The Conversation

'You reach a point where you have nothing. You will just die' – in East African refugee camps, food scarcity is a mortal concern

Written by Roger B. Alfani, Core Fellow of Religious Studies and International Affairs, Seton Hall University

Empty bowls at a refugee camp in Kenya.Author provided

For refugees living in settlements across Africa, life got more difficult in 2023.

Shortfalls in the operating budget of the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, and the World Food Program have brought increased precarity into the daily lives of millions of displaced people across the...

Israel's mass displacement of Gazans fits strategy of using migration as a tool of war

Written by Nicholas R. Micinski, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, University of Maine

Palestinians fleeing the northern part of the Gaza Strip on Nov. 10, 2023.Belal Khaled/Anadolu via Getty Images

As a result of the monthslong Israeli air and ground campaign in northern Gaza Strip, more than 1.8 million of the strip’s population have been displaced from their homes. And with the operation heading into Gaza’s south, many...

How cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger became the scents of winter holidays, far from their tropical origins

Written by Serina DeSalvio, Ph.D. Candidate in Genetics and Genomics, Texas A&M University

Nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and other gingerbread spices.Almaje/iStock via Getty Images

Regardless of how you celebrate end-of-year holidays, food is probably central to your winter festivities. And a trio of spices – cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger – feature in many dishes and drinks and are an unmistakable part of the scent profile we...

The Napoléon that Ridley Scott and Hollywood won’t let you see

Written by Marlene Daut, Professor of French and African American Studies, Yale University

The 1802 Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot was part of Napoléon's effort to retake Haiti − then known as Saint-Domingue − and reestablish slavery in the colony.Wikimedia Commons

Critics have been raking Ridley Scott’s new movie about Napoléon Bonaparte over the coals for its many historical inaccuracies.

As a...

Why do people have wisdom teeth?

Written by Ariadne Letra, Professor of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

Why do people have wisdom teeth? – Jack J., age 17, Dedham, Massachusetts

Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars located at the very back of the mouth. They look just like the first and...

How do pacemakers and defibrillators work? A cardiologist explains how they interact with the electrical system of the heart

Written by Virginia Singla, Clinical Assistant Professor of Cardiology, University of Pittsburgh

Electrocardiograms, or ECGs, record the electrical activity of your heart. Randy Faris/The Image Bank via Getty Images

Your heart’s job is to keep your pulse steady to pump blood throughout your body. Sometimes your heart rate is slower when you’re relaxing, and sometimes it’s faster when you’re exercising or stressed. If...

Teens don't know everything − and those who acknowledge that fact are more eager to learn

Written by Tenelle Porter, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Rowan University

What makes some students eager to work hard and others prefer to avoid the struggle?Kobus Louw/E+ via Getty Images

If you, like me, grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, you may have come across the classic refrigerator magnet, “Teenagers, leave home now while you still know everything.”

Perhaps you know a teen, or maybe you were a teen, like...

Norman Lear's ’70s TV comedies brought people together to confront issues in a way Gen Z would appreciate

Written by Yalda T. Uhls, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers and Assistant Adjunct Professor in Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles

Producer Norman Lear on the set of his hit TV series 'All In The Family,' standing between its stars, Jean Stapleton and Carroll O'Connor. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Even Americans who strongly disagree with each other may find common ground when they watch the same TV shows and movies, especially those that make us laugh or cry.

Norman Lear,...

Viva Guadalupe! Beyond Mexico, the Indigenous Virgin Mary is a powerful symbol of love and inclusion for millions of Latinos in the US

Written by Kristy Nabhan-Warren, Associate Vice President of Research, University of Iowa

Archbishop of Los Angeles Jose H. Gomez stands with people celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe's feast day in 2022.AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Dec. 12 is a special day for millions of Catholics around the world, especially those of Mexican descent. Known as el Dia de la Virgen Guadalupe, it is a popular feast day that celebrates the Virgin of...

How the Christmas pudding, with ingredients taken from the colonies, became an iconic British food

Written by Troy Bickham, Professor of History, Texas A&M University

The Christmas pudding, a legacy of the British Empire, is enjoyed around the world -- including in former British colonies.esp_imaging/iStock via Getty Images Plus

As an American living in Britain in the 1990s, my first exposure to Christmas pudding was something of a shock. I had expected figs or plums, as in the “We Wish You a Merry...