NewsPronto

 

The Conversation

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...

Dorothy Allison was an authentic voice for the poor, capturing the beauty, humor and pain of working-class life in America

  • Written by Lennard J. Davis, Distinguished Professor of English, Disability Studies and Medical Education, University of Illinois Chicago
imageDorothy Allison channeled her impoverished childhood into a richly crafted world that retained its gritty origins.Sophie Bassouls/Sygma via Getty Images

Dorothy Allison, who died on Nov. 5, 2024, published her first novel, “Bastard Out of Carolina,” in 1992, when she was 42 years old.

She mined her own life to craft the...

Read more: Dorothy Allison was an authentic voice for the poor, capturing the beauty, humor and pain of...

Populist podcasters love RFK, Jr., and he took the same left-right turn toward Trump as they did

  • Written by Rachel Meade, Lecturer of Political Science, Boston University
imageRobert F. Kennedy Jr., a onetime Democrat, endorsed Trump on Aug. 23, 2024, after ending his independent presidential bid.AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in the new administration. The idea of Trump, a Republican, appointing Kennedy to his cabinet would have...

Read more: Populist podcasters love RFK, Jr., and he took the same left-right turn toward Trump as they did

Better but not stellar: Pollsters faced familiar complaints, difficulties in assessing Trump-Harris race

  • Written by W. Joseph Campbell, Professor Emeritus of Communication, American University School of Communication
imageCNN's Magic Wall map with U.S. presidential results is seen on a mobile phone on Nov. 7, 2024. Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

An oracle erred badly. The most impressive results were turned in by a little-known company in Brazil. A nagging problem reemerged, and some media critics turned profane in their assessments.

So it went for...

Read more: Better but not stellar: Pollsters faced familiar complaints, difficulties in assessing...

Campus diversity is becoming difficult to measure as students keep their race and ethnicity hidden on college applications

  • Written by Karly Sarita Ford, Associate Professor of Education and Sociology, Penn State
imageMore students are listing 'race unknown' on their college applications. Ariel Skelley/DigitalVision via Getty Images

When the Supreme Court struck down race-based admissions at American colleges and universities just over a year ago, many predicted U.S. campuses would become much less diverse. But in part due to students who decide not to disclose...

Read more: Campus diversity is becoming difficult to measure as students keep their race and ethnicity hidden...

Saltwater flooding is a serious fire threat for EVs and other devices with lithium-ion batteries

  • Written by Xinyu Huang, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina
imageFlooded cars in Clearwater, Fla., after the arrival of Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10, 2024. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Flooding from hurricanes Helene and Milton inflicted billions of dollars in damage across the Southeast in September and October 2024, pushing buildings off their foundations and undercutting roads and bridges. It also caused dozens...

Read more: Saltwater flooding is a serious fire threat for EVs and other devices with lithium-ion batteries

Knee problems tend to flare up as you age – an orthopedic specialist explains available treatment options

  • Written by Angie Brown, Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, Quinnipiac University
imageKnee problems can hinder mobility and erode your quality of life.Witthaya Prasongsin/Moment via Getty Images

Knee injuries are common in athletes, accounting for 41% of all athletic injuries. But knee injuries aren’t limited to competitive athletes. In our everyday lives, an accident or a quick movement in the wrong direction can injure the...

Read more: Knee problems tend to flare up as you age – an orthopedic specialist explains available treatment...

As the Taurid meteor shower passes by Earth, pseudoscience rains down – and obscures a potential real threat from space

  • Written by Mark Boslough, Research Associate Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico
imageThis image of a Taurid fireball was taken in 2014 by NASA's All Sky Fireball Network in Tullahoma, Tenn.NASA

With the Taurid meteor shower now hitting the night skies worldwide, look for what could be a celestial treat – you might see shooting stars, and maybe even fireballs, the biggest and brightest meteors.

As the full moon begins to wane...

Read more: As the Taurid meteor shower passes by Earth, pseudoscience rains down – and obscures a potential...

Get chronic UTIs? Future treatments may add more bacteria to your bladder to beat back harmful microbes

  • Written by Sarguru Subash, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University
imageCertain strains of _E. coli_ can outcompete disease-causing microbes for resources.NIAID/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Millions of people in the U.S. and around the world suffer from urinary tract infections every year. Some groups are especially prone to chronic UTIs, including women, older adults and some veterans.

These infections are typically treated with...

Read more: Get chronic UTIs? Future treatments may add more bacteria to your bladder to beat back harmful...

More Articles ...

