The Conversation

Atmospheric river storms can drive costly flooding – and climate change is making them stronger

Written by Tom Corringham, Postdoctoral Scholar in Climate, Atmospheric Science and Physical Oceanography, University of California San Diego

Rescue workers sift through debris after a mudslide that destroyed three homes on a hillside in Sausalito, Calif., Feb. 14, 2019, during an atmospheric river storm.AP Photo/Michael Short

Ask people to name the world’s largest river, and most will probably guess that it’s the Amazon, the Nile or the Mississippi. In fact, some of...

Does impeachment need a crime? Not according to framers of the Constitution

Written by Stefanie Lindquist, Foundation Professor of Law and Political Science, Arizona State University

Trump has employed the services of constitutional law expert Alan Dershowitz.Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Donald Trump’s legal and political defenders are all singing the same refrain: The president can’t be impeached; he hasn’t committed a crime.

Alan Dershowitz, the constitutional lawyer now representing Trump, said it during an...

If it's below 40 degrees in South Florida, the forecast calls for falling iguanas

Written by Frank Mazzotti, Professor, University of Florida

Beware cold-stunned 'chicken of the trees.'AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

As temperatures were dipping this week, the National Weather Service issued freeze warnings for much of Florida and Georgia, adding a warning in South Florida for “falling iguanas.” University of Florida wildlife ecologist Frank Mazzotti explains the physiology of cold...

5 obstacles that stop many students from taking an internship

Written by Matthew T. Hora, Assistant Professor of Adult & Higher Education, Director of the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions, University of Wisconsin-Madison

College students face more obstacles to getting an internship. Transportation and having to work a paying job are among the barriers.Picnoi, CC BY-SA

When her college started requiring students to complete an internship in order to graduate, it created a serious dilemma for Janelle.

“I wouldn’t be able to do classes, do the internship...

Why your zodiac sign is probably wrong

Written by James Kaler, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

As the Earth orbits the Sun, the Sun appears to move through the ancient constellations of the zodiac.Tauʻolunga/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

I was born a Capricorn (please don’t judge me), but the Sun was in the middle of Sagittarius when I was born.

As a professor emeritus of astronomy, I am often asked about the difference between...

In the terrorism fight, Trump has continued a key Obama policy

Written by Boaz Dvir, Assistant Professor in Journalism, Pennsylvania State University

U.S. special operations troops are a crucial element of the fight against terrorism.AP Photo/Wally Santana

President Donald Trump has rescinded, reversed or otherwise ended many of former President Barack Obama’s signature policies – but not a prominent one.

When it comes to fighting terrorism, the current commander-in-chief has upheld,...

Winning worker hearts and minds is key to companies achieving their green goals

Written by CB Bhattacharya, Professor of Sustainability and Ethics, University of Pittsburgh

Every employee needs to embrace a company's sustainability mission if it hopes to succeed. pcruciatti/Shutterstock.com

A lot of companies say they care about the environment and commit to certain goals but don’t end up doing much about it.

A whopping 78% of companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500, for example, issued sustainability...

Are you in danger of catching the coronavirus? 5 questions answered

Written by William Petri, Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia

A worker in Wuhan, China removes biomedical waste from the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where many patients of the coronavirus have been treated, on Jan. 22, 2020.Dake Kang/AP Photo

Editor’s note: The Chinese government has quarantined Wuhan, a port city of 11 million people, and it has restricted travel to and from several other cities,...

The serious consequence of exercising too much, too fast

Written by Tamara Hew-Butler, Associate Professor of Exercise and Sports Science, Wayne State University

Exercising too much, too hard can lead not only to burnout but sometimes to a serious condition that can harm the kidneys.Thayut Sutheeravut/Shutterstock.com

Every 365.25 days, when the Earth completes a full orbit around the Sun, we humans have the opportunity to hit the reset button and become fitter, finer versions of ourselves. As usual for...

200 years of exploring Antarctica – the world's coldest, most forbidding and most peaceful continent

Written by Dan Morgan, Associate Dean and Principal Senior Lecturer in Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University

Aerial view of a glacier in the Antarctic peninsula region.Getty Images/Mario Tama

Antarctica is the remotest part of the world, but it is a hub of scientific discovery, international diplomacy and environmental change. It was officially discovered 200 years ago, on Jan. 27, 1820, when members of a Russian expedition sighted land in what is now...