It’s been a wet autumn so far here in England, which has made it a tad difficult to get outside and enjoy all the spoils the season has to offer. But there’s perhaps one good thing all this rain has brought us: mud. And lots of it.
I know what you’re thinking – what, that mucky stuff that gets all over the floor and the kids' clothes? But wait. Not only does a little mud not do anyone any harm, according to our experts it can be positively bursting with health benefits, particularly for children. The billions of microorganisms it contains help them develop healthy immune systems and can lower their risk of common illnesses, allergies and possibly even autoimmune diseases. So let them make mud pies. Just make sure they wash their hands properly afterwards.
Also today: we often hear breathless news reports about the generosity of billionaire philanthropists. But a closer look reveals they may not be as generous as we’ve been led to believe. And, while scholars are divided on whether Donald Trump really is a fascist, our expert believes he has certainly shown a tendency to lean that way.
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Heather Kroeker
Commissioning Editor, Health
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Being exposed to a diverse array of microbes in childhood helps ‘train’ the immune system.
MNStudio/ Shutterstock
Samuel J. White, York St John University; Philippe B. Wilson, York St John University
It’s essential to embrace nature – dirt and all.
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America’s richest woman, Walmart heiress Alice L Walton.
Scott Rudd/Sipa US/Alamy Stock Photo
Tobias Jung, University of St Andrews
Is it a game changer or just pocket change?
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Geopix/Alamy
Benedetta Carnaghi, Durham University
Kamala Harris has called Donald Trump a fascist, but does this stand up?
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World
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Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham
Putin used the summit to push his own vision of Brics as a counter-point to the west, but it is a view that not all camps in the group share.
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Leonie Fleischmann, City St George's, University of London
There are widespread fears that Israel is planning to clear Palestinians from the northern part of the Gaza Strip to allow for settlements.
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Politics + Society
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Deborah Shaw, University of Portsmouth; Matt Weaver, University of Portsmouth
The history of Aids on screen reveals the true heroes and villains of the epidemic and the prevailing attitudes at the time that compelled their behaviour.
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Christopher Featherstone, University of York
Labour party activists often campaign for US Democrats – but no one has ever tested whether they should in a legal case.
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Arts + Culture
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Lee John Curley, Glasgow Caledonian University
Examples of machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy are all on show in this film about Trump’s rise in the world of real estate.
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Jade Scott, University of Glasgow
Mary’s letters were slipped under the sleeves of ladies’ gowns, sewn into doublets, or even packed into the heel of a shoe.
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Business + Economy
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Steve Schifferes, City St George's, University of London
Rachel Reeves plans to change the rules on borrowing – which would boost investment spending but could also present serious pitfalls.
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Conor O'Kane, Bournemouth University
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump agree on virtually nothing, but they agree that the federal government should be doing more to make life more affordable.
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Environment
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Stefanie Broszeit, Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Measuring the ‘ecosystem services’ that the ocean provides is difficult, but an essential step to understand how best to protect marine ecosystems.
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Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng, University of Oxford; Sulemana Bawa, University of Oxford
Deforestation has cast Moo Deng’s wild relatives into a hostile landscape of cocoa farms and mines.
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Health
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Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University
Asbestos is the leading cause of work related deaths in the UK – and teachers and children are at risk.
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Science + Technology
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Jacco van Loon, Keele University
Nasa’s Moon programme has been hit by delays, while China aims to land by 2030.
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11 October - 13 December 2024
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Colchester, Essex
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28 October 2024
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Birmingham
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28 October 2024
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Birmingham
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28 October 2024
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Birmingham
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