recycling effective, product labels would need to be standardised to state clearly the composition of each item. Yet many brands have been slow to embrace full transparency.

And some of the problem comes down to our changing shopping habits, which are also affecting efforts to reduce waste. When the UK introduced a 5p charge for single-use plastic bags in 2015 (later increased to a 10p minimum), their usage steadily declined.

But in England, this progress has recently reversed, with the shift blamed on more people shopping for groceries online or ordering food from delivery apps. In the push for convenience, people seem to have less support for initiatives to reduce plastic waste.

Ultimately, the limits of circularity are grounded in the laws of physics. The concept of a circular economy assumes that materials can be reused indefinitely without any degradation. Terms like “upcycling” may sound promising, but for many products this simply isn’t realistic.

Materials naturally degrade over time. While we might value an upcycled product for its vintage appeal, the underlying materials may be of lower technical quality. In other words, circularity faces a fundamental challenge. It’s possible to slow down material degradation, but it’s not possible to eliminate it.

While circular economy efforts often fall short, there are ways to move forward. The first lesson is simple – less talk, more action. Consumers shouldn’t just opt for recycled or refurbished products when it’s convenient. They should critically examine everything they use in daily life and look for products that are easier to repair, recycle or upgrade. Clearly, lots of people just don’t have this kind of knowledge, so support from government and industry in helping them make better purchases will be essential.

But people also need to be more realistic about what circularity can achieve. Even with the best intentions, items cannot be recycled indefinitely. Still, we can be more ambitious. There’s nothing wrong with starting small, as long as things keep moving in the right direction. Most people can do more than they think. Reusing, repairing and developing habits that gradually reduce waste can have a meaningful impact over time. Circularity isn’t about perfection, it’s about consistent progress.

Jonatan Pinkse does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The hard truth about the circular economy – real change will take more than refillable bottles – https://theconversation.com/the-hard-truth-about-the-circular-economy-real-change-will-take-more-than-refillable-bottles-261810

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amy Wilcockson, Research Assistant, Scottish Literature, University of Glasgow

More than two centuries after her death, Jane Austen is one of the most adapted authors of all time, her life and novels dramatised for film and television from every angle imaginable. Despite the plethora of Pride and Prejudice adaptations, Netflix is making its own version, starring Emma Corrin, Jack Lowden and Olivia Colman.

Sense and Sensibility is being rehashed too, with Daisy Edgar-Jones as Elinor Dashwood. On the small screen, the BBC released the hit documentary Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius alongside an adaptation of Gill Hornby’s novel Miss Austen that centres on Austen’s sister Cassandra (plus a forthcoming sequel). A dramatisation of Janice Hadlow’s novel The Other Bennet Sister which takes up the story of Mary, the dowdy younger sister of Lizzy, has also commenced filming.

Emma got a smart and entertaining do-over in 2020 starring Anya Taylor-Joy as the arrogant but well-meaning matchmaker. And of course Carrie Cracknell’s Persuasion got its Fleabag moment in 2022 starring Dakota Johnson as a wine-swigging heartbroken Anne Elliot whispering acerbic asides to the audience.

This article is part of a series commemorating the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. Despite having published only six books, she is one of the best-known authors in history. These articles explore the legacy and life of this incredible writer.

So far so good, say Austen fans, who rejoice in these continued adaptations as they celebrate the 250th anniversary of her birth this year. Yet it is the same stories being told.

Given the packed cinemas for the 20th anniversary screenings of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film starring Keira Knightley as Lizzy, plus the enduring appeal of that wet-shirted Mr Darcy moment from the BBC series in 1995, it is clear this novel is Austen’s most enduring work. But do we need another adaptation? Or another “alternative” view of Austen or Lizzy Bennet’s lives?

I’m the first to admit that I’m an Austen fan. Her stories have timeless appeal. They focus on romance and class, alongside larger issues of the Regency period such as power, the role of women and even slavery – although the representation of slavery and empire in Austen’s work is long contested.

So what of the “forgotten”, less-adapted novels: Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park? These are the two of Austen’s novels that bring wider issues into focus. Why are film-makers happy to leave these stories be? Are their narratives less compelling or have we been brainwashed by Mr Darcy and his breeches?

