3D-printed guns are appearing the world over, including in the hands of organised criminals in Europe and anti-junta rebels in Myanmar. Made using a 3D printer and a few metal parts that can be easily sourced online, these shadow guJulian Assangens are untraceable, and becoming a popular choice for extremists too. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we talk to researcher Rajan Basra about his hunt to uncover the real identity of the man who
designed the world’s most popular 3D-printed gun, the FGC-9.
For decades journalism has been losing credibility with the public. “Only 32% of Americans report having ‘a great deal’ or ‘fair amount’ of trust in news reporting – a historical low,” writes journalism scholar Jacob Nelson. But in a study, Nelson and two colleagues discovered something unexpected: “We found that people’s distrust of journalism does not stem from fears of ideological brainwashing,” he writes. Instead, they found that the public believes the
news industry “values profits above truth or public service.”
|
Gemma Ware, The Conversation
Rajan Basra explains the backstory to the FGC-9, the world’s most popular 3D printed gun - and his search for its anonymous creator. Listen on The Conversation Weekly podcast.
|
Jacob L. Nelson, University of Utah
A study shows that Americans believe news organizations report the news inaccurately not because they are politically biased, but because they want to generate larger audiences and larger profits.
|
|
-
Kathleen Klaus, Uppsala University
Kenyans, particularly young ones, are fed up with rising prices as well as being ignored, of corruption and of the conspicuous consumption of politicians.
-
Matthew Ricketson, Deakin University
Julian Assange may be heading for home and freedom, but how high a price has he had to pay for releasing government secrets? And what message has his punishment sent?
-
John Strawson, University of East London
Haredi Jews have been exempt from military service for all of Israel’s history, so this ruling will be deeply divisive. An Israel scholar explains.
-
James Rodgers, City, University of London; Dina Fainberg, City, University of London
Gershkovich is the first foreign correspondent to be charged with spying since the end of the cold war.
-
Amr Saber Algarhi, Sheffield Hallam University; Konstantinos Lagos, Sheffield Hallam University
The Conservatives are traditionally viewed as a safe pair of hands on the economy, but does the evidence support this, or are Labour just as good?
-
Denise Su, Arizona State University
A photo of Lucy’s reconstructed skeleton next to a live four-year-old girl shows how human Lucy was – and how small.
-
Ryan McGrady, UMass Amherst; Ethan Zuckerman, UMass Amherst
Many videos people upload to YouTube aren’t really meant for public consumption, but they’re available for AI companies to vacuum up. Many of these personal videos are posted by children.
-
Miles Park, UNSW Sydney
The most common vapes on the market are single-use, disposable ones. They contain valuable resources, yet aren’t designed to be recycled.
-
Federico Donelli, University of Trieste
Kigali wants to be seen as a reliable security provider at home and abroad.
|
|
Marianne Dehasque, Uppsala University; Love Dalén, Stockholm University
Scientists have long wondered if the wooly mammoth went extinct due to high levels of inbreeding.
|