Growing plants in space + Ukrainian national identity | Top 10

+ data on mass school shootings; the EU and Russian oil US Edition - Today's top story: What is monkeypox? A microbiologist explains what's known about this smallpox cousin [View in browser]( US Edition | 29 May 2022 [The Conversation]( Welcome to Sunday. The top 5 most-read stories of the week are displayed below. You can also read these stories in a [magazine-style e-book.]( Also listed below are five editors’ selections that we want to make sure you don’t miss. It was a week of heartbreak in America as the second mass shooting in two weeks resulted in the death of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. A Slack channel we share with our colleagues around the world was lit up with horror and one basic question: Why doesn’t America stop these mass shootings – especially when [more than half of Americans support stricter gun control](? An excellent article from Senior Politics + Society Editor Naomi Schalit took this and other pointed questions to political scientists Monika McDermott and David Jones. The professors explain [why national polls like the one showing wide support for gun control legislation don’t dictate lawmakers’ agenda](. Next week, we’ll be looking into the police response in Uvalde and how the trauma of these events is affecting the health of American children. If you have questions you want answered, hit reply and let us know. Emily Costello Managing Editor Readers' picks Monkeypox causes lesions that resemble pus-filled blisters, which eventually scab over. CDC/Getty Images [What is monkeypox? A microbiologist explains what’s known about this smallpox cousin]( Rodney E. Rohde, Texas State University Monkeypox has been spreading in humans since as early as 1970. While most monkeypox infections are mild, some can be fatal. The archbishop of San Antonio, Gustavo Garcia-Siller, comforts families following a deadly school shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills [What we know about mass school shootings in the US – and the gunmen who carry them out]( James Densley, Metropolitan State University ; Jillian Peterson, Hamline University Of the 13 mass school shootings that have taken place in the US, the three most deadly occurred in the last decade. Data from these attacks helped criminologists build a profile of the gunmen. - [Putin’s key mistake? Not understanding Ukraine’s blossoming national identity - even in the Russian-friendly southeast]( Lowell Barrington, Marquette University Studies on Ukraine going as far back as the late 1990s and early 2000s showed that the country’s population was connecting less and less with Russia. - [What the Voyager space probes can teach humanity about immortality and legacy as they sail through space for trillions of years]( James Edward Huchingson, Florida International University A professor of religion and science explains different views on immortality, from the religious perspective of President Jimmy Carter to the scientific, secular take of Carl Sagan. - [Over 100 years of Antarctic agriculture is helping scientists grow food in space]( Daniella McCahey, Texas Tech University Scientists just grew plants in soil from the Moon, but Antarctica has long provided researchers with the perfect place to test their agricultural techniques for a future in space. Editors' picks An oil tank at Hungary’s Duna Refinery, which receives Russian crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline. Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images [Europe is determined to cut fossil fuel ties with Russia, even though getting Hungary on board won’t be easy]( Margarita Balmaceda, Seton Hall University Former Soviet bloc nations have reason to worry about an embargo on Russian oil, but Europeans are finally recognizing the true costs of their longstanding energy dependence on Russia. Yes, worry about Twitter, but don’t worry whether there are hordes of spambots running rampant there. gremlin/E+ via Getty Images [How many bots are on Twitter? The question is difficult to answer and misses the point]( Kai-Cheng Yang, Indiana University; Filippo Menczer, Indiana University Elon Musk’s focus on the number of bots on Twitter, whether genuine or a distraction, does little to address the problems of misinformation and spam. A pair of social media experts explain why. - [How the NRA evolved from backing a 1934 ban on machine guns to blocking nearly all firearm restrictions today]( Robert Spitzer, State University of New York College at Cortland The group, founded in 1871, didn’t try to smother virtually all gun control efforts until the mid-1970s. - [Why gun control laws don’t pass Congress, despite majority public support and repeated outrage over mass shootings]( Monika L. McDermott, Fordham University; David R. Jones, Baruch College, CUNY The nature of elected office combines with the lasting priorities of public opinion to put gun control on the back burner, even in times when it does get massive public attention. - [Dangerous counterfeit drugs are putting millions of US consumers at risk, according to a new study]( C. Michael White, University of Connecticut Prescription opiods, stimulants such as those used to treat ADHD and the ingredients found in sexual dysfunction drugs like Viagra are some of the drugs that are being marketed to US consumers. Download the new e-book edition We are providing a magazine version of five stories in this newsletter to read on a tablet, e-reader or on paper. [Try it out]( and reply to this email to tell us what you think. Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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