The Conversation U.S.

theconversation.comAI chatbots can be a valuable health resource for older adults – if they embrace ‘informed skepticism’AI can help you navigate health information, but evaluating the credibility and quality of responses is key.

The most helpful way of engaging with health information generated by an AI chatbot is from a position of informed skepticism. theconversation.com/ai-chatbots-...

theconversation.com50 years later, Amory Lovins’ soft energy path meets electrificationFive decades ago, he charted two paths for energy use in the US. His soft path rightly emphasized efficiency and renewables but underestimated the importance of electricity.

Solar panels cost $100 per watt in 1976. Today they cost 10¢. 50 years ago, the physicist Amory Lovins had an influential vision for America's energy future that focussed attention on renewable energy – but he didn’t anticipate this.

theconversation.comI composed music about infertility and pregnancy loss, then performed it in a Pittsburgh hospital1 in 4 known pregnancies in the US ends in loss. A composer explains how those numbers, along with doctors’ expertise, became a 60-minute chamber work.

A piano quartet premiered in the unlikely venue of a hospital. “One in Four, One in Eight,” is a musical piece about infertility and pregnancy loss, bringing together music, dance, art and science to explore experiences often hidden by stigma. Here’s the composer’s story.

theconversation.comNathaniel Hawthorne’s notebooks reveal the strange workings of his imaginationIn his private notebooks, Hawthorne didn’t have to worry about being called unconventional, depressive or mad. The result is a glimpse of his macabre mind at work.

Novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne spent decades as a recluse in Salem, Massachusetts, filling notebooks with bizarre fragments about possessed stoves, gnomes in gold-filled teeth, and children who mysteriously return as strangers. A Hawthorne scholar loosk through these windows into a creative mind.

theconversation.comWhy do people still get polio in some countries and not in others?Polio can survive only where it finds kids who aren’t protected by a vaccine.

Wild polio now exists in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. But the disease can travel anywhere – it just can't hurt kids who are vaccinated, as Germany discovered when it found the virus in sewage, but recorded zero cases of paralysis.

theconversation.comIf Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts can get dangerous blood clots, so can you – here’s how some states are trying to reduce the riskIn the US, up to 900,000 people are affected by severe blood clots each year, and over 60,000 die from it annually.

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The blood clots affecting 28-year-old Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts could happen to anyone. Recognizing the warning signs and getting treatment quickly can save lives. A pulmonary vascular disease specialist explains some efforts to improve diagnosis:

theconversation.comRemote work made these colleagues more open with each other, not lessRemote work does not necessarily mean that social connections break down. Instead, it can provide the spark for stronger and better relationships between co-workers.

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Remote work doesn’t disconnect co-workers. A management scholar who studied one company in-depth from before the pandemic until 2024 says that conventional wisdom isn’t true.

theconversation.comNASA’s Mars orbiter fleet is getting old – here’s how that could affect future explorationNASA lost contact with its Maven spacecraft – the youngest of its Mars orbiters – at the end of 2025. The others in its fleet are over two decades old.

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NASA lost contact with Maven, its youngest Mars orbiter, at the end of 2025. With the rest of the satellites orbiting Mars more than two decades old, a planetary scientist explains the troubles this could cause for future exploration:

Penguins are pooping pink – and when viewed from space, that’s giving scientists a new way to track how Antarctica’s climate is changing.

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Now, by studying these colors in satellite photos, researchers can track what Adélie penguins across Antarctica are eating. And they're discovering that penguin diets are shifting dramatically as the climate warms.

theconversation.comSatellite images show how penguins’ diets are changing in response to Antarctic climate changeWhen penguin colonies are surrounded by sea ice, the penguins tend to eat more fish, rather than krill. And colonies that eat more fish are more successful at sustaining their numbers.

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Penguins are pooping pink – and when viewed from space, that’s giving scientists a new way to track how Antarctica’s climate is changing.

