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Young people are dreaming of and preparing for the wrong kinds of job, data from 80 countries shows.
Teenagers are still hoping to be architects, vets, designers and doctors. And while there are of course still opportunities to work in such roles, fierce competition and the disruption of AI means they need to be prepared for other roles in growth sectors such as green energy. They could also be getting training to use AI to further their careers rather than being left unemployed because of it. But neither seems to be happening.
Pimple patches – stickers used to cover spots – are having a bit of a moment. While I’m a user of the transparent variety to conceal a breakout, some people like to use brightly coloured versions in star shapes to make a feature out of their skincare. I definitely thought this was a recent invention but this article reveals that people have been pimple patching since the 17th century. They even caused a moral backlash in doing so.
We asked a musicologist this week what makes a song sound “christmassy”. To be honest, we thought the answer would be a bit more complex than it actually was. In the event, the secret to making a song sound right for the season is, as one Conversation editor put it, “pretty much just bells. That’s it. Bells.” But if you want to know exactly why it’s the jingle jangle that evokes the festive spirit, read on.
The UK government is proposing a significant societal shift as a response to the crisis of violence against women and girls. I admit our editors felt sceptical about the decision to release a strategy on this subject right before Christmas – so often a sign that ministers are hoping no one is paying attention to what they are publishing – but this document really does seem to set an ambitious agenda. We’re moving away from a purely criminal justice approach and
finally addressing what so many people have been talking about for years: the entrenched social norms that do so much damage to boys, men, women and girls.
The Conversation’s politics and society editors have produced an e-book on this topic. It’s full of useful content about how young people can be helped if they’re at risk of falling victim to the manosphere.
And our arts editors have just completed work on an e-book of the content they’ve produced during a year on Jane Austen’s paper trail, leading up to the 250th anniversary of her birth this week.
Also this week, your year in dinosaurs wrapped with the best discoveries unearthed in 2025, your holiday reading sorted with some quite weird Hans Christian Andersen deep cuts and your festive menu turned into a medicinal wonder with
the help of the humble cranberry.
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