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The Conversation

The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public.

100 years ago, the first commercial radio broadcast announced the results of the 1920 election – politics would never be the same

Only 100 people were listening, but the first broadcast from a licensed radio station occurred at 8 p.m. on Nov. 2, 1920. It was Pittsburgh’s KDKA, and the station was broadcasting the results of that year’s presidential election. When the…

#EndSARS: What it feels like to be in the shoes of a young Nigerian

Following weeks of nationwide protests against police brutality, led by young Nigerians who complain of being targeted by the police, Adejuwon Soyinka asked Oludayo Tade, a sociologist, to help us understand what it feels like being a young Nigerian living…

Religious identity and Supreme Court justices – a brief history

Author Nomi Stolzenberg Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation process has put focus not only on the would-be Supreme Court justice’s faith but the religious makeup of the court itself. If she is appointed, Barrett would be the second successive Catholic elevated to the U.S.‘s highest court and…

The US is taking on Google in a huge antitrust case. It could change the face of online search

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google for unlawful monopolisation. The department says Google’s conduct harms competition and consumers, and reduces the ability of new innovative companies to develop and compete. It’s the most…

UK government’s tiered COVID-19 alert systems are all flawed, warns disaster expert

Alert systems need to be clear and easy for everyone to understand. Yet, to date, the UK’s national alert system has created confusion and been largely ignored. Now, a second local alert level system has been introduced in England. I’m not convinced…

Nobel peace prize: hunger is a weapon of war but the World Food Programme can’t build peace on its own

By awarding the 2020 Nobel peace prize to the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), the Nobel committee said that it wanted to “turn the eyes of the world to the millions of people who suffer from or face the threat of hunger”.…

Estonia is a ‘digital republic’ – what that means and why it may be everyone’s future

People around the globe have been watching the build up to the US election with disbelief. Particularly confusing to many is the furore over postal ballots, which the US president, Donald Trump is insisting will lead to large-scale voter fraud…

Coronavirus: divide-and-rule tactics are clearly not working for the UK’s exhausted, fractured population

The UK government has introduced hefty fines for those not following the latest rules brought in to manage the COVID-19 crisis. It has also told bars and pubs to close at 10pm and reduced the number of people that can congregate…

How and when will we know that a COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective?

By William Petri – The Conversation With COVID-19 vaccines currently in the final phase of study, you’ve probably been wondering how the FDA will decide if a vaccine is safe and effective. Based on the status of the Phase 3 trials currently…

3 ways a 6-3 Supreme Court would be different

If the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is replaced this year, the Supreme Court will become something the country has not seen since the justices became a dominant force in American cultural life after World War II: a decidedly conservative…

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