Northanger Abbey was last adapted in 2007 for ITV, starring Felicity Jones as the heroine Catherine Morland. Its previous iteration premiered in 1987 with Katharine Schlesinger in the lead role. There has never been a film version.

Written in 1798-99, Northanger Abbey was not published until six months after Austen’s death in December 1817. It is a gothic pastiche, satirising the melodramatic plots and moody locations of popular novels at the time. It also offers a harsh criticism of the conventions of marriage, wealth and social status faced by young women.

Influenced by her sensational gothic reading material, Catherine Morland initially believes General Tilney, with whom she is staying, is guilty of killing his wife. While not a murderer, General Tilney does treat Catherine callously.

After learning that she is not a wealthy heiress, he declares her unsuitable to marry his son, Henry, turfs her out of Northanger Abbey, and leaves her facing a long journey home alone – a fate perilous to any proper young lady. Snobbishness and gender conventions combine as Austen ridicules class and social ambition.

Published in 1814, Mansfield Park was Austen’s third novel. Long considered to be the odd one out of Austen’s works, it was adapted as a TV series in 1983, with film versions released in 1999 and 2007.

In Mansfield Park, Austen examines bigger issues, including infidelity, gambling and most problematically of all, the fact that Sir Thomas Bertram (the uncle of the heroine Fanny Price) owns a plantation in Antigua.

Bringing up the slavery question

Fanny asks her uncle about the slave trade, but is ignored. By positioning a key character as a plantation owner, many scholars – myself included – argue that Austen was trying to draw attention to this debate in her novel. There is also plenty of circumstantial evidence that Mansfield Park is named for Lord Mansfield, a judge who played an important role in ending slavery in England.

Recent research examining Austen’s family demonstrates that three of her brothers were engaged in anti-slavery activism, her letters share that she was “much in love” with the abolitionist Thomas Clarkson, and some critics posit the view that Austen herself supported abolition. Mansfield Park and Emma both feature discussions on the slave trade.

At the very least, Austen was interested in questions of slavery and race. While it is impossible to definitively decipher her personal views from her literary works, it is clear that important issues such as slavery feature in her novels, albeit subtly.

Perhaps it is this serious and timely subject matter, so unlike the usual Austen narrative, that puts off film-makers. But Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park deserve their time in the limelight.

Rather than iterations of Austen’s afterlives or Lizzy’s family members, powerful and original adaptations of these two novels would invigorate new generations of readers and filmgoers. Who wouldn’t want to watch Greta Gerwig’s Northanger Abbey? It is a serious travesty that a film version has never been released.

Perhaps big studios simply haven’t got around to commissioning a new Northanger Abbey or Mansfield Park. But in doing so, they are neglecting a third of Austen’s published novels.

They represent Austen’s most nuanced works, focusing not just on romance (although both heroines get their happy endings) but on society’s wider issues. Crucially, they demonstrate that their author was not just a writer of fluffy romance, but an informed observer of politics and society and the structures that underpinned them.

Even more radically, film-makers could offer a different perspective by adapting one of her contemporaries’ novels – Austen was not the only female author writing during this period.

Scottish novelist Susan Ferrier admired Austen’s work, yet was a hugely successful author in her own right, outselling Austen in the 1800s. Any of her three novels – Marriage; The Inheritance; and Destiny, would be sure-fire Regency hits. Or Gothic pioneer Ann Radcliffe whose tale The Mysteries of Udolpho, one of the Gothic novels Catherine Morland so enjoys, is ripe for the big screen.

Audiences would perhaps see film versions of her fellow authors’ works as a way to honour Austen’s legacy too, offering viewers something familiar yet different.

Amy Wilcockson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Jane Austen: why are adaptations of Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey so rare? – https://theconversation.com/jane-austen-why-are-adaptations-of-mansfield-park-and-northanger-abbey-so-rare-262739

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol

Few viruses are as widespread – and sometimes misunderstood – as the human papillomavirus, or HPV. It’s so common that most of us – up to 80% – will encounter it at some point in our lives, often without even realising it. Understanding HPV matters, given that it is linked to several types of cancer.

