The Conversation

Human exposure to wildfires has more than doubled in two decades – who is at risk might surprise you

Written by Mojtaba Sadegh, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, Boise State University

Smoke rises from a brush fire near Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles in 2007Hector Mata/AFP via Getty Images

Over the past two decades, a staggering 21.8 million Americans found themselves living within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of a large wildfire. Most of those residents would have had to evacuate, and many would have been exposed to smoke and...

The Global South is on the rise – but what exactly is the Global South?

Written by Jorge Heine, Interim Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Boston University

The world turned upside downiStock / Getty Images Plus

The unwillingness of many leading countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to stand with NATO over the war in Ukraine has brought to the fore once again the term “Global South.”

“Why does so much of the Global South support Russia?” inquired one recent headline;...

Why are some Beanie Babies worth more than others? Prices for collectibles are about supply and demand

Written by Christophe Spaenjers, Associate Professor of Finance, University of Colorado Boulder

From limited editions to spelling errors, only the rarest Beanie Babies are worth money.iStock, CC BY-SA

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 are some Beanie Babies worth more than others? – Theo R., age 8, Rockford,...

A business can decline service based on its beliefs, Supreme Court rules – but what will this look like in practice?

Written by Charles J. Russo, Joseph Panzer Chair in Education in the School of Education and Health Sciences and Research Professor of Law, University of Dayton

Designing for all couples -- or declining?DawidMarkiewicz/iStock via Getty Images Plus

At issue in one of this year’s most highly anticipated Supreme Court cases, 303 Creative v. Elenis, was what happens when someone’s free speech or beliefs conflict with others’ rights. Specifically, 303 Creative addressed whether a Colorado...

Now that President Biden's student loan cancellation program has been canceled, here's what's next

Written by William Chittenden, Associate Professor of Finance, Texas State University

The Supreme Court rejected President Joe Biden’s plan to eliminate $430 billion in student loan debtOlivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

The Supreme Court has struck down the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan. In Biden v. Nebraska, the court ruled 6-3 on June 30, 2023, that the secretary of education does not have...

Cambodia PM Hun Sen will shut down opposition on election day – even if he can no longer threaten voters on Facebook

Written by Sophal Ear, Associate Professor in the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University

Cambodian PM Hun Sen takes a selfie -- but where will he post it now? Rang Xhhin Sothy/AFP via Getty Images

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen will no longer be able to use his Facebook page to air threats of violence against opposition supporters – but that doesn’t mean he can’t still suppress their vote as the country prepa...

A subtle symphony of ripples in spacetime – astronomers use dead stars to measure gravitational waves produced by ancient black holes

Written by Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona

Black holes and other massive objects create ripples in spacetime when they merge.Victor de Schwanburg/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

An international team of astronomers has detected a faint signal of gravitational waves reverberating through the universe. By using dead stars as a giant network of gravitational wave detectors, the...

'We the People' includes all Americans – but July 4 is a reminder that democracy remains a work in progress

Written by Joseph Jones, Assistant Professor of Media Ethics and Law at Reed College of Media, West Virginia University

When the Constitution was written, the term 'We the People' had a very limited application for voting rights.Antenna/Getty Images

The United States’ founders firmly rejected King George III and the entire idea of monarchy 247 years ago, on July 4, 1776.

Political power does not come from some absolute authority of a king over people, the...

Military academies can still consider race in admissions, but the rest of the nation's colleges and universities cannot, court rules

Written by Kristine Bowman, Professor of Law and Education Policy, Michigan State University

A person protests outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 29, 2023.AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

In a 6-3 ruling on Thursday, June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the use of race in college admissions at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, outlawing the use of race in college admissions in general. The...

What Beijing's muted response to Wagner mutiny tells us about China-Russia relations – and what it doesn't

Written by Joseph Torigian, Assistant Professor of International Service, American University School of International Service

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping during happier times?Mikhail Tereshchenko/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

As mercenary troops bore down on Moscow on June 24, 2023, it likely wasn’t only Russian President Vladimir Putin and his governing elite in Russia who were looking on with concern. Over in China, too, there may have been some...