The Conversation

More 'disease' than 'Dracula' – how the vampire myth was born

Written by Stanley Stepanic, Assistant Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Virginia

Modern vampires like Dracula may be dashing, but they certainly weren't in the original vampire myths.Archive Photos/ Moviepix via Getty Images

The vampire is a common image in today’s pop culture, and one that takes many forms: from Alucard, the dashing spawn of Dracula in the PlayStation game “Castlevania: Symphony of the...

Moving beyond America's war on wildfire: 4 ways to avoid future megafires

Written by Susan Kocher, Cooperative Extension Forester and Natural Resources Advisor, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Tools for a prescribed burn conducted in the Sierra Nevada in November 2019. Susan Kocher, CC BY-ND

Californians have been concerned about wildfires for a long time, but the past two years have left many of them fearful and questioning whether any solutions to the fire crisis truly exist.

The Dixie Fire in the Sierra Nevada burned nearly 1 million...

What is the Synod of Bishops? A Catholic priest and theologian explains

Written by William Clark, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross

The Catholic Church's two-year synodal process formally opened Oct. 10 at the Vatican.AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

On Oct. 10, 2021, Pope Francis formally opened a two-year process called “a synod on synodality,” officially known as “Synod 2021-2023: For a Synodal Church.” In brief, the process involves an expansion of an...

How does smoking marijuana affect academic performance? Two researchers explain how it can alter more than just moods

Written by Jason R. Kilmer, Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington

Marijuana use among college students during the pandemic reached record highs, data show.wildpixel via Getty Images

In a trend that coincided with the pandemic, marijuana use among college students in 2020 reached levels not seen since the 1980s. That’s according to the latest research from Monitoring the Future – an annual survey that...

How food became the perfect beachhead for gentrification

Written by Pascale Joassart-Marcelli, Professor of Geography and Director, Urban Studies and Food Studies Programs, San Diego State University

When food trucks start rolling up, developers usually aren't far behind.Photo by Samantha Trauben/Getty Images for International Rescue Committee

Everybody, it seems, welcomes the arrival of new restaurants, cafés, food trucks and farmers markets.

What could be the downside of fresh veggies, homemade empanadas and a pop-up restaurant...

Vaccination against COVID-19 supports a healthy pregnancy by protecting both mother and child – an immunologist explains the maternal immune response

Written by Matthew Woodruff, Instructor of Human Immunology, Emory University

Pregnancy poses significant risks for severe illness or death from COVID-19, for both mother and baby. ArtMarie/E+ via Getty Images

The CDC issued an urgent health advisory for those currently pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding on Sept. 29, 2021. The statement reiterated the importance of vaccination in preventing severe illness and...

Tax or treat! State laws on candy taxation vary wildly

Written by Hayes Holderness, Associate Professor of Law, University of Richmond

While death may be a given, the certainty of taxes on candy depends on the state.AP Photo/Peter Prengaman

Halloween shoppers have many delicious decisions to make before trick-or-treaters show up at their doors. And in many states, those choices will change how much tax they pay.

In Illinois, for example, residents pay a higher state sales tax rate o...

The most powerful space telescope ever built will look back in time to the Dark Ages of the universe

Written by Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona

Hubble took pictures of the oldest galaxies it could – seen here – but the James Webb Space Telescope can go back much farther in time.NASA

Some have called NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope the “telescope that ate astronomy.” It is the most powerful space telescope ever built and a complex piece of mechanical...

Kids and their computers: Several hours a day of screen time is OK, study suggests

Written by Katie Paulich, PhD Student in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder

The findings are gleaned from the largest U.S. study ever done on the brain development of children.Julien McRoberts via Getty Images

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Even when kids spend five hours a day on screen – whether computers, television or text – it doesn’t appear to be...

Medical errors keep killing patients – but there are laws, incentives and mindset changes that could reduce the death toll

Written by Michael J. Saks, Regents Professor, Arizona State University

It's estimated that up to 400,000 Americans die every year from medical mistakes. Vadzim Kushniarou/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

Dr. Christopher Duntsch was a spine surgeon so reckless, incompetent or impaired that he’s now in a Texas prison. Better known as “Dr. Death,” Duntsch severed nerves, vocal cords and...