The Conversation

Female physicists aren't represented in the media – and this lack of representation hurts the physics field

Written by Carl Kurlander, Senior Lecturer, Film and Media Studies, University of Pittsburgh

Lise Meitner, in the front row, sits alongside many male colleagues at the Seventh Solvay Physics Conference in 1933. Corbin Historical via Getty Images

Christopher Nolan’s highly-anticipated movie “Oppenheimer,” set for release July 21, 2023, depicts J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. But...

A new, thin-lensed telescope design could far surpass James Webb – goodbye mirrors, hello diffractive lenses

Written by Daniel Apai, Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona

A light, cheap space telescope design would make it possible to put many individual units in space at once.Katie Yung, Daniel Apai /University of Arizona and AllThingsSpace /SketchFab, CC BY-ND

Astronomers have discovered more than 5,000 planets outside of the solar system to date. The grand question is whether any of these planets are home to life....

A new, thin-lensed telescope design could far surpass James Webb – goodbye mirrors, hello diffractive lenses

Written by Daniel Apai, Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona

A light, cheap space telescope design would make it possible to put many individual units in space at once.Katie Yung, Daniel Apai /University of Arizona and AllThingsSpace /SketchFab, CC BY-ND

Astronomers have discovered more than 5,000 planets outside of the solar system to date. The grand question is whether any of these planets are home to life....

Children, like adults, tend to underestimate how welcome their random acts of kindness will be

Written by Margaret Echelbarger, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York)

Little thoughtful gestures can make someone's day.alashi/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

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

The big idea

From expressing gratitude to surprising someone with a mug of hot chocolate on a cold day, adults tend to underestimate how positively others will respond to their random acts...

Classic literature still offers rich lessons about life in the deep blue sea

Written by Jonathan Bate, Foundation Professor of Environmental Humanities, Arizona State University

Novels about underwater adventures offer a glimpse at oceanic life.fotograzia via Getty Images

When OceanGate, the deep-sea exploration enterprise, created a promotional video for its ill-fated US$250,000-per-head trip to see the wreck of the Titanic, it told prospective passengers to “Get ready for what Jules Verne could only imagine –...

Strep throat can easily be confused with throat infections caused by viruses – here are a few ways to know the difference

Written by Allen Shaughnessy, Professor of Family Medicine, Tufts University

Strep is most common in children between the ages of 5 and 15.aquaArts studio/E+ via Getty Images

“My sore throats, you know, are always worse than anybody’s.”

So declares Mary to Anne in “Persuasion,” Jane Austen’s 1817 book. Most of us can relate to this feeling. There is no such thing as “just a sore...

Sawfish, guitarfish and more: Meet the rhino rays, some of the world's most oddly shaped and highly endangered fishes

Written by David Shiffman, Faculty Research Associate in Marine Biology, Arizona State University

An Atlantic guitarfish swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA SEFSC Pascagoula Laboratory/Flickr, CC BY

“Shark!” When you hear this word, especially at the beach, it can conjure up images of bloodthirsty monsters. This summer – particularly on July 14, which is Shark Awareness Day – my colleagues and I are eager to help the...

Liberal CEOs were more likely to exit Russia following its invasion of Ukraine than more conservative corporate leaders

Written by Yannick Thams, Associate Professor of Strategy and International Business, Florida Atlantic University

Burberry was one of the first Western companies to announce it was suspending sales in Russia after the invasion. Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

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

The big idea

Companies led by liberal-leaning CEOs were more likely to leave Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 than those helmed...

The 21st Century Cures Act requires that patients receive medical results immediately – and new research shows patients prefer it that way

Written by Bryan Steitz, Instructor in Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University

The 21st Century Cures Act requires that test results be released to patients even before their health care provider has reviewed them. Natalia Gdovskaia/Moment via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Patients overwhelmingly prefer to see their medical test results online immediately, even if...

What's on the agenda as Biden heads to NATO summit: 5 essential reads as Western alliance talks expansion, Ukraine

Written by Matt Williams, Senior International Editor

A flagging alliance? Far from it.Yves Herman/AFP via Getty Images)

Leaders of the nations comprising NATO will meet for a two-day summit beginning on July 11, 2023.

The gathering in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, comes at a pivotal moment for the Western security alliance – it is seeking to expand membership and confront challenges ranging...