The Conversation

Colliding plasma ejections from the Sun generate huge geomagnetic storms − studying them will help scientists monitor future space weather

Written by Shirsh Lata Soni, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Michigan

The Sun periodically ejects huge bubbles of plasma from its surface that contain an intense magnetic field. These events are called coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. When two of these ejections collide, they can generate powerful geomagnetic storms that can lead to beautiful auroras but may disrupt satellites and GPS back on Earth.

On May 10, 2024,...

Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops

Written by Bill Sullivan, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University

In the toxic male technique, genetically engineered male insects would implant semen containing toxic venom into the female insects during mating.Madugrero/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Insects do a lot more harm than ruining picnics. Some insects spread devastating diseases, while others cause staggering economic losses in agriculture. To control...

From ancient emperors to modern presidents, leaders have used libraries to cement their legacies

Written by Myrsini Mamoli, Lecturer of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology

The Library of Celsus was a famous landmark in its time – and today.Myrsini Mamoli

Here in Atlanta, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum has been part of my daily life for years. Parks and trails surrounding the center connect my neighborhood to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park downtown and everything in between....

How allies have helped the US gain independence, defend freedom and keep the peace – even as the US did the same for our friends

Written by Donald Heflin, Executive Director of the Edward R. Murrow Center and Senior Fellow of Diplomatic Practice, The Fletcher School, Tufts University

French Gen. Jean de Rochambeau and American Gen. George Washington giving the last orders in October 1781 for the battle at Yorktown, where the British defeat ended the War of Independence.'Siege of Yorktown' painting, Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images.

Make Canada angry. Make Mexico angry. Make the members of NATO angry.

During the...

A fiscal crisis is looming for many US cities

Written by John Rennie Short, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Houston residents at a flooded park after the passage of Hurricane Beryl, July 8, 2024.Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

Five years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many U.S. cities are still adjusting to a new normal, with more people working remotely and less economic activity in city centers. Other factors, such as underfunded pension...

Trump’s threats on Greenland, Gaza, Ukraine and Panama revive old-school US imperialism of dominating other nations by force, after decades of nuclear deterrence

Written by Monica Duffy Toft, Professor of International Politics and Director of the Center for Strategic Studies, The Fletcher School, Tufts University

Imperialist rhetoric is becoming a mark of President Donald Trump’s second term. From asserting that the U.S. will “take over” the Gaza Strip, Greenland and the Panama Canal to apparently siding with Russia in its war on Ukraine, Trump’s comments suggest a return to an old imperialist style of forcing foreign lands under...

Trump’s move to closer ties with Russia does not mean betrayal of Ukraine, yet – in his first term, Trump was pretty tough on Putin

Written by Tatsiana Kulakevich, Associate Professor of Instruction in the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, University of South Florida

Traditional Russian wooden nesting dolls depict U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a gift shop in Moscow on Feb. 13, 2025. Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP via Getty Images

The United States’ steadfast allegiance to Ukraine during that country’s three-year war against Russia appears to be quickly disintegrating...

p53 is both your genome’s guardian and weakness against cancer – scientists are trying to repair or replace it when it goes awry

Written by Prosper Obed Chukwuemeka, Ph.D. Candidate in Integrative Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh

To stop tumors from forming, p53 can trigger programmed cell death.Juan Gaertner/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Cancer arises when your cells grow uncontrollably and refuse to die when they should. Normally, your body is equipped with regulatory processes to prevent this chaos. One such mechanism involves a protein called p53. Often dubbed...

Trump order boosts school choice, but there’s little evidence vouchers lead to smarter students or better educational outcomes

Written by Charles J. Russo, Joseph Panzer Chair in Education and Research Professor of Law, University of Dayton

Surveys suggest growing support for school choice, such as in Ohio, even as voters reject such policies in referendums.AP Photo/Samantha Hendrickson

The school choice movement received a major boost on Jan. 29, 2025, when President Donald Trump issued an executive order supporting families who want to use public money to send their children to...

The leadership hack that drives success: Being trustworthy

Written by Yufei Ren, Associate Professor of Economics, Labovitz School of Business and Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth

Trustworthy managers get better performance reviews, recent research shows.Andrey Popov/Getty Images

National Leadership Day, which takes place every Feb. 20, offers a chance to reflect on what truly defines leadership – not just strategy or decision-making, but the ability to build trust. In an era of rapid change, when teams look to leaders...