The Conversation UK
Expert analysis by academics on politics, science, health, business, and more.
The Vikings were more than bearded marauders but Scandinavia’s national museums continue to project that image
If you visit Scandinavia you are likely to find yourself at an exhibition about Vikings. There are many to choose from. The National History Museum in Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, houses a major permanent exhibition on Viking. The Swedish History Museum in Stockholm boasts the largest Viking Age exhibition in the world. And the new Norwegia
World Cup’s credibility in question after Fifa volte face following call from Donald Trump
After four weeks of dazzling action on the pitch, it may be an off-field scandal that comes to define this summer’s World Cup. Fifa’s decision to allow America’s star striker, Folarin Balogun, to play in a last-16 match against Belgium, despite having been sent off in the previous game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, is in clear breach of the
Community refugee sponsorship: how the Home Office can get its new safe-and-legal route right
As part of a package of reforms to the UK’s asylum system, Shabana Mahmood has laid out the details of a new community sponsorship route for refugees to come to the UK. The home secretary’s announcement draws on Canada’s experience of resettling over 400,000 refugees since 1979 through community sponsorship. While the planned UK scheme is muc
The UK government has kept its promises on parental leave, but they weren’t bold enough
When Labour won the 2024 general election, parental leave reform was one of its promises to working families. The manifesto committed to reviewing the parental leave system within the first year of government and making parental leave a right from the first day of employment. The Employment Rights Act 2025 has delivered on these commitments.
New virus catalogue reveals which pathogens pose the greatest threat
In a typical year, scientists discover two or three viruses that have never been seen in people before. The number fluctuates, but the trend has been fairly steady since the 1960s. Most of these viruses attract little attention, and my colleagues and I have often had to search through old medical papers to find any mention of them. Some virus
UK ‘only’ contributes 1% global emissions – but alongside many other countries, that all adds up
The UK represented just 0.81% of global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and industry in 2024. That’s a small proportion of the global total, so perhaps it’s easy to suggest that the responsibility to cut emissions should instead lie with bigger emitters like China, the US and India. But with many countries contributing the same seemingly smal
In our deep oceans, evolution is supercharged – this diversity of life could help unlock humanity’s greatest challenges
Far beneath the surface of the ocean lies the largest and least explored habitat on Earth. The deep sea is cold, dark, highly pressurised – and home to a huge amount of undiscovered life. The first hydrothermal vent systems were only discovered in 1977 during an expedition to the Pacific Ocean’s Galapagos Rift by a team from the US Woods Hole
Heatwaves: expert tips on redesigning UK homes to cope with hotter temperatures
As the UK prepares for the third heatwave of 2026, most people will be hoping to try and keep cool at home. Building regulations to protect homes from overheating were introduced in 2022. These require all new homes to be checked at the design stage to see if they might be at risk of overheating. If the overheating risk is high, the architect