@junkycosmonaut.bsky.social

The color of penguin poop depends on what the birds eat. To better understand the connection between color and diet, Clemson University professor Casey Youngflesh went on some very stinky poop-sampling missions.

The Conversation U.S. reposted

Archie 🇨🇦

A timely reminder that there is a long tradition of resistance and of fighting the powers that be! Are we less capable than medieval peasants? I don't think so! ✊

The Conversation U.S.@us.theconversation.com

Medieval peasants weren’t nearly as obedient as we tend to think. From tax revolts to challenges to kings and the church, ordinary people pushed back when those in power failed them. A historian explains the real history behind the new film, “The Uprising”:

theconversation.com‘The Uprising’ shows how medieval people weren’t so obedient after allThe English Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 wasn’t an isolated outburst. Across medieval Europe, ordinary people challenged the authority of rulers who failed to live up to their end of the bargain.

theconversation.comStudents take up to 88 standardized tests before high school, but more testing doesn’t improve learningStudents’ scores on standardized tests can affect schools’ ratings, adding to the pressure teachers experience in preparing their students for the assessments.

One farmer’s take on standardized testing: “You don’t get a pig to grow by measuring it more.”

Ever rewatch a horror movie and spot something creepy you completely missed the first time? Turns out, directors know exactly how to trick your brain into missing what's right in front of you. A cognitive psychologist explains how they pull it off: theconversation.com/horror-films...

theconversation.comI’m a Philly forensic psychologist who has conducted dozens of psychopathic evaluations – here’s why an evaluation of R.C. Horsch in the ‘80s didn’t identify him as a possible psychopathPhiladelphia police and FBI are conducting a massive investigation into the home where the late R.C. Horsch and his son lived, along with several women who’ve gone missing.

Seven women vanished. All have been linked to the same Philadelphia home, where police now suspect a deceased man may have been a serial killer. A forensic psychologist explains why a 1980s evaluation may have missed the warning signs:

theconversation.comHow governments worldwide are shaping what AI can say about politicsSome governments use legitimate AI concerns as a pretext to control political discussion, particularly chatbot responses about those in power.

About 1 in 5 voters has asked AI chatbots about politics or elections. And besides the chance of getting hallucinated facts, there’s also a chance the answers may have been shaped by governments around the world. theconversation.com/how-governme...

theconversation.comIndian Gen Z ‘cockroach’ protesters aim to upend assumptions about democracy – and populism – in Modi’s IndiaThe protests challenge the government’s view of who “the people” are, what democracy means, and who speaks for youth, women and the politically marginalized.

India’s Gen Z protesters are taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government – armed with humor, cockroach memes and demands for democracy. The youth-led movement is now challenging alleged mass voter roll deletions and a government crackdown. theconversation.com/indian-gen-z...

Pancreas cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. #pancreascancer #cancer #daraxonrasib

Dr. Christopher Lieu, professor of medical oncology at University of Colorado Anschutz, explains why pancreas cancer is the only major cancer that has a survival rate under 20%, and why a new breakthrough drug is giving hope to patients.

theconversation.comBreakthrough drug nearly doubles survival with advanced pancreatic cancer – an oncologist explains how daraxonrasib overcame an ‘undruggable’ diseaseAround 97% of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer die within five years. Researchers have figured out a way to target the mechanism that makes these tumors so deadly.

#pancreascancer #cancer #daraxonrasib theconversation.com/breakthrough...

theconversation.comSurviving cancer starts at diagnosis and continues after treatment – earlier survivorship care can help patients feel better and live longerCancer survivorship is often thought to begin after a patient receives their last treatment. But planning for life after cancer is critical to effective care.

Cancer care teams can start planning for a patient’s life after cancer even when it’s not on the patient’s mind – and it really helps them feel better and live longer.

theconversation.comIn newly independent US, Americans debated whether public executions taught a lesson or just showed off the state’s power to destroyThe conflict over the wisdom of Nidal Hasan’s public execution is not a new one. Americans at the republic’s founding debated – and doubted – whether watching someone die would teach a useful lesson.