  1. Indonesia president’s diplomatic dash takes in China and US − but a Trump presidency may see the aspiring regional powerhouse tilt more toward Beijing
  2. Untreated sewage and fertilizer runoff threaten the Florida manatee’s main food source, contributing to malnutrition
  3. Campuses are ground zero in debates about antisemitism − but that’s been true for 100 years
  4. Republican lawmakers will reshape tax policy in 2025 — a tax expert explains what to expect
  5. 3 innovative ways to help countries hit by climate disasters, beyond a loss and damage fund
  6. Hundreds of 19th-century skulls collected in the name of medical science tell a story of who mattered and who didn’t
  7. Federal judge rules that Louisiana shalt not require public schools to post the Ten Commandments
  8. Poor teacher training partly to blame for stalled engineering diversity goals
  9. Asking ChatGPT vs Googling: Can AI chatbots boost human creativity?
  10. Brain-training games remain unproven, but research shows what sorts of activities do benefit cognitive functioning
  11. One election victory does not make a new era in American politics − here’s what history shows
  12. Informal safety nets help many Americans with expenses – people at all income levels benefit from this ‘financial interdependence’
  13. US states are finally starting to put in place protections for the kids of family vloggers
  14. Weight loss plans are less effective for many Black women − because existing ones often don’t meet their unique needs
  15. Mothers, metaphors and dyslexia: What language reveals about the challenges of a child’s learning disability
  16. Socioeconomic status explains most of the racial and ethnic achievement gaps in elementary school
  17. In hundreds of communities across the US, finding a dentist is like pulling teeth − but in 14 states, dental therapists are filling the gap
  18. Countries spend huge sums on fossil fuel subsidies – why they’re so hard to eliminate
  19. 3 reasons why a Trump White House might not be a disaster for Ukraine − in fact, it might tighten the screws on Russia
  20. Racism is such a touchy topic that many US educators avoid it – we are college professors who tackled that challenge head on
  21. Papal elections aren’t always as dramatic as ‘Conclave’ – but the history behind the process is
  22. Here’s what happens when a school is located near a cannabis dispensary
  23. Most US book bans target children’s literature featuring diverse characters and authors of color
  24. Jails and prisons often fail to protect incarcerated people during natural disasters
  25. Missing link to Snowball Earth history emerges from some unusual rocks on Colorado’s Pikes Peak
  26. Evidence from Snowball Earth found in ancient rocks on Colorado’s Pikes Peak – it’s a missing link
  27. Soaring inflation helped lead Trump to victory – here’s why some of his policies might drive prices higher again
  28. Trump voters said they were angry about the economy – many of them had a point
  29. I’m a neuroscientist who taught rats to drive − their joy suggests how anticipating fun can enrich human life
  30. Why does everything look flat even though the Earth is round?
  31. How the Taliban are seeking to reshape Afghanistan’s schools to push their ideology
  32. How updated Vatican rules on validating supernatural appearances of Mary will affect the famed pilgrimage site of Medjugorje
  33. Companies are buying up cheap carbon offsets − data suggest it may be more about greenwashing than helping the climate
  34. Companies are buying up cheap carbon offsets − data suggest it’s more about greenwashing than helping the climate
  35. ‘Inflation is radioactive’: Trump’s victory is part of a global populist wave of voters throwing out incumbents
  36. Voters in Arab American strongholds likely tipped Michigan in Trump’s favor
  37. Pennsylvania will keep its divided legislature thanks to split-ticket voters
  38. Boeing workers secure big gains after strike, but the future for organized labor under Trump is uncertain
  39. What should journalists do when the facts don’t matter?
  40. What’s the ‘standard deduction’? An accounting expert explains how it simplifies tax filing and saves most Americans money
  41. Trump’s plans to extend tax cuts and slash red tape will likely spur economic growth − but there’s a cost
  42. Disaster survivors want to rebuild safer, more sustainable homes, but cost misperceptions often stand in the way
  43. Strength training early in life can set up kids and adolescents for a lifetime of health and well-being
  44. 10 states had abortion measures on the ballot – where they passed, where they failed, and what it all means
  45. Compassion amid chaos − how one of America’s greatest poets became a lifeline for wounded soldiers
  46. The election is over − but what is a ‘lame duck’ anyway?
  47. Is AI dominance inevitable? A technology ethicist says no, actually
  48. New Apostolic Reformation evangelicals see Trump as God’s warrior in their battle to win America from satanic forces and Christianize it
  49. How Trump might target DACA recipients and other immigrant groups
  50. How Trump won Pennsylvania − and what the numbers from key counties show about the future of a pivotal swing state