18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic – a retrospective in 7 charts
September 11, 2021 marks the 18 month anniversary of the WHO declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. summerphotos/Stock via Getty Images Plus Katelyn Jetelina, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic – a retrospective in 7 charts. A year and a half into what the World Health Organization […]
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Tattoos have a long history going back to the ancient world – and also to colonialism
The Picts, the indigenous people of what is today northern Scotland, were documented by Roman historians as having complex tattoos. Theodor de Bry, via Wikimedia Commons Allison Hawn, Arizona State University Tattoos have a long history going back to the ancient world – and also to colonialism. While most of us would likely care to […]
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Smelling in stereo – the real reason snakes have flicking, forked tongues
Long misunderstood, snake tongues have fascinated naturalists for centuries.reptiles4all/iStock via Getty Images Plus Smelling in stereo – the real reason snakes have flicking, forked tongues Kurt Schwenk, University of Connecticut As dinosaurs lumbered through the humid cycad forests of ancient South America 180 million years ago, primeval lizards scurried, unnoticed, beneath their feet. Perhaps to avoid […]
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What a baker from ancient Pompeii can teach us about happiness
As they do today, threats of destruction loomed in ancient Pompeii. Art Media/Print Collector via Getty Images Nadejda Williams, University of West Georgia What a baker from ancient Pompeii can teach us about happiness In a testament to its resiliency, happiness, according to this year’s World Happiness Report, remained remarkably stable around the world, despite a […]
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Individual dietary choices can add – or take away – minutes, hours and years of life
Eating more fruits, vegetables and nuts can make a meaningful impact on a person’s health – and the planet’s too. kerdkanno/iStock via Getty Images Plus Olivier Jolliet, University of Michigan and Katerina S. Stylianou, University of Michigan Individual dietary choices can add – or take away – minutes, hours and years of life Vegetarian and vegan […]
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Is it possible to recreate dinosaurs from their DNA?
Is it possible to recreate dinosaurs from their DNA? Tyrannosaurus rex was a relentless predator who lived during the Cretaceous Period more than 65 million years ago. Roger Harris/Science Photo Library via Getty Images William Ausich, The Ohio State University Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d […]
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How Native students fought back against abuse and assimilation at US boarding schools
How Native students fought back against abuse and assimilation at US boarding schools Native American students at the Carlisle Indian School, circa 1899. Library of Congress/Corbis Historical Collection/VCG via Getty Images Sarah Klotz, College of the Holy Cross As Indigenous community members and archaeologists continue to discover unmarked graves of Indigenous children at the sites of […]
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The Internet Archive turns 25 years old help save it
The Internet Archive has been fighting for 25 years to keep what’s on the web from disappearing – and you can help People are warned that what they post on the internet will live forever. But that’s not really the case. 3alexd/E+ via Getty Images Kayla Harris, University of Dayton; Christina Beis, University of Dayton, and […]
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The disturbing history of how conservatorships were used to exploit, swindle Native Americans
The disturbing history of how conservatorships were used to exploit, swindle Native Americans The Osage Nation were once among the wealthiest people in the world. FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Andrea Seielstad, University of Dayton Pop singer Britney Spears’ quest to end the conservatorship that handed control over her finances and health care to her father demonstrates the […]
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3 tips for preventing heat stroke
3 tips for preventing heat stroke Seattle experienced record high temperatures in June 2021. AP Photo/John Froschauer Gabriel Neal, Texas A&M University As a primary care physician who often treats patients with heat-related illnesses, I know all too well how heat waves create spikes in hospitalizations and deaths related to “severe nonexertional hyperthermia,” or what most […]
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The four-day work week – has its moment arrived?