Even the nation's founders questioned whether watching an execution taught the public anything useful.

theconversation.comWhat the failed attack on an Illinois temple reveals about anti-Hindu hate in the United StatesHostility toward Hindu worship practices draws on a long history of prejudice portraying the faith’s followers as idolaters, argues a scholar of Hindu studies.

A planned attack on a Hindu temple in Illinois was stopped before anyone was hurt. But it has raised concerns about growing hate toward Hindu and Indian Americans. theconversation.com/what-the-fai...

Queer and trans audiences have long been drawn to horror films that portray LGBTQ+ people as monstrous, finding in these troubling portrayals a mirror for their own complex experiences with identity and their bodies. theconversation.com/horrors-mons...

The Trump Administration has not said if the US will sign this new international treaty. theconversation.com/human-rights...

theconversation.comEl Niño is threatening California’s fragile coast again – the 1982-83 El Niño opened eyes to the serious erosion risksThe destructive 1982-83 El Niño, then the strongest on record, eroded cliffs, leaving homes hanging precariously over the edges. A coastal scientist explains the escalating risks.

The destructive 1982-83 El Niño, then the strongest on record, eroded cliffs, leaving homes hanging precariously over the edges.

Can $5,000 buy your vote? Trump has promised every American a check if Republicans keep control of Congress. But research from elections around the world suggests promises of cash rarely changes voters’ minds. theconversation.com/offering-cas...

theconversation.comAn AI model’s false tip to Philadelphia police reveals how digital agents can do as they’re told and still cause troubleAn expert on AI governance explains why these rare mistakes may soon be common, and with much higher stakes.

An AI chatbot submitted a fake tip about an unsolved murder to Philadelphia police. No human told it to. It happened during a routine test, and the AI company didn't discover it until months later. A closer look at the risks of AI agents acting on their own: theconversation.com/an-ai-models...

The U.S. officially has a 64th national park: Chiricahua in Arizona. What actually changes when a national monument becomes a national park? More than you might think. theconversation.com/chiricahua-i...

Many people are worried about mayhem at the polls on Election Day.

But Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School Los Angeles who has run a national voter protection program, says major disruptions are hard to make – and voters shouldn’t let viral videos showing armed federal officials at a FEW polling places scare them away.

theconversation.comI’ve been studying election integrity for 26 years, and here’s why I expect a normal election this November instead of chaosMayhem at the polls on Election Day 2026? Americans are worried. But a scholar of election law who has also run a nationwide election protection program says he doesn’t believe it will happen.

The voting process is built to withstand presidential pressure. As he puts it, the process “doesn’t depend on the president. It depends on us.” theconversation.com/ive-been-stu... #election2026 #vote #midterms

A massive federal spending law to combat climate change passed in 2022 without a single Republican vote in the U.S. House or the Senate. But the billions of dollars it authorized benefited Republicans who opposed it as well as the Democrats who championed it. theconversation.com/federal-spen...

Students take up to 88 standardized tests before high school. With school ratings on the line, teachers face pressure to prepare students. theconversation.com/students-tak...

theconversation.comWhy and how US and Canadian energy markets are so deeply intertwinedThe two countries’ energy systems and markets are so intertwined that tariffs on electricity, oil and gas would devastate both economies.

The US and Canadian energy systems and markets are so intertwined that tariffs on electricity, oil and gas would devastate both economies, a management scholar explains.

theconversation.comWhy haven’t farm animals evolved against humans? A biologist explains why there won’t be a chicken uprising anytime soonFrom domesticated foxes to tuskless elephants, humans have directly and indirectly influenced the evolution of a wide range of animals.

