2020 will bring more disinformation

+ The Scooby Doo and Bobby Kennedy connection [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 10 September 2019 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair [Jeff Inglis] A note from... Jeff Inglis Politics + Society Editor Disinformation on social media – false or misleading content intended to deceive or promote discord – plagued the 2016 and 2018 elections. It’s slated to get a lot worse, according to a new report looking toward the 2020 campaign season. The report’s author, Paul M. Barrett, explains why Russian influence will be just one of many concerns, and discusses which social media platform will likely [carry the most disinformation to its users](. Also today: - [The pope in Africa]( - [Why you should believe in your math skills]( - [Integration started earlier than you think]( Top story What people read online could really disrupt society and politics. igorstevanovic/Shutterstock.com [How disinformation could sway the 2020 election]( Paul M. Barrett, New York University The Russians won’t be alone in spreading disinformation in 2020. Their most likely imitator will be Iran. Also, Instagram could get even more infected with intentional misinformation than it has been. Ethics + Religion - [Africa’s Catholic churches face competition and a troubled legacy as they grow]( Joseph Hellweg, Florida State University Pope Francis recently completed a tour of three East African nations. His visit needs to be understood in context of the church's long history in Africa and its modern-day difficulties. Science + Technology - [Math skills aren’t enough to get through hard decisions – you need confidence, too]( Ellen Peters, University of Oregon; Brittany Shoots-Reinhard, The Ohio State University How mathematically proficient are you? And do you have the skills to back up your level of math confidence? The answers to those questions may have ramifications for your financial and physical health. - [Indian Moon probe’s failure won’t stop an Asian space race that threatens regional security]( Wendy Whitman Cobb, US Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies Are India and China engaged in a new space race? India's increasingly ambitious space ventures, including its Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission, are evidence of the country's interest in space exploration. Economy + Business - [4 tips for selecting charities after disasters like Hurricane Dorian]( David Campbell, Binghamton University, State University of New York After a hurricane strikes or an earthquake makes shockwaves, try to support nonprofits that are clear about what they do and how they will spend your money. Education - [Curious Kids: Who was the first black child to go to an integrated school?]( Russell Ellsworth Lovell II, Drake University School integration is often thought of as something that took place in the 1960s. But the first black student to desegregate a school by court order was an Iowa girl named Susan Clark in 1868. Environment + Energy - [How giving legal rights to nature could help reduce toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie]( Dana Zartner, University of San Francisco Should lakes, rivers and other resources have legal rights? New Zealand, Ecuador and other countries have taken this step. Now Toledo, Ohio is a US test case. - [Market-based policies work to fight climate change, from India to Jamaica]( Jason Scorse, Middlebury Conservatives worldwide favor carbon pricing, cap-and-trade systems and other innovative environmental plans – just not in the United States. Health + Medicine - [Why a plan to lower prescription drug prices should not be piecemeal]( Minal R. Patel, University of Michigan; Joe Gerald, University of Arizona Presidential candidates and the current president have all talked about ways to lower drug costs, but experts know it is going to take more than politics to change how drugs are priced in the US. Arts + Culture - [The strange connection between Bobby Kennedy’s death and Scooby-Doo]( Kevin Sandler, Arizona State University Demands for regulation of media violence reached a fever pitch after RFK's assassination, and networks scrambled to insert more kid-friendly fare into their lineups. Enter: the Mystery Machine. From our international editions - [Why accidents and emergencies seem to dramatically slow down time]( Steve Taylor, Leeds Beckett University When seconds stretch into minutes. - [Can we really know what animals are thinking?]( Jacob Beck, York University, Canada Can we really know what animals think? A philosopher argues that we can't, not with any precision. - [How Kenya’s mega wind power project is hurting communities]( Zoe Cormack, University of Oxford Our research shows how a large scale renewable energy project can be plagued by many of the same troubling impacts on local communities as oil and extractive industries. Today’s quote ["The link between environmental instability and emigration from Central America became apparent in the late 1990s and early 2000s."]( [How climate change is driving emigration from Central America]( Miranda Cady Hallett University of Dayton [Miranda Cady Hallett] Know people who may be interested in The Conversation's stories? [Click here to forward this newsletter to them]( and ask them to sign up at [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