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Personality disorders have entered common vocabulary, with even school children calling each other “narcissists”. But how do you know whether someone actually has a personality disorder?
While we don’t recommend trying to diagnose people, research analysing everything from real-life conversations to social media posts suggests you may be able to spot personality dysfunction from someone’s everyday word use. No single word or phrase reveals someone’s personality, but there are red flags to look for.
How do you feel about the British empire? New research has revealed the breadth of opinion among British people about their country’s imperial past and how it links to voting behaviour – with some important lessons for politicians.
And if you’re looking forward to catching up on some shuteye this festive period, we’ve bad news for you: Christmas is particularly bad for your sleep. Luckily there are things you can do to ensure you feel more refreshed (at least until you stay up to midnight on New Year’s Eve).
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Miriam Frankel
Senior Editor, Science Insights
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Khosro/Shutterstock
Charlotte Entwistle, University of Liverpool
Words reflecting anger and swearing are more common in people with personality dysfunction.
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A reproduction of a postcard marking empire day celebrations in Bristol in 1912.
Shutterstock/Igor Golovniov
Christopher Claassen, University of Glasgow
Imperial nostalgia correlates strongly with support beyond the main parties: positively with Reform and negatively with the Greens.
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RTimages/Alamy
Clare Anderson, University of Birmingham
Christmas disrupts sleep more than any other time of year. Here are 12 hidden culprits and how to beat them.
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World
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Robyn Klingler-Vidra, King's College London
Middle power states are selectively granting and restricting access to their economic strengths to reshape markets and security relationships.
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Politics + Society
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Sara Fregonese, University of Birmingham; Paul Simpson, University of Plymouth
The public needs clear, easy to remember, and updated information about current threats.
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Arts + Culture
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Meg Kobza, Newcastle University
It is likely that Austen met one of her earliest romantic interests at a Christmas party.
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Kiera Vaclavik, Queen Mary University of London
The show manages to be positive and heartwarming, championing kindness and generosity without being schmaltzy or saccharine.
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Business + Economy
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Anita Lifen Zhao, Swansea University; Philippa Ward, University of Gloucestershire; Ruffin Relja, University of Gloucestershire
From impulse buys to rising debt, buy-now-pay-later is now woven into many people’s Christmas budgets.
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Simona Sagone, Lund University; University of Palermo
The EU’s new carbon tax is reshaping global trade – and starting to influence what people buy and how much they pay for it.
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Robyn Klingler-Vidra, King's College London
Middle power states are selectively granting and restricting access to their economic strengths to reshape markets and security relationships.
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Environment
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Chris Stokes, Durham University; Florence Colleoni, National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS); James Kirkham, British Antarctic Survey
The warning lights from the cryosphere have been flashing red for several years and governments and policymakers ignore this at their peril.
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Health
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Nikki Ikani, Leiden University; King's College London
H5N1 has a 50% fatality rate in humans. Yet we’re dismantling the systems designed to catch it early.
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Primrose Freestone, University of Leicester
A microbiologist explains why Christmas food is riskier than we realise, and how to keep your holiday both joyful and safe.
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Science + Technology
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Paul Jones, Aston University
The pressure to be joyful can make Christmas feel isolating. A psychologist explains how you can find connection on your own terms.
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Charlotte Entwistle, University of Liverpool
Words reflecting anger and swearing are more common in people with personality dysfunction.
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Podcasts
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Gemma Ware, The Conversation
Listen to Pablo Uchoa, an expert in Venezuelan military scenario planning, on The Conversation Weekly podcast.
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