The Conversation

Was it a stone tool or just a rock? An archaeologist explains how scientists can tell the difference

Written by John K. Murray, Ph.D. Candidate in Anthropology, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University

Stone tools are deliberately made by the hands of hominins, like these worked on by the author.John K. Murray

Have you ever found yourself in a museum’s gallery of human origins, staring at a glass case full of rocks labeled “stone tools,” muttering under your breath, “How do they know it’s not just any old rock?”...

AI isn’t replacing student writing – but it is reshaping it

Written by Jeanne Beatrix Law, Professor of English, Kennesaw State University

Studies have shown that many students are using AI to brainstorm, learn new information and revise their work.krisanapong detraphiphat/Moment via Getty Images

I’m a writing professor who sees artificial intelligence as more of an opportunity for students, rather than a threat.

That sets me apart from some of my colleagues, who fear that AI is...

Spacecraft can ‘brake’ in space using drag − advancing craft agility, space safety and planetary missions

Written by Piyush Mehta, Associate Professor of Space Systems, West Virginia University

Planetary space probes such as Mars Odyssey use a technique called aerobraking to save fuel. NASA/JPL

When you put your hand out the window of a moving car, you feel a force pushing against you called drag. This force opposes a moving vehicle, and it’s part of the reason why your car naturally slows to a stop if you take your foot off the gas...

Contaminated milk from one plant in Illinois sickened thousands with ‘Salmonella’ in 1985 − as outbreaks rise in the US, lessons from this one remain true

Written by Michael Petros, Clinical Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago

A valve that mixed raw milk with pasteurized milk at Hillfarm Dairy may have been the source of contamination. This was the milk processing area of the plant.AP Photo/Mark Elias

In 1985, contaminated milk in Illinois led to a Salmonella outbreak that infected hundreds of thousands of people across the United States and caused at least 12 deaths. At...

North Korean spy drama in China may signal Beijing’s unease over growing Pyongyang-Moscow ties

Written by Linggong Kong, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science, Auburn University

Chinese authorities in the northeastern city of Shenyang reportedly arrested a North Korean IT specialist in late April 2025, accusing him of stealing drone technology secrets.

The suspect, apparently linked to North Korea’s main missile development agency, was part of a wider network operating in China, according to the story, which first...

Measles could again become widespread as cases surge worldwide

Written by Rebecca Schein, Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease Pediatrics, Michigan State University

Measles is one of the most infectious diseases on the planet. Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Globally, measles is on the rise across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America and parts of Europe. In 2025, North and South America saw 11 times more cases than during the same period last year. In Europe, measles rates are at their...

Repealing the estate tax could create headaches for the rich – as well as worsen inequality

Written by Reid Kress Weisbord, Distinguished Professor of Law and Judge Norma Shapiro Scholar, Rutgers University - Newark

As it stands, only a tiny fraction of America's wealthy are ever subjected to the estate tax. Krisanapong Detraphiphat/Getty Images

Nothing is more certain than death and taxes, Benjamin Franklin famously declared. And, since 1916, the federal government has imposed an estate tax on the transfer of property owned at death.

But the Trump...

Indonesia’s ‘thousand friends, zero enemies’ approach sees President Subianto courting China and US

Written by Gilang Kembara, Research Fellow, Nanyang Technological University

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto participates in a panel discussion in Antalya, Turkey, on April 11, 2025.Photo by Ahmet Serdar Eser/Anadolu via Getty Images

For much of April and into May, a team of negotiators from Indonesia have been in Washington to discuss trading relations between the world’s largest economy and another forecast to...

How to manage financial stress in uncertain times

Written by Jeffrey Anvari-Clark, Assistant Professor of Social Work, University of North Dakota

Having an action plan for personal finance is critical in uncertain times.Photo by Nicolas Guyonnet/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

American families are struggling to keep up with their bills.

The cost of food soared by more than 23% from 2020 to 2024. Other price increases, which are especially steep for vehicles, insurance, child care and...

Buddha’s foster mother played a key role in the orphaned prince’s life – and is a model for Buddhists on Mother’s Day

Written by Megan Bryson, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Tennessee

Prince Siddhartha with his foster mother Mahaprajapati.A 1910 painting by Maligawage Sarlis. Photo by MediaJet, 2009 via Wikimedia Commons

Mother’s Day offers an opportunity to reflect on what motherhood means in different religions and cultures. As a scholar of Buddhism and gender, I know how complicated Buddhist attitudes toward mothers...