The Conversation

Record-breaking rapid DNA sequencing promises timely diagnosis for thousands of rare disease cases

Written by Kevin Doxzen, Postdoctoral Fellow in Precision Medicine and Emerging Biotechnologies, Arizona State University

For patients, often children, with rare diseases, getting a diagnosis is difficult and time-consuming.monkeybusinessimages/iStock via Getty Images

For children suffering from rare diseases, it usually takes years to receive a diagnosis. This “diagnostic odyssey” is filled with multiple referrals and a barrage of tests, seeking to...

Heading into the third year of the pandemic, the US blood supply is at a 10-year low

Written by Anna Nagurney, Professor and Chair in Integrative Studies, UMass Amherst

Blood donations have dropped at the same time that the need for blood is soaring. ExperienceInteriors/E+ via Getty Images

The blood supply in the U.S. is now at its lowest level in over a decade.

Many of the nation’s blood centers currently have only a one-day supply of some blood types in inventory. This is dangerous because blood...

Climate change could enable Alaska to grow more of its own food – now is the time to plan for it

Written by Nancy Fresco, SNAP Coordinator, Research Faculty, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Transplanting lettuce seedlings from greenhouses to fields in mid-May at VanderWeele Farm in Palmer, Alaska.Tracy Robillard, NRCS Alaska/Flickr

Gardeners in Alaska know that it’s hard to grow big, juicy tomatoes here. But as the climate rapidly warms in the far north, that could change.

Anchorage reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees...

Los Angeles' long, troubled history with urban oil drilling is nearing an end after years of health concerns

Written by Jill Johnston, Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California

Oil pumps can be found near homes across the Los Angeles area.David McNew/Getty Image

Los Angeles had oil wells pumping in its neighborhoods when Hollywood was in its infancy, and thousands of active wells still dot the city.

These wells can emit toxic chemicals such as benzene and other irritants into the air, often just feet from homes, schools...

Biden sending more troops to Eastern Europe – 3 key issues behind the decision

Written by Michael A. Allen, Associate Professor of Political Science, Boise State University

President Joe Biden announced on Feb. 2, 2022, that the U.S. is sending several thousand military personnel to assist NATO allies in Europe, as a massive Russian troop buildup threatens to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty.

An estimated 2,000 U.S. troops are heading from the U.S. to Poland and Romania, which both border Ukraine. The remainder of...

CNN president Jeff Zucker’s resignation shows why even consensual office romances can cause problems

Written by Vanessa Bohns, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior, Cornell University

Jeff Zucker resigned from his role as president of CNN after revealing he failed to disclose a relationship with a subordinate. AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Former CNN president Jeff Zucker became the latest executive to lose his job over a consensual relationship with a subordinate.

Zucker stepped down on Feb. 2, 2022, acknowledging in a statement that he...

US troops head to Eastern Europe: 4 essential reads on the Ukraine crisis

Written by Matt Williams, Breaking News Editor

A US soldier at a training area in Germany.Christof Stache/AFP via Getty Images

American troops are heading to Eastern Europe in the latest countermove by the U.S. to Russia’s military buildup on the country’s border with Ukraine.

The development, announced on Feb. 2, 2022, will see around 3,000 additional U.S. service personnel deployed...

Order, order! A guide to 'partygate' and the UK's rambunctious Parliament

Written by Garret Martin, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Co-Director Transatlantic Policy Center, American University School of International Service

The speaker has spoken.House of Commons/PA Images via Getty Images

Even by the usual rough-and-tumble standards of U.K. politics, the recent hauling over the coals of Prime Minister Boris Johnson inside the House of Commons was a remarkable spectacle.

For almost two hours on Jan. 31, 2022, he faced opposition politicians – and even some from...

Beijing Olympics may get points for boosting China's international reputation, but Games are definitely gold for Xi Jinping's standing at home

Written by David Bachman, Henry M. Jackson Professor of International Studies, University of Washington

Skiers practice at the Olympic cross country venue in Zhangjiakou, China on February 1, 2022.Photo by Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images

The 2022 Winter Games in Beijing provide many benefits for China, and really don’t have any downsides for the country.

For China’s leader, Xi Jinping, the most important result of the Games will likely be...

How 18th-century Quakers led a boycott of sugar to protest against slavery

Written by Julie L. Holcomb, Associate Professor of Museum Studies, Baylor University

English Quakers on a Barbados plantation.Image courtesy of New York Public Library

Buying items that are fair trade, organic, locally made or cruelty-free are some of the ways in which consumers today seek to align their economic habits with their spiritual and ethical views. For 18th-century Quakers, it led them to abstain from sugar and other...