The Conversation

It's not in the bones, but it might not be in the brain either. X-ray image by ShutterstockBy Andreas Goebel, University of Liverpool

If you don't put a piece of tape over your webcam, get used to being watched. adafruit, CC BY-NC-SABy Gordon Fletcher, University of Salford

People know that antibiotics won't help viruses. So why ask doctors for antibiotics? Subbotina Anna/ShuttstockBy David Broniatowski, George Washington University; Eili Klein, Johns Hopkins University, and Valerie Reyna, Cornell University

Diversity is listed at the bottom of priorities for human resources professionals in large firms yet many mangers still feel threatened by diversity policies.shutterstockBy Jennifer Whelan, Melbourne Business SchoolMany large organizations are now on their second or third wave of diversity and inclusion programs. A good number of them are still struggling to identify obvious improvements in the metrics they hoped to see changes in. Yet, ironically, increasing numbers of people are beginning to express “diversity fatigue”.

Worry only if you have something to hide. FinchenBy Andrew Smith, The Open UniversityThe computer-security firm Symantec says it may have found some of the most sophisticated malicious software ever made. The cyber-espionage bug, called Regin, has been making attacks for many years without being caught.

Jacob and Wilhelm were Grimm. Wikimedia CommonsBy Marguerite Johnson, University of NewcastleFairy tales have a tumultuous and fragile history. They originated as tales told by “folk”. They were passed down over generations to while away long winter nights, to provide entertainment at special occasions and for simple enjoyment.Inevitably, as more people became literate and scholars began to record fairy tales, they were published. And then, with a wave of a magic wand, they entered the canon of European literature.

Honeybees pollinate a third of Australia's food crops. Losing them due to varroa might would cost the economy billions of dollars. David McClenaghan, Author providedBy Gary Fitt, CSIROA nationwide outbreak of foot and mouth disease; an invasion of a devastating wheat disease; our honeybees completely wiped out. These are just three possible disastrous scenarios facing Australia; they’re considered in the Australia’s Biosecurity Future report published today by CSIRO and its partners.

Magic and sparkle? Diliff, CC BYBy Isabelle Szmigin, University of BirminghamAs well as the tell-tale signs of decorations going up, the rolling out of Christmas advertisements has become a key moment for getting us all in the seasonal mood. And the competition to capture the festive spirit – and the customers that come with it – is fierce.

What if whether you got a job was determined by which web browser you used? ShutterstockBy Mark Burdon, The University of Queensland and Paul Harpur, The University of QueenslandStaff recruitment and retention are an ongoing challenge for employers. Proponents of big data in the workplace are now claiming they can change that.

L'Aquila is still in repair. Roberto TaddeoBy Lawrence Torcello, Rochester Institute of TechnologyIt has been five years since an earthquake hit the Italian city of L’Aquila leaving 309 people dead. In the aftermath one public official and six earthquake scientists were charged with multiple counts of manslaughter. Each defendant was sentenced to six years in jail.

King's College Chapel: beauty, art, profundity – but truth? Tom Thai, CC BY-SABy Simon Blackburn, University of Cambridge