The Conversation

US Climate risks are rising – a scientist looks at the dangers her children will have to adapt to, from wildfires to water scarcity

Written by Erica A.H. Smithwick, Distinguished Professor of Geography, Penn State

A burned 'Caution: Children at play' sign remained after a wildfire devastated the town of Berry Creek, Calif., in 2020.Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

When I was a young researcher studying how forested ecosystems recover from wildfire, I brought my 6-month-old daughter with me to Yellowstone National Park. These forests are incredi...

Can wealthy nations stop buying Russian oil?

Written by Amy Myers Jaffe, Research professor, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University

Oil tanks get filled on Russia's Mendeleev Prospect oil tanker in Primorsk on the Baltic Sea. Alexander Ryumin\TASS via Getty Images

One option the U.S. and other nations have for ratcheting up pressure on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine is reducing their Russian energy purchases. U.K. Foreign Minister Liz Truss has proposed that the...

Putin is on a quest for historical significance by invading Ukraine and gambling on his own and Russia's glory

Written by Arie Kruglanski, Professor of Psychology, University of Maryland

A pro-Russia demonstrator wears a vest bearing a depiction of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the words "Motherland! Freedom!" during a rally in Donetsk, Ukraine, in 2014.AP Photo/Andrey Basevich

When the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, most Russian officials in St. Petersburg’s mayor’s office were quick to replace the...

An asteroid impact could wipe out an entire city – a space security expert explains NASA's plans to prevent a potential catastrophe

Written by Svetla Ben-Itzhak, Assistant Professor of Space and International Relations, West Space Seminar, Air War College, Air University

A giant asteroid struck Earth and wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

The Earth exists in a dangerous environment. Cosmic bodies, like asteroids and comets, are constantly zooming through space and often crash into our planet. Most of these are too small to pose a threat, but some can be...

The tech industry talks about boosting diversity, but research shows little improvement

Written by Donald T. Tomaskovic-Devey, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Employment Equity, UMass Amherst

Increased diversity has eluded the tech industry.Cavan Images via Getty Images

The U.S. tech sector is growing 10 times faster and has wages twice as high as the rest of the economy. This industry also wins the race for high profits and stock returns.

At the same time, the tech sector’s professional, managerial and executive labor forces are...

Why translating 'God's law' to government law isn't easy

Written by Samuel L. Boyd, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Jewish Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

Biblical laws can be understood only in their ancient context.Stefano Madrigali/Collection Moment via Getty Images

The relationship between certain interpretations of the Bible and public life in the U.S. continues to be in the headlines. During the March for Life anti-abortion rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, 2022, the Bible featured...

What you eat can reprogram your genes – an expert explains the emerging science of nutrigenomics

Written by Monica Dus, Assistant Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan

Along with calories and nutrients, food can influence the genetic blueprints that shape who you are.Maskot via Getty Images

People typically think of food as calories, energy and sustenance. However, the latest evidence suggests that food also “talks” to our genome, which is the genetic blueprint that directs the way the body functions...

A rocket is going to crash into the Moon – the accidental experiment will shed light on the physics of impacts in space

Written by Paul Hayne, Assistant Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder

All moons and planets are constantly under barrage from asteroids and comets.NASA via WikimediaCommons

On March 4, 2022, a lonely, spent rocket booster will smack into the surface of the Moon at nearly 6,000 mph. Once the dust has settled, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will move into position to get an up-close view of the smoldering...

A rocket crashes into the Moon – the accidental experiment will shed light on the physics of impacts in space

Written by Paul Hayne, Assistant Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder

All moons and planets are constantly under barrage from asteroids and comets.NASA via WikimediaCommons

Editor’s note: Experts expect the crash did occur as predicted, but are still waiting for visual verification.

On March 4, 2022, a lonely, spent rocket booster will smack into the surface of the Moon at nearly 6,000 mph. Once the dust has...

Ordinary Russians are already feeling the economic pain of sanctions over Ukraine invasion

Written by Peter Rutland, Professor of Government, Wesleyan University

As the ruble crumbles, are the wheels falling off the Russian economy?AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin

The daily life of ordinary Russians – not just the country’s political elite or super rich oligarchs – is already being impacted by economic measures imposed by the international community in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

As a schola...