Scientists have identified more than 200 types of HPV, making it one of the most diverse viral families known – and a complex one at that. Many strains are low risk, causing either no symptoms or benign warts. HPV types 1, 2 and 4, for instance, are responsible for the common skin wart. Many will have experienced these, including the familiar verruca (plantar wart) picked up at swimming pools.

Some strains, such as HPV 6 and 11, cause genital warts – small growths that appear on the genitals or around the anus. Treatments such as creams, surgical removal or freezing can get rid of the visible warts, but they don’t remove the virus itself. This means the virus can still be passed to sexual partners until the body’s immune system clears it.

Most seriously, certain types of HPV – particularly 16 and 18 – have known links to cancer. They belong to a group of about 14 high-risk strains that can enter human cells and damage their DNA. This damage interferes with the cells’ normal controls on growth and division, which can lead to the development of cancer.

Repeated or persistent infection with these strains increases the risk of developing cancer. So, too, does smoking, which reduces the ability of the immune system to clear the virus.

Because HPV comes in so many forms – from harmless skin warts to strains linked with cancer – it’s easy to see how myths and confusion can take hold. To separate fact from fiction, here are five key points that everyone should know about the virus.

1. HPV is not just associated with cervical cancer

While cervical cancer remains the most recognised HPV-related malignancy, the virus is also linked to cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus, penis, mouth and throat. Emerging evidence suggests some types may also contribute to developing skin cancer.

This broad cancer risk explains why the widely available HPV vaccine is recommended for both sexes. The vaccine’s ability to prevent HPV infection makes population-wide immunisation beneficial, as transmission may occur between heterosexual and homosexual partners alike.

2. You don’t need to have symptoms or genital warts to pass the virus on

HPV can remain on the skin for months before the immune system clears it, allowing transmission through contact even before genital warts appear and after they’ve been treated. This is why condoms should be used for at least three months after visible warts have resolved.

3. HPV transmission can occur from more than just vaginal or anal sex

Oral and throat cancers can develop following HPV infection acquired through oral sex. The incidence of mouth and throat cancer is increasing worldwide, with oral sex now the most significant behavioural risk factor. Using condoms during oral sex can help reduce this risk.

HPV can also spread through the use of sex toys. One study highlighted the ability of transmissible HPV to remain on sex toys and the need to develop proper hygiene practices for cleaning, and avoiding shared use.

4. Condoms are not 100% effective at preventing spread

Condoms can lower the risk of HPV transmission, but they can’t offer full protection, as uncovered skin can still carry the virus.

This is why many sexually active people will come into contact with a strain of the virus at some point in their lives, even when practising safe sex.

5. Even vaccinated women need to have smear tests

Current HPV vaccines target the main high-risk virus types but cannot cover all cancer-causing strains, or treat existing infections. In rarer cases, cervical cancer can also arise without HPV infection. This is why women aged 25 to 64 are still invited for cervical screening every five years, even after vaccination.

Women should also seek urgent medical review for other indicators of cervical cancer. These include pain or bleeding after sex, bleeding between periods or after menopause, and changes in vaginal discharge.

Even though the HPV vaccine is widely available, uptake has dropped in some areas. The COVID pandemic disrupted routine vaccination programmes, while misinformation about the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness has shaken trust. In some places, low awareness of HPV’s link to different cancers – and of the need to vaccinate boys as well as girls – has also made public understanding more difficult.

The World Health Organization has set a target of fully vaccinating 90% of girls by age 15 by 2030. At present, only about 48% of girls worldwide are fully vaccinated, so there is more work to be done.

Although HPV is often harmless, the potential consequences of some strains are too significant to ignore. But no one should be fearful of an active sex life. For those eligible for the HPV vaccine, protection is not just for the individual, but also for future sexual partners who could otherwise be exposed. By staying informed and taking preventative measures, we can reduce the effect of this common virus and keep ourselves and others safer.

