The elites who pushed Brexit

Brexit rooted more in elite politics than mass resentment [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 13 December 2018 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Editor's note Theresa May will stay in her job as Britain’s prime minister after the majority of her party backed her continued leadership Wednesday. What will also stick around is the source of her trouble: Brexit and May’s inability to negotiate a satisfactory divorce by Britain from its ties with Europe. University of Oregon political scientist Craig Parsons writes that it’s easy to see Brexit as the U.K.’s version of an anti-globalization wave that seeks to restore national borders and sovereignty. But he says the [major force behind Brexit was something – or someone – else entirely](. After a few years of steady greenhouse gas emissions, [China’s emissions spiked by an estimated 5 percent]( – to record levels – this year. Since China is the biggest contributor to climate change, that’s led some to panic. So why does Phillip Stalley, a scholar of Chinese environmental politics, “see grounds for optimism” when it comes to China’s carbon footprint? Young people may find this surprising, but sex is not only for the young. Older people not only enjoy sex but also benefit from it, studies suggest. Yet the health care field isn’t addressing the sexual health of older people, two scholars write, which leaves many without good information on [limitations, infections and ways to be intimate without intercourse](. Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society Top stories A worker answers a telephone in the office of pro-Brexit group Leave.EU in London, February 2016. REUTERS/Neil Hall [Brexit rooted more in elite politics than mass resentment]( Craig Parsons, University of Oregon The history of Britain's vote to exit from the European Union, known as Brexit, is not a tale of populist resentment toward globalization. It is a top-down story of leaders and elite ideology. A woman in Beijing wearing a mask to avoid inhaling smog passes an anti-pollution mural. AP Photo/Andy Wong [China’s climate progress may have faltered in 2018, but it seems to be on the right path]( Phillip Stalley, DePaul University The country's carbon emissions should level off again soon. A senior couple being intimate. Photographee.eu/Shutterstock.com [Think teens need the sex talk? Older adults may need it even more]( Heather Honoré Goltz, University of Houston-Downtown; Matthew Lee Smith, Texas A&M University Studies confirm what many older adults already know: They are sexual. And, studies also suggest that sex is good for them.. So why do health care providers not want to have a sex talk with them? Education - [Why shaming your children on social media may make things worse]( Brian Edward Kinghorn, Marshall Univeristy As more parents turn to social media to post videos of themselves punishing their children, an educational psychologist warns that the practice may cause more harm than good. Health + Medicine - [The key to our humanity isn’t genetic, it’s microbial]( Ian Myles, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases The effort to edit the genes of Chinese twins implies that all our traits are determined by our genes. But changing our diet, environment, lifestyle and microbes may have a greater effect. [The Conversation is a non-profit and your donation is tax-deductible. Your donation will be matched by our board dollar for dollar.]( Politics + Society - [In 2019, women’s rights are still not explicitly recognized in US Constitution]( Deana Rohlinger, Florida State University In the #MeToo era and with more women entering Congress, activists are hopeful another state could ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. But is it too late? - [No coups occurred in 2018. Will next year be so stable?]( Clayton Besaw, University of Central Florida 2018 is on track to become only the second coup-free year in a century. Coup risk is way down worldwide, thanks to growing political stability in Latin America. Africa has the highest risk of coup. Ethics + Religion - [What winter solstice rituals tell us about indigenous people]( Rosalyn R. LaPier, The University of Montana For indigenous peoples, winter solstice has been a time to honor their ancient sun deity. Their rituals reveal a deep understanding of the natural world. Science + Technology - [You may not even need a telescope to see Comet 46P/Wirtanen in the night sky this month]( Shannon Schmoll, Michigan State University A bright comet visible in December provides an excellent viewing opportunity for night sky lovers – even potentially with the naked eye. - [How big data has created a big crisis in science]( Kai Zhang, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Science is in a reproducibility crisis. This is driven in part by invalid statistical analyses that happen long after the data are collected – the opposite of how things are traditionally done. - [Time travel is possible – but only if you have an object with infinite mass]( Gaurav Khanna, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Who wouldn't want to travel in time, glimpsing the dinosaurs or peeking at humans 2,000 years from now? Now physicists have designed a time machine that seems deceptively simple. Arts + Culture - [With a limited on-screen presence, autistic characters have emerged in another medium: Fan fiction]( Jonathan Alexander, University of California, Irvine; Rebecca Black, University of California, Irvine The Harry Potter universe has become a popular setting for stories featuring autistic characters, written by young writers eager to tackle a complex topic. Most read on site - [Preventing infant deaths: The ABCs of safe baby sleep]( Richard Gunderman, Indiana University Hundreds – perhaps thousands – of infant deaths every year are preventable if parents make sure babies sleep in their own cribs, on their backs. - [Switching to electric vehicles could save the US billions, but timing is everything]( F. Todd Davidson, University of Texas at Austin; Dave Tuttle, University of Texas at Austin; Joshua D. Rhodes, University of Texas at Austin; Kazunori Nagasawa, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Ensuring that everyone doesn't charge their cars simultaneously will make a big difference. - [Trump administration seeks to strip more people of citizenship]( Cassandra Burke Robertson, Case Western Reserve University; Irina D. Manta, Hofstra University The Constitution's guarantee of due process means this effort should not be taken lightly, legal scholars argue. Today’s quote [Eckhart insisted that the proper role of a preacher was to preach.]( [Why a 14th-century mystic appeals to today's 'spiritual but not religious' Americans]( Joel Harrington Vanderbilt University [Joel Harrington] [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. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111