The Conversation

US violent crime is at its lowest in more than a century – but the funding that helped reduce it is disappearing

Written by Andrea Hagan, Instructor of Criminology & Justice, Loyola University New Orleans

Homicides across 35 major American cities fell 21% in 2025.South_agency/Getty Images

The United States is experiencing one of the steepest declines in violent crime in modern history, including a murder rate at its lowest point in more than a century.

Homicides across 35 major American cities fell 21% in 2025, amounting to 922 fewer people killed....

After the execution of James G. Broadnax in Texas, questions persist over use of rap lyrics as evidence

Written by A.D. Carson, Associate Professor of Hip-Hop, University of Virginia

Despite a flurry of last-minute appeals and amicus briefs, James G. Broadnax was executed on April 30, 2026.Partisan Defense League/X

After languishing on death row in Texas for nearly two decades, James G. Broadnax was executed on April 30, 2026.

In 2009, a nearly all-white jury convicted him of robbery and double murder. Broadnax’s lawyers...

So your new ‘co-worker’ is an AI agent – here’s how to make the best of your human-machine relationship

Written by Nigel Melville, Associate Professor of Information Systems, University of Michigan

Meet your new colleague.AndreyPopov/iStock via Getty Images

Judging by a slew of recent corporate announcements, your next “co-worker” might be an artificial intelligence agent – doing the work of an assistant, job scheduler, morning debriefer, learning coach and more.

JPMorgan Chase, the largest U.S. bank, describes a clear vision...

Sleep apnea compromises far more than a good night’s rest – 2 neuroscientists outline the risks and the need for better diagnosis

Written by Erika Yamazaki, PhD candidate in Neuroscience, Northwestern University

Snoring can be − but isn't always − a symptom of sleep apnea. PeopleImages/iStock via Getty Images

Annual medical checkups typically cover the basics: diet, exercise and mental state. Surprisingly, many primary care providers fail to ask about one of the fundamental contributors to well-being: sleep.

We are two neuroscientists who study...

Clinical trials that are actually marketing ploys targeting doctors – how seeding trials put profit over patients

Written by Sukhun Kang, Assistant Professor of Technology Management, University of California, Santa Barbara

Marketing trials aren't conducted for scientific knowledge or the benefit of patients.Ekin Kizilkaya/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Some clinical trials aren’t designed to answer scientific questions. They’re designed to market drugs. In our recently published research, my team and I analyzed over 34,000 industry-funded trials and found...

Alaska’s near-record landslide tsunami sent a wave 1,580 feet up the fjord walls – and left clues for building a warning system

Written by Michael E. West, Director of the Alaska Earthquake Center and State Seismologist, University of Alaska Fairbanks

The Tracy Arm landslide sent a tsunami wave far up the opposite side of the fjord near South Sawyer Glacier.John Lyons/U.S. Geological Survey

On the evening of Aug. 9, 2025, passengers on the Hanse Explorer finished taking selfies and videos of the South Sawyer Glacier, and the ship headed back down the fjord. Twelve hours later, a landslide from...

From ancient goddesses to modern peace activists − Mother’s Day celebrates women’s political power

Written by Marie-Claire Beaulieu, Associate Professor of Classical Studies, Tufts University

Mothers are often honored and gifted flowers on Mother's Day, but their broader influence in the political sphere is not celebrated enough.www.direct2florist.co.uk/ via Flickr, CC BY

On Mother’s Day, Americans go all out with gift-buying and dining out to honor the women in their lives. In fact, according to some estimates, consumer spending...

The method in Iran’s madness? Closure of Strait of Hormuz echoes a centuries-old Danish play − and is a tragedy for the world order

Written by Vivek Krishnamurthy, Associate Professor of Law, University of Colorado Boulder

Vessel movements in the Strait of Hormuz are seen on a ship-tracking website.AFP via Getty Images

More than two months into the war in Iran, navigation through the Strait of Hormuz – the key waterway through which more than a third of the international trade in oil and gas passes – remains perilous and uncertain. Underscoring the...

White House wants to vet powerful AI models for risks − a computer scientist explains why AI safety is so difficult

Written by Ahmed Hamza, Associate Teaching Professor of Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder

Is it possible to keep AI from causing harm?J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images

The Trump administration is looking to develop a process that would have the federal government review the safety of powerful artificial intelligence models before approving their release, according to a report in The New York Times on May 4, 2026. The move would...

Muslim women-led nonprofits are engaging in advocacy despite facing a surge in Islamophobia

Written by Nausheena Hussain, Doctoral Candidate in Philanthropic Leadership, Indiana University

Two police officers wear American flag head scarfs at a World Hijab Day event on Feb. 1, 2017, in New York City.Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Nonprofits led by Muslim women remain extensively engaged in a wide range of civic activities, even though 72% say they have experienced Islamophobia in their work.

That’s one of the main findings of the...