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The ‘Death Mother’: Horror’s most unnerving villain

  • Written by Kerry Hegarty, Associate Professor of Film Studies, Miami University
imageToni Collette, right, and Milly Shapiro in 'Hereditary' (2018).IMDB

Horror films draw us into a world where our deepest anxieties are laid bare. They illuminate the darker recesses of the human psyche – ones that we often prefer to ignore.

And some of the most unsettling things we can imagine, it seems, are not zombies or aliens or demons, but...

Read more: The ‘Death Mother’: Horror’s most unnerving villain

What Ukraine can now do with longer-range US missiles − and how that could affect the course of the war

  • Written by Benjamin Jensen, Professor of Strategic Studies at the Marine Corps University School of Advanced Warfighting; Scholar-in-Residence, American University School of International Service
imageU.S. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office on Sept. 26, 2024.Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The outgoing Biden administration has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.- supplied longer-range missiles to strike deeper into Russia territory, according to reports citing White House officials.

The move comes...

Read more: What Ukraine can now do with longer-range US missiles − and how that could affect the course of...

Trump’s criminal conviction won’t stop him from getting security clearance as president

  • Written by Dakota Rudesill, Associate Professor of Law; Senior Faculty Fellow, Mershon Center for International Security Studies, The Ohio State University
imageFormer President Donald Trump exits the courthouse after being found guilty of 34 felonies in May 2024.Seth Wenig-Pool/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump is the president-elect. He is also a convicted felon, thanks to a jury verdict after a trial in New York state court for a hush money conspiracy before he became president the first time.

No...

Read more: Trump’s criminal conviction won’t stop him from getting security clearance as president

Americans face an insurability crisis as climate change worsens disasters – a look at how insurance companies set rates and coverage

  • Written by Andrew J. Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise, Ross School of Business, School for Environment & Sustainability, University of Michigan
imageHurricane Beryl tore up homes in Freeport, Texas, in July 2024.Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Home insurance rates are rising in the United States, not only in Florida, which saw tens of billions of dollars in losses from hurricanes Helene and Milton, but across the country.

According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, homeowners insurance increased...

Read more: Americans face an insurability crisis as climate change worsens disasters – a look at how...

Robo price-fixing: Why the Justice Department is suing a software company to stop landlords colluding on rents

  • Written by Roger Alford, Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame
imageLandlords don't have to communicate directly to collude on rental prices.AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Of all the reasons it could be hard to pay rent each month, did you have an algorithm-powered illegal cartel on your list?

Millions of people across the United States are paying far more rent than they can reasonably afford, with rental housing prices...

Read more: Robo price-fixing: Why the Justice Department is suing a software company to stop landlords...

From using plant rinds to high-tech materials, bike helmets have improved significantly over the past 2 centuries

  • Written by Jud Ready, Principal Research Engineer in Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
imageModern bike helmets are made through complex materials engineering.Johner Images via Getty Images

Imagine – it’s the mid-1800s, and you’re riding your high-wheeled, penny-farthing bicycle down a dusty road. Sure, it may have some bumps, but if you lose your balance, you’re landing on a relatively soft dirt road. But as the...

Read more: From using plant rinds to high-tech materials, bike helmets have improved significantly over the...

Why school police officers may not be the most effective way to prevent violence

  • Written by Monic Behnken, Associate Dean, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Iowa State University
imageResearch shows school police officers may subconsciously make students feel less safe.Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

In 1975, only 1% of public schools had their own police officers. Today, 44% do. A large reason for the increase is the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which led to the creation of the federal Community...

Read more: Why school police officers may not be the most effective way to prevent violence

Philadelphia students have a new reading and writing curriculum − a literacy expert explains what’s changing

  • Written by Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, Clinical Professor of Literacy Studies, Drexel University
imageThe new curriculum replaces a homegrown curriculum created by Philadelphia teachers.kali9/E+ Collection via Getty Images

Philadelphia’s K-8 public school students are being taught a new literacy curriculum starting in the 2024-2025 school year. It’s called Expeditionary Learning, and it conforms with what literacy experts call the scienc...

Read more: Philadelphia students have a new reading and writing curriculum − a literacy expert explains...

Donor-advised funds are drawing a lot of assets besides cash – taking a bigger bite out of tax revenue than other kinds of charitable giving

  • Written by Brian Mittendorf, Professor of Accounting, The Ohio State University
imageThe total value of assets held by donor-advised funds is soaring.imaginima/E+ via Getty Images

Donor-advised funds, or DAFs, are financial accounts funded by donors to support future charitable work. This kind of giving differs greatly from charitable giving as a whole because it’s much more likely to involve donations of assets like stock,...

Read more: Donor-advised funds are drawing a lot of assets besides cash – taking a bigger bite out of tax...

Why do I feel better when I wake myself up instead of relying on an alarm? A neurologist explains the science of a restful night’s sleep

  • Written by Beth Ann Malow, Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University
imageYour internal body clock can help wake you up without an alarm.Riska/E+ via Getty Imagesimage

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 curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

Why do I feel better rested when I wake myself up than I do if my alarm or another person wakes me up?...

