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Indonesia president’s diplomatic dash takes in China and US − but a Trump presidency may see the aspiring regional powerhouse tilt more toward Beijing

  • Written by Angguntari Ceria Sari, Lecturer in International Relations, Universitas Katolik Parahyangan
imagePresident of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto meets his U.S. counterpart. But is the distance between the two countries set to widen?by Alex Wong/Getty Images

It’s been a whirlwind week for Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto. On Nov. 9, he was breaking bread with Chinese leader Xi Jinping; three days later he was sitting down with President Joe...

Read more: Indonesia president’s diplomatic dash takes in China and US − but a Trump presidency may see the...

Untreated sewage and fertilizer runoff threaten the Florida manatee’s main food source, contributing to malnutrition

  • Written by Aarin-Conrad Allen, Ph.D. Candidate in Marine Sciences, Florida International University
imageResearchers believe a decline in seagrass is leaving manatees malnourished.Dave Fleetham/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The gentle, slow-moving Florida manatee has no natural predators.

And yet, these charismatic mammals face numerous threats.

Manatees are struck by vessels in busy waterways across the state, and a majo...

Read more: Untreated sewage and fertilizer runoff threaten the Florida manatee’s main food source,...

Campuses are ground zero in debates about antisemitism − but that’s been true for 100 years

  • Written by Jonathan Krasner, Associate Professor of Jewish Education Research, Brandeis University
imageMembers of Mu Beta Chi, a Jewish fraternity, at the University of Minnesota in 1936. Upper Midwest Jewish Archives, University of Minnesota, CC BY-ND

When Eliza arrived on her West Coast college campus in the fall of 2020, building community was difficult due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. Yet over time she forged a network of friends, anchored...

Read more: Campuses are ground zero in debates about antisemitism − but that’s been true for 100 years

Republican lawmakers will reshape tax policy in 2025 — a tax expert explains what to expect

  • Written by Jim Franklin, Director of Academic Programs, Western Governors University School of Business

Although coverage of the 2024 election was dominated by the economy, taxes didn’t get much attention in the run-up to the vote. That’s a bit of a surprise, since 2025 will be a major year for America’s tax system – in fact, the fate of the most significant tax reform in three decades hangs in the balance.

That would be the...

Read more: Republican lawmakers will reshape tax policy in 2025 — a tax expert explains what to expect

3 innovative ways to help countries hit by climate disasters, beyond a loss and damage fund

  • Written by Erin Coughlan de Perez, Professor of Climate Risk Management, Tufts University
imagePeople climb to the top of a bridge damaged when Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique in 2019.Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images

These days, it’s hard to escape news stories discussing how climate change is contributing to extreme weather disasters, including the recent U.S. hurricanes. Aid agencies are increasingly worried about the widespread damage.

A...

Read more: 3 innovative ways to help countries hit by climate disasters, beyond a loss and damage fund

Hundreds of 19th-century skulls collected in the name of medical science tell a story of who mattered and who didn’t

  • Written by Pamela L. Geller, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Miami
imageIllustration of just one of almost a thousand skulls Morton and colleagues collected.Crania Americana by Samuel Morton, CC BY

When I started my research on the Samuel George Morton Cranial Collection, a librarian leaned over my laptop one day to share some lore. “Legend has it,” she said, “John James Audubon really collected the...

Read more: Hundreds of 19th-century skulls collected in the name of medical science tell a story of who...

Federal judge rules that Louisiana shalt not require public schools to post the Ten Commandments

  • Written by Charles J. Russo, Joseph Panzer Chair in Education and Research Professor of Law, University of Dayton
imageControversy over displays of the Ten Commandments on government property is nothing new, but only one case about schools has reached the Supreme Court.AP Photo/Dave Martin

Do the Ten Commandments have a valid place in U.S. classrooms? Louisiana’s Legislature and governor insist the answer is “yes.” But on Nov. 12, 2024, a federal...

Read more: Federal judge rules that Louisiana shalt not require public schools to post the Ten Commandments

Poor teacher training partly to blame for stalled engineering diversity goals

  • Written by Lisa Bosman, Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University
imageBlack students remain significantly underrepresented in engineering. Tara Moore/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Diversifying the science, technology, engineering and math fields has long been a top priority of many universities and tech companies. It’s also a goal of the National Science Foundation, the biggest funder of university-led...

Read more: Poor teacher training partly to blame for stalled engineering diversity goals

Asking ChatGPT vs Googling: Can AI chatbots boost human creativity?

  • Written by Jaeyeon Chung, Assistant Professor of Business, Rice University
imageAI chatbots can give helpful suggestions.Carol Yepes/Moment via Getty Images

Think back to a time when you needed a quick answer, maybe for a recipe or a DIY project. A few years ago, most people’s first instinct was to “Google it.” Today, however, many people are more likely to reach for ChatGPT, OpenAI’s conversational AI,...

Read more: Asking ChatGPT vs Googling: Can AI chatbots boost human creativity?