The four-day work week – has its moment arrived? Podcast Time for the three-day weekend. fizkes/Shutterstock Daniel Merino, The Conversation and Gemma Ware, The Conversation Over the last few years, companies and governments in a number of countries have begun to experiment with the idea of a four-day work week – and some of the results […]
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Fight for control threatens to destabilize and fragment the internet
Fight for control threatens to destabilize and fragment the internet International power plays are a threat to a stable, open internet.erhui1979/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images Nick Merrill, University of California, Berkeley You try to use your credit card, but it doesn’t work. In fact, no one’s credit card works. You try to go to some news […]
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How Sarah Baartman’s hips went from a symbol of exploitation to a source of empowerment for Black women
Sarah Baartman was an international sensation of objectification.British Library Rokeshia Renné Ashley, Florida International University How Sarah Baartman’s hips went from a symbol of exploitation to a source of empowerment for Black women In “BLACK EFFECT,” a track from Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s 2018 collaborative album “EVERYTHING IS LOVE,” Beyoncé describes a quintessential Black female form: […]
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It’s not just bad behavior – why social media design makes it hard to have constructive disagreements online
It’s not just bad behavior – why social media design makes it hard to have constructive disagreements online Technology can trip people up on the road to finding common ground. Johanna Svennberg/iStock via Getty Images Amanda Baughan, University of Washington Good-faith disagreements are a normal part of society and building strong relationships. Yet it’s difficult […]
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Is climate change to blame for the recent weather disasters?
Is climate change to blame for the recent weather disasters? 2 things you need to understand Evidence connects human-caused climate change to heat waves. Ties to some other extremes aren’t as clear cut.AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino Scott Denning, Colorado State University Summer isn’t even half over, and we’ve seen heat waves in the Pacific Northwest and Canada […]
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How to avoid food-borne illness – a nutritionist explains
How to avoid food-borne illness – a nutritionist explains After the meal, putting food away quickly is key to keeping it free from pathogens. Getty Images / Thomas Barwick Ruth S. MacDonald, Iowa State University Summer means cookouts, picnics and backyard barbecues. But a generous spread of food eaten outside raises some serious health questions. […]
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Lab–grown and plant–based meat: the science, psychology and future of meat alternatives
Would you eat cultured meat? HQuality via Shutterstock Daniel Merino, The Conversation and Gemma Ware, The Conversation Lab–grown and plant–based meat: the science, psychology and future of meat alternatives – podcast How do you mimic meat? We take a look at the science behind plant-based and cultured meat in this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, […]
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How where you’re born influences the person you become
In some societies, kids are taught that they’re in control of their own happiness – which makes them more indulgent.Oleksii Synelnykov/Shutterstock.com Samuel Putnam, Bowdoin College and Masha A. Gartstein, Washington State University How where you’re born influences the person you become. As early as the fifth century, the Greek historian Thucydides contrasted the self-control and […]
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Zaila Avant-garde – 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee champ
Zaila Avant-garde – 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee champ – stands where Black children were once kept out Zaila Avant-garde is the first Black American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee.Jim Watson/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Shalini Shankar, Northwestern University When Zaila Avant-garde, 14, won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee on July 8, 2021, she […]
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Why vacations feel like they’re over before they even start
People tend to reflexively assume that fun events will go by really quickly. Chris Clor/Getty Images Selin Malkoc, The Ohio State University Why vacations feel like they’re over before they even start. For many people, summer vacation can’t come soon enough – especially for the half of Americans who canceled their summer plans last year […]
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How do food manufacturers pick those dates on their product packaging
How do food manufacturers pick those dates on their product packaging – and what do they mean? When does it all become dangerous to eat? Rich Johnstone, CC BY-NC-ND Londa Nwadike, Kansas State University No one wants to serve spoiled food to their families. Conversely, consumers don’t want to throw food away unnecessarily – but we […]
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Summer reading: 5 books for young people that deal with race
Summer reading: 5 books for young people that deal with race Reading diverse books can help young adults understand conversations around race better. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision Sarah J. Donovan, Oklahoma State University With a national debate raging about how – or even if – teachers should discuss race in their classrooms, many educators may find themselves […]
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Why do cats knead with their paws?
Why do cats knead with their paws? A behavior from kittenhood persists in many adult cats. Byron Chin/flickr, CC BY-NC-SA Julia Albright, University of Tennessee Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to [email protected]. Why do cats like to […]
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Living with HER2 Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
Living with HER2 Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer. In 2018, Terri S., a vibrant 58-year-old insurance underwriter from Kansas, received news many fear – “you have breast cancer.” Similar to many women like her, the diagnosis came as a surprise, as Terri had recently visited her doctor after noticing her skin looked “weird.” As part of […]
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Space tourism is here
Astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson on the International Space Station with a view many more are likely to see soon. NASA/Tracy Caldwell Dyson/WIkimediaCommons Wendy Whitman Cobb, US Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies Space tourism is here – 20 years after the first stellar tourist, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin plans to send civilians […]
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