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The Conversation

Elon Musk’s feud with Brazilian judge is much more than a personal spat − it’s about national sovereignty, freedom of speech and the rule of law

  • Written by Yasmin Curzi de Mendonça, Research associate, University of Virginia
imageBrazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes faces off against X's Elon Musk.Ton Molina/NurPhoto via Getty Images / AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

It is easy to get distracted by the barbs, swipes and bluster of the ongoing and very public spat between the world’s richest man and a fierce justice on Brazil’s highest court. Elon...

Read more: Elon Musk’s feud with Brazilian judge is much more than a personal spat − it’s about national...

Bobbleheads, Magic 8 Balls, chairs and other artifacts in the Smithsonian reveal the historical significance of presidential debates

  • Written by Claire Jerry, Political History Curator, Smithsonian Institution
imageDonald Trump and Kamala Harris will face off in their first presidential debate on Sept. 10, 2024.AP Photo

Even though debates have been some of the most eagerly anticipated events in presidential campaigns, audiences and candidates have long wondered whether they matter.

The political history collections at the National Museum of American History,...

Read more: Bobbleheads, Magic 8 Balls, chairs and other artifacts in the Smithsonian reveal the historical...

Politicians often warn of American decline – and voters often buy it

  • Written by Jonathan Schulman, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania
imageWhile Donald Trump regularly discusses the risk of the U.S. losing its powerful standing in the world, Kamala Harris has taken a different approach that also hinges on emotion. altmodern/Getty Images

Presidential candidates talk about national decline while campaigning. A lot. This was front and center during the June 2024 debate between former...

Read more: Politicians often warn of American decline – and voters often buy it

How Democrats are making a mistake in rural America – by not showing up

  • Written by Jeff Bloodworth, Professor of History, Gannon University
imageVoting signs are seen in Jackson, Miss., during the 2023 governor's race. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Rickey Cole, 58, is a farmer and the former two-term chair of Mississippi’s Democratic Party. If anyone understands rural Mississippi voters – and their shift from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party – it’s Cole.

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Read more: How Democrats are making a mistake in rural America – by not showing up

Found dead in the snow − how microbes can help pinpoint time of death for forensic investigations in frigid conditions

  • Written by Noemi Procopio, Senior Research Fellow, School of Law and Policing, University of Central Lancashire
imageExtreme weather conditions can make reconstructing the scene of a crime more difficult.Nick Thompson/iStock via Getty Images Plus

What happens to a dead body in an extremely cold environment? Does it decompose? How do these conditions affect how forensic scientists understand when the person died?

Estimating time of death, also called the post-mortem...

Read more: Found dead in the snow − how microbes can help pinpoint time of death for forensic investigations...

Neutral news sources could exploit today’s polarized mediascape to boost revenue − here’s why they may choose not to

  • Written by Abhishek Ray, Assistant Professor of Information Systems and Operations Management, George Mason University
imageIncreasingly, Americans are interested only in news that confirms their political beliefs.Stock/Getty

Even news outlets perceived as politically neutral can benefit from today’s polarized media environment.

The past decade has seen a surge in partisan online news sites that patently skew toward one side of the American political spectrum, from...

Read more: Neutral news sources could exploit today’s polarized mediascape to boost revenue − here’s why they...

How Russia employs ‘hard soft power’ to influence overseas media and sow dissent and fear among foreign populations

  • Written by Catherine Luther, Professor of Journalism & Media, University of Tennessee
imageInside the studio during an RT broadcast.Misha Friedman/Getty Images

Public diplomacy – the art of rallying a foreign audience behind a nation’s interests – used to be about attracting support through charm, values and cultural exports. It is what political scientist Joseph Nye first referred to as “soft power.”

But our...

Read more: How Russia employs ‘hard soft power’ to influence overseas media and sow dissent and fear among...

FDA’s new regulations underscore the complexity around screening for women with dense breasts

  • Written by Nancy Kressin, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Boston University
imageBreast density raises the risk of breast cancer and can also make it more difficult for breast cancer to be detected.picture alliance/Getty Images

The Food and Drug Administration implemented a rule to go into effect on Sept. 10, 2024, requiring mammography facilities to notify women about their breast density. The goal is to ensure that women...

Read more: FDA’s new regulations underscore the complexity around screening for women with dense breasts

Under both Trump and Biden-Harris, US oil and gas production surged to record highs, despite very different energy goals

  • Written by Valerie Thomas, Professor of Industrial Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
imageBoth administrations supported banning some offshore drilling, but also saw rises in oil and gas production.Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The United States is producing more oil and natural gas today than ever before, and far more than any other country. So, what roles did the Trump-Pence and Biden-Harris administrations...

Read more: Under both Trump and Biden-Harris, US oil and gas production surged to record highs, despite very...

Is it time to retire the ‘Arab-Israeli conflict’? Hostilities now extend beyond those boundaries

  • Written by Nader Habibi, Henry J. Leir Professor of Practice in Economics of the Middle East, Brandeis University

The current phase of fighting in the Middle East began almost a year ago, with the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and the subsequent pummeling of Gaza by Israel. But to many academics, foreign policy experts and international observers, what is taking place is also the latest episode in the decadeslong conflict commonly referred to as the “Ara...

