The US has coddled gun makers since 1776

Edition: US - Today's top story: How the US government created and coddled the gun industry [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 10 October 2017 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note While it’s unclear yet whether the mass shooting in Las Vegas will lead to meaningful new gun regulations, past tragedies have resulted in little or no reform. That’s in part because of the tireless efforts of the NRA opposing any legislation that would restrict the rights of gun owners. But it’s also because the U.S. government [has coddled gun makers]( with lucrative contracts since the early days of the republic, writes Brian DeLay, a historian at the University of California, Berkeley. “The American public,” he says,“has more power over the gun business than most people realize.” American economist Richard Thaler won the 2017 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science for his pioneering work, which incorporates how human beings actually behave into economic thinking. Ohio State economist Jay Zagorsky [explains who Thaler is]( and the significance of his ideas. And on World Mental Health Day, philosopher Robert S. Colter brings forth [lessons from Roman Stoic philosophers]( for those days when we lack the energy to get out of bed and face the world. Although, he adds, clinical depression is a more serious matter that needs professional help. Bryan Keogh Editor, Economics and Business Top story A U.S. soldier fires a Colt M16 in Vietnam in 1967. U.S. Army [How the US government created and coddled the gun industry]( Brian DeLay, University of California, Berkeley While advocates of gun control may feel powerless in the wake of mass shootings like the one in Las Vegas, the history of government support for the industry shows Americans have more sway than they think. Economy + Business - [Economist who helped behavioral 'nudges' go mainstream wins Nobel]( Jay L. Zagorsky, The Ohio State University Richard Thaler won the 2017 Nobel Prize in economics for his groundbreaking work incorporating how humans actually behave into economic thinking. Ethics + Religion - [How the stoicism of Roman philosophers can help us deal with depression]( Robert S. Colter, University of Wyoming On World Mental Health Day, a philosopher explains how to learn from the stoicism of Roman philosophers. Science + Technology - [Nobody reads privacy policies – here's how to fix that]( Florian Schaub, University of Michigan Consumers can't read, understand or use information in companies' privacy policies. So they end up less informed and less protected than they'd like to be. New research shows a better way. - [Final JFK assassination files due for release – it will be a bumper year for conspiracy theorists]( Ken Drinkwater, Manchester Metropolitan University; Neil Dagnall, Manchester Metropolitan University It's been a good year for conspiracy theorists, so they say. Health + Medicine - [Why having the sex talk early and often with your kids is good for them]( Veronica I. Johnson, The University of Montana; Guy Ray Backlund, New Mexico State University Think you've had the sex talk so now you're done? Think again. Politics + Society - [Crisis in Catalonia: what the EU must do now]( Simon Toubeau, University of Nottingham The potential for more violence is clear unless the two sides can be brought to the negotiating table as soon as possible. From our international editions - [Why capitalism wins. And how a simple accounting move can defeat it]( Lorenzo Fioramonti, University of Pretoria A new accounting system that goes beyond the capitalist understanding of value is bubbling under and could topple capitalism itself. - [How the coffee industry is about to get roasted by climate change]( Sylvain Charlebois, Dalhousie University By 2100, more than 50 per cent of the land now used to grow coffee will no longer be arable. Climate change is changing the game to such an extent that Canada could one day become a coffee producer. Today’s quote [In 2008 a study estimated that it would take 244 hours a year for the typical American internet user to read the privacy policies of all websites he or she visits...With our research, my colleagues and I propose a better way to make clearer privacy policies that are easier to follow.]( [Nobody reads privacy policies – here's how to fix that]( Florian Schaub University of Michigan [Florian Schaub] [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 625 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 USA