Read more: Why do I feel better when I wake myself up instead of relying on an alarm? A neurologist explains...

More Articles ...

  1. Dorothy Allison was an authentic voice for the poor, capturing the beauty, humor and pain of working-class life in America
  2. Populist podcasters love RFK, Jr., and he took the same left-right turn toward Trump as they did
  3. Better but not stellar: Pollsters faced familiar complaints, difficulties in assessing Trump-Harris race
  4. Campus diversity is becoming difficult to measure as students keep their race and ethnicity hidden on college applications
  5. Saltwater flooding is a serious fire threat for EVs and other devices with lithium-ion batteries
  6. Knee problems tend to flare up as you age – an orthopedic specialist explains available treatment options
  7. As the Taurid meteor shower passes by Earth, pseudoscience rains down – and obscures a potential real threat from space
  8. Get chronic UTIs? Future treatments may add more bacteria to your bladder to beat back harmful microbes
  9. Indonesia president’s diplomatic dash takes in China and US − but a Trump presidency may see the aspiring regional powerhouse tilt more toward Beijing
  10. Untreated sewage and fertilizer runoff threaten the Florida manatee’s main food source, contributing to malnutrition
  11. Campuses are ground zero in debates about antisemitism − but that’s been true for 100 years
  12. Republican lawmakers will reshape tax policy in 2025 — a tax expert explains what to expect
  13. 3 innovative ways to help countries hit by climate disasters, beyond a loss and damage fund
  14. Hundreds of 19th-century skulls collected in the name of medical science tell a story of who mattered and who didn’t
  15. Federal judge rules that Louisiana shalt not require public schools to post the Ten Commandments
  16. Poor teacher training partly to blame for stalled engineering diversity goals
  17. Asking ChatGPT vs Googling: Can AI chatbots boost human creativity?
  18. Brain-training games remain unproven, but research shows what sorts of activities do benefit cognitive functioning
  19. One election victory does not make a new era in American politics − here’s what history shows
  20. Informal safety nets help many Americans with expenses – people at all income levels benefit from this ‘financial interdependence’
  21. US states are finally starting to put in place protections for the kids of family vloggers
  22. Weight loss plans are less effective for many Black women − because existing ones often don’t meet their unique needs
  23. Mothers, metaphors and dyslexia: What language reveals about the challenges of a child’s learning disability
  24. Socioeconomic status explains most of the racial and ethnic achievement gaps in elementary school
  25. In hundreds of communities across the US, finding a dentist is like pulling teeth − but in 14 states, dental therapists are filling the gap
  26. Countries spend huge sums on fossil fuel subsidies – why they’re so hard to eliminate
  27. 3 reasons why a Trump White House might not be a disaster for Ukraine − in fact, it might tighten the screws on Russia
  28. Racism is such a touchy topic that many US educators avoid it – we are college professors who tackled that challenge head on
  29. Papal elections aren’t always as dramatic as ‘Conclave’ – but the history behind the process is
  30. Here’s what happens when a school is located near a cannabis dispensary
  31. Most US book bans target children’s literature featuring diverse characters and authors of color
  32. Jails and prisons often fail to protect incarcerated people during natural disasters
  33. Missing link to Snowball Earth history emerges from some unusual rocks on Colorado’s Pikes Peak
  34. Evidence from Snowball Earth found in ancient rocks on Colorado’s Pikes Peak – it’s a missing link
  35. Soaring inflation helped lead Trump to victory – here’s why some of his policies might drive prices higher again
  36. Trump voters said they were angry about the economy – many of them had a point
  37. I’m a neuroscientist who taught rats to drive − their joy suggests how anticipating fun can enrich human life
  38. Why does everything look flat even though the Earth is round?
  39. How the Taliban are seeking to reshape Afghanistan’s schools to push their ideology
  40. How updated Vatican rules on validating supernatural appearances of Mary will affect the famed pilgrimage site of Medjugorje
  41. Companies are buying up cheap carbon offsets − data suggest it may be more about greenwashing than helping the climate
  42. Companies are buying up cheap carbon offsets − data suggest it’s more about greenwashing than helping the climate
  43. ‘Inflation is radioactive’: Trump’s victory is part of a global populist wave of voters throwing out incumbents
  44. Voters in Arab American strongholds likely tipped Michigan in Trump’s favor
  45. Pennsylvania will keep its divided legislature thanks to split-ticket voters
  46. Boeing workers secure big gains after strike, but the future for organized labor under Trump is uncertain
  47. What should journalists do when the facts don’t matter?
  48. What’s the ‘standard deduction’? An accounting expert explains how it simplifies tax filing and saves most Americans money
  49. Trump’s plans to extend tax cuts and slash red tape will likely spur economic growth − but there’s a cost
  50. Disaster survivors want to rebuild safer, more sustainable homes, but cost misperceptions often stand in the way