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The new battleground for same-sex couples is equal rights for their kids

  • Written by The Conversation
imageFamily game night. Chicago 2012Jim Young/REUTERS

When the Supreme Court invalidated same-sex marriage bans in June, the Justices acknowledged they had the kids in mind.

In the majority opinion, Justice Kennedy cited the infringement of the interests of children being raised by same-sex couples as one reason for the Court’s ruling.

Who are these...

Read more: The new battleground for same-sex couples is equal rights for their kids

The psychological origins of procrastination – and how we can stop putting things off

  • Written by The Conversation
imageNow or later?Jay Malone/flickr, CC BY

“I love deadlines,” English author Douglas Adams once wrote. “I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”

We’ve all had the experience of wanting to get a project done but putting it off for later. Sometimes we wait because we just don’t care enough about the project,...

Read more: The psychological origins of procrastination – and how we can stop putting things off

Australia’s war on feral cats: shaky science, missing ethics

  • Written by The Conversation
imageFeral cat with galah, mounted specimen. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC-SA

In July 2015, the Australian government announced a “war on feral cats,“ with the intention of killing over two million felines by 2020. The threat abatement plan to enforce this policy includes a mix of shooting, trapping and a reputedly “humane” poison.

S...

Read more: Australia’s war on feral cats: shaky science, missing ethics

How neutrinos, which barely exist, just ran off with another Nobel Prize

  • Written by The Conversation
imageNeutrinos, we're looking for you!Amber Case, CC BY-NC

Neutrinos take patience. They’re worth it, and the announcement of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics recognizes that, following related prizes in 1988 and 2002. Ironically, these near-undetectable particles can reveal things that cannot be seen any other way.

I could begin by telling you that...

Read more: How neutrinos, which barely exist, just ran off with another Nobel Prize

The secret Maoist Chinese operation that conquered malaria – and won a Nobel

  • Written by The Conversation
image1964 poster: 'Prevent Malaria and Take Care of People's Health.'Painted by Wu Hao 吴昊

At the height of the Cultural Revolution, Project 523 – a covert operation launched by the Chinese government and headed by a young Chinese medical researcher by the name of Tu Youyou – discovered what has been the most powerful and...

Read more: The secret Maoist Chinese operation that conquered malaria – and won a Nobel

Why women aren't getting long-acting contraception when they need it most

  • Written by The Conversation
imageMother and baby via www.shutterstock.com.

Why are 50% of pregnancies unintended in the US? Why are poor women more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy? One reason is that women can’t get the kind of birth control they want, when they need it.

One of the key times women need reliable contraception is soon after they give birth. More than half...

Read more: Why women aren't getting long-acting contraception when they need it most

With a shaky legal foundation, are daily fantasy sports a billion-dollar house of cards?

  • Written by The Conversation
imageDraftKings will sponsor professional poker players like Ken Weimer – indicative, perhaps, of the demographic they're courting.World Poker Tour/flickr , CC BY-NC

You can’t escape it. Advertising for Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is everywhere.

Put in some cash. Create a team – or multiple teams – on any given day. Root for your...

Read more: With a shaky legal foundation, are daily fantasy sports a billion-dollar house of cards?

Why new US ozone standards aren't enough to protect health and the environment

  • Written by The Conversation
imageGround-level ozone levels in US lag other countries' guidelines for air quality. urbanfeel/flickr, CC BY-ND

On October 1, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced new standards for ground-level ozone. Much of the discussion around the new regulations has centered either on whether they are protective enough of health or on how much...

Read more: Why new US ozone standards aren't enough to protect health and the environment

More Articles ...

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  2. Is the 2015 Nobel Prize a turning point for traditional Chinese medicine?
  3. Who you gonna trust: how power affects our faith in others
  4. A somber message on World Teachers' Day 2015: our teachers are at risk
  5. Do teachers in Finland have more autonomy?
  6. What fewer women in STEM means for their mental health
  7. Permafrost-eating bacteria: a new twist on thawing Arctic and global warming
  8. From Sophocles to Sherlock: economics, literature and the detective story
  9. The Umpqua, Oregon shootings: portrait of the killer as a young man
  10. What public health researchers want you to know about gun control
  11. The University of Texas faculty are watching Oregon uneasily
  12. How do libraries get away with banning books?
  13. Jobs market is stuck in neutral – it's time candidates talk about how to fix it
  14. Plain cigarette packaging: healthier citizens, sicker state finances?
  15. The Martian: a space epic that explores ordinary human decency
  16. Is 'The Slants' racist? Court ruling on band name could upend trademark law
  17. Could Iran continue its nuclear program in Syria?
  18. Corporate climate scientists: advocates for science or protectors of status quo?
  19. I'm a librarian who banned a book. Here's why.
  20. The problem with rating people on the new app Peeple
  21. Do brain interventions to treat disease change the essence of who we are?
  22. A genetic test could predict future troubles for kidney donors – why not use it?
  23. Children who understand emotions become more attentive over time
  24. Does nature have value beyond what it provides humans?
  25. Forget the antioxidant pills; just stick with veggies
  26. Homeschooled children do not grow up to be more religious
  27. Chip-enabled cards may curb fraud, but consumers will be picking up the tab
  28. How close are we to actually becoming Martians?
  29. Free speech is no excuse for Muslim-baiting
  30. Mining for metals in society's waste
  31. Shell's abandoned well and the myth of the Arctic oil land grab
  32. What happens when you try to read Moby Dick on your smartphone?
  33. Pakistani drone strikes should worry Obama
  34. The not-so-invisible damage from VW diesel cheat: $100 million in health costs
  35. Is cyberbullying all that goes 'over the line' when kids are online?
  36. Banks will help ensure Iran keeps promises on nukes
  37. Why do female comedians disappear after dark?
  38. Safer chemicals would benefit both consumers and workers
  39. Should older Americans live in places segregated from the young?
  40. Beer behemoths struggle to fend off craft brew craze
  41. The pope, the premier, the president – and the retreat of globalization
  42. Despite Shell's about-face, interest in Arctic oil grows
  43. Antibiotic overuse might be why so many people have allergies
  44. For the Islamic State, music is the 'alcohol of the soul'
  45. Graduate education is a mess. Shouldn't universities fix it?
  46. Jesuits as science missionaries for the Catholic Church
  47. How could VW be so dumb? Blame the unethical culture endemic in business
  48. Volkswagen scandal will send costly ripples through auto industry
  49. VW needs massive marketing campaign to regain consumer trust – and survive
  50. Boehner resigns: scholars see trouble ahead for GOP