How welcome are refugees in Europe? A giant study has some answers

In this episode:00:46 A measure of refugees’ welcome in EuropeWith repeated humanitarian crises displacing millions of people, researchers have been considering how this might affect acceptance of refugees. Will some refugees be more welcome than others? Will continued movements erode support for refugees overall? To answer these questions, a huge study looks at the attitudes of 33,000 people from 15 European countries towards refugees. They find that overall support for refugees has slightly increased, although some characteristics, such as ability to speak the language of the country they’re settling in, are preferred. They hope this research will help policymakers to respond to stresses on the asylum system.Research article: Bansak et al.11:26 Research HighlightsThe unusual feeding grounds of the pygmy right whale, and the JWST spots a possible quasar from the early Universe.Research Highlight: An enigmatic little whale’s habits, from its own mouthResearch Highlight: JWST spots what could be a quasar from the early Universe13:44 Briefing ChatWe discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, how designing shapes to roll down wiggly lines has implications for quantum physics, and a settlement for the family of Henrietta Lacks.Research Article: Sobolev et al.Video: These shapes roll in peculiar ways thanks to new mathematicsNature News: How the ‘groundbreaking’ Henrietta Lacks settlement could change researchSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.