Brain-training games remain unproven, but research shows what sorts of activities do benefit cognitive functioning

  • Written by Ian McDonough, Associate Professor of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York
imageBrain-training games sell themselves as a way to maintain cognitive function, but the evidence isn't there yet.Eva-Katalin/E+ via Getty Images

Some 2.3 million of U.S. adults over 65 – more than 4% – have a diagnosis of dementia. But even without a diagnosis, a certain amount of cognitive decline is normal as age sets in.

And whether...

Read more: Brain-training games remain unproven, but research shows what sorts of activities do benefit...

More Articles ...

  1. One election victory does not make a new era in American politics − here’s what history shows
  2. Informal safety nets help many Americans with expenses – people at all income levels benefit from this ‘financial interdependence’
  3. US states are finally starting to put in place protections for the kids of family vloggers
  4. Weight loss plans are less effective for many Black women − because existing ones often don’t meet their unique needs
  5. Mothers, metaphors and dyslexia: What language reveals about the challenges of a child’s learning disability
  6. Socioeconomic status explains most of the racial and ethnic achievement gaps in elementary school
  7. In hundreds of communities across the US, finding a dentist is like pulling teeth − but in 14 states, dental therapists are filling the gap
  8. Countries spend huge sums on fossil fuel subsidies – why they’re so hard to eliminate
  9. 3 reasons why a Trump White House might not be a disaster for Ukraine − in fact, it might tighten the screws on Russia
  10. Racism is such a touchy topic that many US educators avoid it – we are college professors who tackled that challenge head on
  11. Papal elections aren’t always as dramatic as ‘Conclave’ – but the history behind the process is
  12. Here’s what happens when a school is located near a cannabis dispensary
  13. Most US book bans target children’s literature featuring diverse characters and authors of color
  14. Jails and prisons often fail to protect incarcerated people during natural disasters
  15. Missing link to Snowball Earth history emerges from some unusual rocks on Colorado’s Pikes Peak
  16. Evidence from Snowball Earth found in ancient rocks on Colorado’s Pikes Peak – it’s a missing link
  17. Soaring inflation helped lead Trump to victory – here’s why some of his policies might drive prices higher again
  18. Trump voters said they were angry about the economy – many of them had a point
  19. I’m a neuroscientist who taught rats to drive − their joy suggests how anticipating fun can enrich human life
  20. Why does everything look flat even though the Earth is round?
  21. How the Taliban are seeking to reshape Afghanistan’s schools to push their ideology
  22. How updated Vatican rules on validating supernatural appearances of Mary will affect the famed pilgrimage site of Medjugorje
  23. Companies are buying up cheap carbon offsets − data suggest it may be more about greenwashing than helping the climate
  24. Companies are buying up cheap carbon offsets − data suggest it’s more about greenwashing than helping the climate
  25. ‘Inflation is radioactive’: Trump’s victory is part of a global populist wave of voters throwing out incumbents
  26. Voters in Arab American strongholds likely tipped Michigan in Trump’s favor
  27. Pennsylvania will keep its divided legislature thanks to split-ticket voters
  28. Boeing workers secure big gains after strike, but the future for organized labor under Trump is uncertain
  29. What should journalists do when the facts don’t matter?
  30. What’s the ‘standard deduction’? An accounting expert explains how it simplifies tax filing and saves most Americans money
  31. Trump’s plans to extend tax cuts and slash red tape will likely spur economic growth − but there’s a cost
  32. Disaster survivors want to rebuild safer, more sustainable homes, but cost misperceptions often stand in the way
  33. Strength training early in life can set up kids and adolescents for a lifetime of health and well-being
  34. 10 states had abortion measures on the ballot – where they passed, where they failed, and what it all means
  35. Compassion amid chaos − how one of America’s greatest poets became a lifeline for wounded soldiers
  36. The election is over − but what is a ‘lame duck’ anyway?
  37. Is AI dominance inevitable? A technology ethicist says no, actually
  38. New Apostolic Reformation evangelicals see Trump as God’s warrior in their battle to win America from satanic forces and Christianize it
  39. How Trump might target DACA recipients and other immigrant groups
  40. How Trump won Pennsylvania − and what the numbers from key counties show about the future of a pivotal swing state
  41. What Trump can do to reverse US climate policy − and what he probably can’t change
  42. The 4 ‘ashramas’ of Hinduism and what they can teach us about aging gracefully
  43. Religions talk about the value of humility − but it can be especially hard for clergy to practice what they preach
  44. Ballot measures to legalize recreational use of cannabis fail in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota
  45. ‘Yellowstone’ highlights Montana’s long-forgotten connection to the Confederacy
  46. Military veterans are disproportionately affected by suicide, but targeted prevention can help reverse the tide
  47. Microplastics promote cloud formation, with likely effects on weather and climate
  48. America’s glass ceiling remains − here are some of the reasons why a woman may have once again lost the presidency
  49. Iran’s currency was already tumbling − and then news of Trump’s victory broke
  50. Now the Electoral College votes for president – 4 essential reads