Dan Baumgardt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. HPV: what you need to know about the common virus linked to cancer – https://theconversation.com/hpv-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-common-virus-linked-to-cancer-263678

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tim Holmes, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Policing, Bangor University

The UK government is once again looking at the possibility of introducing identity cards, with the prime minister Keir Starmer announcing plans for a new scheme for all UK citizens.

The argument is familiar. With tougher ID systems, illegal immigration would be harder and the UK less appealing. But it also raises a familiar set of questions. How would such a scheme work? And what lessons are there to be learned from the last time the UK had ID cards?

Identity cards were compulsory during the second world war, but the system was scrapped in 1952 after growing unease about police powers and civil liberties.

Fifty years later, Tony Blair’s Labour government proposed new biometric ID cards backed by a national database. Ministers claimed they would help tackle terrorism, illegal immigration and identity theft while giving people secure access to public services.

At the time, terrorism, illegal immigration and identity theft were major concerns. The 9/11 bombers had avoided detection in the US, 23 illegal immigrants had died while cockle picking in Morecambe Bay in 2004 and people were increasingly falling victim to online fraud and identity theft.

In 2006 the Identity Cards Act was introduced. The scheme would introduce cards for citizens with new biometric security features and data stored on a national database. Eventually, whether you wanted a card or not, you could not function in UK society without one.

Some argued it would lead the UK to becoming a surveillance society. Protest groups warned of the risks, while Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes vowed to go to prison rather than accept the card and the power it gave the state.

In the end, the cards were never tested. The scheme collapsed in 2010, undone not by principle but by cost and a change of government.

2025 proposals

Rising public concern over illegal immigration has once again led to calls for solutions.

The UK government’s latest proposals follow a home affairs committee inquiry into digital IDs and electronic visas in June. It examined whether migrants should be required to use them to prove their status when applying for jobs. The argument being that with a tougher ID system, illegal immigrants would be deterred from attempting to enter the country.

The UK is already far more digitally monitored than it was 20 years ago. Biometric passports, digital driving licences and online identity checks are used as a matter of course.

In 2010, when the last ID card scheme was scrapped, public attitudes towards surveillance were generally favourable when used in public spaces. But monitoring in private spaces was not.

In 2025, attitudes towards surveillance vary depending on the type. There is now more concern around the mass surveillance of people’s online activities, for example.

Identity schemes are used in 142 countries around the world, 70 with electronic ID. Biometric technology has improved considerably over the past 20 years. More than 120 countries now use facial recognition in passport systems, while UK police forces have integrated the technology into their work.

The question is not whether cards can verify identity – they can. It’s whether they reduce crime or illegal immigration. That depends on how essential they become to everyday life. If an ID check is required for employment, housing and access to services, people without documents may be pushed into the margins, rather than required to leave the country.

In 2005, writer Arun Kundnani argued that ID cards risked becoming “exclusion cards”, creating a new underclass of people unable to access services legally but still present in the shadow economy. That would give organised crime networks even greater power over undocumented migrants, offering illegal routes into housing and work.

Another unresolved question is cost. The last scheme collapsed under the financial weight of setting up the infrastructure and issuing cards nationwide. With public finances tight, the government could find itself facing the same problem again.

Surveillance

There are also broader questions about trust. Academic Clive Norris, who has studied mass surveillance, has warned that constant monitoring encourages the view that ordinary citizens cannot be trusted: “If we are gathering data on people all the time on the basis that they may do something wrong, this is promoting a view that as citizens we cannot be trusted.”

Digital identity cards could bring benefits. For those entitled to live and work in the UK, they might make access to services simpler and faster. But the debate is about more than efficiency. It goes to the heart of how much oversight the state should have over everyday life, and whether a costly system would achieve its stated aims.

The last attempt at ID cards was sunk before it could be tested. Two decades on, the UK is more accustomed to digital surveillance and more anxious about immigration. The question is whether that makes this the right time for a second attempt – or whether the country risks repeating old mistakes.

Tim Holmes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Blair’s ID cards failed in the 2000s – could Starmer’s version fare better? – https://theconversation.com/blairs-id-cards-failed-in-the-2000s-could-starmers-version-fare-better-264517