From domesticated foxes to tuskless elephants, humans have directly and indirectly influenced the evolution of a wide range of animals. A biologist explains why there won’t be a chicken uprising anytime soon.

theconversation.comMaine Sen. Collins’ success bringing home federal funds is a perfect example of the thin line between political favoritism and effective representationThe line between political favoritism and effective representation is remarkably thin. Why is access to public money so dependent on the political influence of individual legislators?

Access to federal funds in the US is highly dependent on the political influence of individual legislators. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is both criticized and praised for her success in this system.

theconversation.comWhy calling for a ‘kill switch’ is the wrong way to think about reining in AIA kill switch to shut down dangerous AI systems is a seductive concept, but the metaphor hides how the models work – and how they get out of control in the first place.

A “kill switch” to shut down dangerous AI systems seems like a sensible precaution, but the metaphor hides how the models work – and how they get out of control in the first place.

theconversation.com40 days to arrive, 40 days to leave: How Armenian culture honors life’s most important momentsArmenian culture marks major events such as birth and death with a special period of 40 days, called ‘karasunk,’ as people transition from one state to another.

Armenian culture marks major events such as birth and death with a special period of 40 days, called ‘karasunk,’ as people transition from one state to another.

theconversation.comFentanyl is fueling overdose deaths in Colorado – what voters need to know about Proposition 132’s attempt to stiffen penaltiesIn November, Colorado voters will decide whether to further criminalize the use of illicit fentanyl.

Colorado voters will vote this year on whether to make penalties for the use of illicit fentanyl even harsher. The last attempt to do that in 2022 did not reduce overdose deaths, or get more people into treatment.

🎂🎉 Happy Birthday to us! 🎂🎉 12 years ago today, The Conversation U.S. launched with a team of 9 housed in a basement at Boston University. We had 2,360 pageviews on our website that day – about the number we have every 20 minutes today, as the most-read nonprofit news site in the nation.

theconversation.comThe Conversation U.S. - News written by researchers and scientists to help you understandAn independent nonprofit news source, giving you the context to understand complicated issues. Articles are written by experts, assisted by journalists, to clearly explain events in the news and the latest research.

We are profoundly grateful to everyone who has made this growth possible: ⭐ you, our dedicated readers ⭐ our talented team of editors and staff (3 have been with us since 2014!) ⭐ our generous donors, foundations, and universities ⭐ and over 18k academic experts who have shared their knowledge

Today our team is gathered for an off-site to celebrate and plan for our continued growth. (PS: If you’d like to give us a birthday present, please share theconversation.com with a friend or family member who’d appreciate our trustworthy, fact-based journalism)

theconversation.comA pregnant mom let her 5-year-old stay outside to collect goose feathers – and was placed on the child abuse and neglect registryChild neglect statutes are intended to protect children. But some of them are so broadly written that they can end up harming families seeking to instill independence in their kids.

A Virginia mother was placed on the child abuse registry after letting her 5-year-old collect goose feathers on his own, not long after the state had amended its neglect law to permit childhood independence. A family lawyer explores how overly broad child neglect laws can fail families.

theconversation.comHow candidates are (quietly) talking about climate change – 3 election strategies you’ll see across the USVoters have a lot of weighty issues on their minds, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worried about climate change.

Voters have many weighty issues on their minds this year, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worried about climate change. Climate communication scholars explain how candidates are (quietly) talking about the environment:

theconversation.comMany vapes and e-cigarettes are now banned in Pennsylvania – here’s what Philly consumers and businesses need to knowVape products from only six manufacturers can now be sold in Pennsylvania.

Many popular nicotine vapes are now banned in Pennsylvania. A health law professor explains how the new law works and what to expect as enforcement begins.

theconversation.comPalestinian citizens face a painful choice in Israel’s election: To vote or notMore than a third of Israel’s Palestinian citizens are expected to sit out the election.

Palestinian citizens make up about 1 in 6 eligible voters in Israel and could help decide next week’s election. They face a painful choice: Vote to protect their rights in a political system they feel excludes them, or boycott an election that could shape their future.