What Is Nature's Focus on Inequality?

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Cary: Why is nature pulling out all the stops to talk about inequality this week? Well, as you probably know, it's a perennial issue. It's been around forcent so there's kind of never a bad time. Research that goes into quantifying and trying to reduce it is something that we always have an eye on. But really, the answer to why now is because the pandemic has thrown new light on this - not only exposed it, but worsened it in some ways.

00:38 The science of studying inequality

We discuss the research looking to understand the root causes and symptoms of inequalities, how they are growing, and how a cross-disciplinary approach may be the key to tackling them.

Editorial: Equity must be baked into randomized controlled trials

News Feature: How COVID has deepened inequality — in six stark graphics

Career Feature: The rise of inequality research: can spanning disciplines help tackle injustice?

07:26 The randomised trials helping to alleviate poverty

For decades, researchers have been running randomised trials to assess different strategies to lift people out of poverty. Many of these trials centre on providing people with cash grants – we hear how these trials have fared, efforts to improve on them, and the difficulties of scaling them up.

News Feature: These experiments could lift millions out of dire poverty

21:23 Why breast cancers metastasize differently at different times of day

A team of researchers have found that breast cancer tumours are more likely to metastasize while people are asleep. By studying mice, the team suggest that hormone levels that fluctuate during the day play a key role, a finding they hope will change how cancer is monitored and treated.

Research article: Diamantopoulou et al.

News and Views: Cancer cells spread aggressively during sleep

28:46 The inequality of opportunity

A comment article in Nature argues that one of the most pernicious types of inequality is inequality of opportunity – based on characteristics over which people have no control. We discuss some of the data behind this and what can be done about it.

Comment: Not all inequalities are alike

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