Read more: Is it time to retire the ‘Arab-Israeli conflict’? Hostilities now extend beyond those boundaries

More Articles ...

  1. Breast density and mammograms: New FDA rule will ensure all women have more information after cancer screenings
  2. Can schools stop students from praying?
  3. Putting a spiritual spin on my love affair with vinyl
  4. The Boeing Starliner has returned to Earth without its crew – a former astronaut details what that means for NASA, Boeing and the astronauts still up in space
  5. Tiny, compact galaxies are masters of disguise in the distant universe − searching for the secrets behind the Little Red Dots
  6. Georgia high school shooting shows how hard it can be to take action even after police see warning signs
  7. Space travel comes with risk − and SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission will push the envelope further than any private mission has before
  8. Crossing state lines to get an abortion is a new legal minefield, with courts to decide if there’s a right to travel
  9. Trump campaign violated rules in Arlington National Cemetery visit, cemetery legal expert explains
  10. As eastern equine encephalitis spreads, a neurologist explains how to stay safe during this latest outbreak of the ‘triple E’ virus
  11. Black church leaders brought religion to politics in the ‘60s – but it was dramatically different from today’s white Christian nationalism
  12. Kamala Harris’ purported Irish ancestry highlights complicated backstory of identity and enslavement
  13. Yellow food dye can make living tissue transparent − these methods could one day improve cancer treatment, blood draws and even tattoo removal
  14. US food insecurity rate rose to 13.5% in 2023 as government benefits declined and food prices soared
  15. El alegre léxico de la lengua española puede ayudar a resolver un misterio de salud llamado la paradoja hispana
  16. Oil and gas communities are a blind spot in America’s climate and economic policies
  17. Guilt over kids’ screen time is common, uncomfortable and can stress family relationships − but it can have a silver lining
  18. Harris campaign tries to beat Trump at his own game − ridicule
  19. Utilities rely on dirty ‘peaker’ plants when power demand surges, but there are alternatives
  20. As a high school teacher and as governor, Tim Walz has tapped the power of geographic information systems, or GIS, to solve complex problems
  21. As Russell M. Nelson turns 100, a look back at one of the words that will define his legacy – and the controversial term’s 200-year history
  22. How much does aging affect mental acuity? It’s debatable
  23. Cats and dogs both like to play fetch − it’s rooted in their hunting instincts
  24. Long COVID inflicts deep scars on the lungs, but targeting specific immune cells could reverse damage − new research in mice
  25. India’s new mega-dam will roil lives downstream with wild swings in water flow every day
  26. Trump’s die-hard support may be explained by one of his most misunderstood character traits – ‘charisma’
  27. No, local election officials can’t block certification of results – there are plenty of legal safeguards
  28. New NFL helmet accessory reduces concussions − but players and fans may not be ready to embrace safety over swag
  29. Preparing for a pandemic that never came ended up setting off another − how an accidental virus release triggered 1977’s ‘Russian flu’
  30. Humans infecting animals infecting humans − from COVID-19 to bird flu, preventing pandemics requires protecting all species
  31. How HIV/AIDS got its name − the words Americans used for the crisis were steeped in science, stigma and religious language
  32. ‘Social profit orientation’ can help companies and nonprofits alike do more good in the world
  33. Poor people are business owners, too – but myths around poverty and entrepreneurship hold them back
  34. What is the Shroud of Turin and why is there so much controversy around it?
  35. Chip that steers terahertz beams sets stage for ultrafast internet of the future
  36. Domesticating horses had a huge impact on human society − new science rewrites where and when it first happened
  37. 7 years after genocide, plight of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is exacerbated by camp violence
  38. How one 83-year-old fell into a fraudster’s fear bubble – and how gift cards played a key role
  39. In the face of DEI backlash, belonging plays a key role to future success
  40. The workhorse ship of ocean drilling may have made its last voyage – here’s why scientists don’t want to see the JOIDES Resolution mothballed
  41. African immigrant students draw on family and community strengths in quest for college
  42. Putin’s visit to Mongolia defies ICC warrant and tests neutral nation’s ‘third neighbor’ diplomacy
  43. DEI policies work best when they are designed to include everyone and are backed by evidence
  44. What is space made of? An astrophysics expert explains all the components – from radiation to dark matter – found in the vacuum of space
  45. Got an unaffordable or incorrect medical bill? Calling your hospital billing office will usually get you a discount
  46. Trump and Harris, with starkly different records on labor issues, are both courting union voters
  47. If new technologies snarl your airline experience, here are old-school strategies to cope
  48. Is ‘coaching’ a shortcut to mental health care? Not so fast − here are key differences
  49. Apps, 911 services and mobile phones don’t offset deadly consequences of more restrictive border policies
  50. 26 states may soon need to regulate cannabis – here’s what they can learn from Colorado and Washington