The Conversation

What if Texas’ destructive Tax Day flood had centered on inner Houston instead? It’s why cities should plan for the improbable

Written by James R. Elliott, Professor of Sociology, Rice University

A couple battle floodwaters as they evacuate their Houston apartment complex on April 18, 2016.AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Ten years ago, the infamous Tax Day storm swamped the Houston area with off-the-charts rainfall. Nearly 2 feet of rain fell in less than 15 hours in parts of the region, starting on April 17, 2016. The rain flooded thousands of...

New federal figures reveal 1 in 3 US households struggle to pay energy bills, but the reality is likely even worse

Written by Diana Hernández, Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University

Energy costs are hitting more American households harder than in past years.Olga Rolenko/Moment via Getty Images

Americans’ concerns about being able to afford electricity and home heating fuel are elevated since the beginning of the Iran war. But newly released nationwide data shows that even before the war began, these concerns were...

Using atomic nuclei could allow scientists to read time more precisely than ever – what this research could mean for future clocks

Written by Eric R. Hudson, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles

Atomic clocks exploit the properties of atoms to create incredibly precise 'ticks.'Nate Phillips, NIST

Most clocks, from wristwatches to the systems that run GPS and the internet, work by tracking regular, repeating motions.

To build a clock, you need something that ticks in a perfectly repeatable way. In a pendulum clock, that tick is the regular...

What if Texas’ destructive Tax Day storm had centered on inner Houston instead? It’s why cities should plan for the improbable

Written by James R. Elliott, Professor of Sociology, Rice University

A couple battle floodwaters as they evacuate their Houston apartment complex on April 18, 2016.AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Industries most exposed to AI are not only seeing productivity gains but jobs and wage growth too

Written by Christos Makridis, Associate Research Professor of Information Systems, Arizona State University; Institute for Humane Studies

Financial analysis is an industry that is seeing job growth even as AI is increasingly used. Orientfootage/iStock via Getty Images

Forecasts of the impact of artificial intelligence range from the apocalyptic to the utopian. An October 2025 report from Senate Democrats, for example, predicted AI will destroy millions of U.S. jobs. A couple of years...

Why rural hospitals in Pennsylvania and across the country are closing in increasing numbers – 5 myths about rural health care

Written by Shayann Ramedani, Research Collaborator at the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Penn State

Cuts to federal funding for Medicaid will disproportionately affect reimbursements to rural hospitals.Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Some Pennsylvania hospitals are being pushed beyond the brink of closure.

Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park closed in April 2025, Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland closed in May 2025, and...

Trump’s exchange with Pope Leo reflects deep-rooted tensions between the Vatican and the United States: 4 essential reads

Written by Kalpana Jain, Senior Religion + Ethics Editor, Director of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, The Conversation

Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists aboard his flight bound for Algiers on April 13, 2026. Alberto Pizzoli/Pool Photo via AP

President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, the U.S.-born head of the Catholic Church, had an unusual and acrimonious public exchange over the weekend.

In a scathing attack on Truth Social, the social media platform he launched in...

How a new mapping tool helps Florida planners protect wildlife corridors as the state grows

Written by Sarah Lockhart, PhD Candidate, Interdisciplinary Ecology, University of Florida

As Florida's human population grows, wildlife increasingly has nowhere to go.Benjamin Klinger/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Florida added nearly 3 million residents from 2010-2020, making it the fastest-growing state in the United States during that time.

On any given day, a Florida county commission or municipality may approve a new subdivision, a...

Cannabis legalization spurs innovation, but not always in ways that benefit patients or public health

Written by Lucy Xiaolu Wang, Assistant Professor of Resource Economics, UMass Amherst

Even after legalization, researchers face significant barriers to studying cannabis.Visoot Uthairam/Moment via Getty Images

Innovation in health care saves lives. But not all health innovations have enough evidence to actually benefit patients.

Barriers to innovation are often higher in illicit or restricted markets, including cannabis, stem cells a...

AIs have ‘personalities’ – here’s how they affect you more deeply than you may realize

Written by Tamilla Triantoro, Associate Professor of Business Analytics and Information Systems, Quinnipiac University

AI personas tap into the ways you respond to other people.Malte Mueller/fStop via Getty Images

Many people are interacting with AI large language models, and most of them would say the models have different “personalities.” Some models come across as calm and useful. Others feel eager, flattering or strangely cold. You can ask two...