The Conversation

Neurons made from blood cells – a new tool for understanding brain diseases

Written by Marius Wernig, Associate Professor of Pathology at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University

Marius Wernig, Thomas C. Südhof and their colleagues created these “Induced neuronal (iN) cells” from adult human blood cells. Marius Wernig, CC BY-ND

Our team at Stanford University has just figured out the recipe for converting blood cells from adults directly into nerve cells, or neurons.

You may be wondering why anyone would...

'Jurassic Park' made a dinosaur-sized leap forward in computer-generated animation on screen, 25 years ago

Written by Adam Bargteil, Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Computer-generated dinosaurs walk the Earth.Universal Pictures Studios

With 25 years of hindsight, “Jurassic Park” marks a pivotal point in the history of visual effects in film. It came 11 years after 1982’s “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” debuted computer-generated imagery for a visual effect with a particle system...

Trump scorns US media, but just try being a journalist in North Korea or Mexico

Written by Kris Kodrich, Associate Professor of Journalism & Media Communication, Colorado State University

President Donald Trump has strongly criticized journalists and their work, saying the “mainstream media” spreads “fake news” and distorts information about his administration.

Despite concerns that these presidential attacks could undermine press freedom in the United States, however, journalists continue to scrutinize...

The nuclear industry is making a big bet on small power plants

Written by Scott L. Montgomery, Lecturer, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington

NuScale Power aims to build the nation's first advanced small modular reactor.U.S. Department of Energy

Until now, generating nuclear power has required massive facilities surrounded by acres of buildings, electrical infrastructure, roads, parking lots and more. The nuclear industry is trying to change that picture – by going small.

Efforts to...

How the Ford F-150 became king of cars

Written by M. Berk Talay, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Ford has doubled down on its best-selling pickup trucks.AP Photo/Paul Sancya

In April, Ford announced that it will be phasing out nearly all of its passenger cars in the United States.

If all goes according to plan, 90 percent of Ford’s portfolio in North America will be trucks, SUVs and commercial vehicles. Its F-150 – the most popular...

Young people crossing the border alone face challenges in the US homes where they're placed

Written by Stephanie L. Canizales, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Texas A&M University

Detainees sleep in a holding cell at a processing facility in Brownsville, Texas.AP Photo/Eric Gay

The fates of 1,475 migrant children recently came into question when the Department of Health and Human Services reported them as “missing” in a report to Congress in April 2018.

These children are not missing in the sense that they have...

Why Mister Rogers' message of love and kindness is good for your health

Written by Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University

Fred Rogers at a taping of his famous show on June 28, 1989. Gene J. Puskar/AP File

The release of the Mister Rogers documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” calls to mind the essential message of Rogers’ long-running children’s program, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Fred McFeely Rogers, who died in...

Social Security’s future is safe

Written by Christian Weller, Professor of Public Policy and Public Affairs, University of Massachusetts Boston

Despite alarming news, retirees can still rely on their retirement nest eggs. Dan Kosmayer/Shutterstock.com

Social Security is the bedrock of Americans’ retirement income security. So you may have been concerned by the news that the federal government needed to dip into the Social Security’s trust fund to pay for the program this year.

Do...

De Podemos a Trump, el 'storytelling' explica la política mundial

Written by Orlando D'Adamo, Director, Center for Public Opinion, Universidad de Belgrano

Read in English.

¿En qué se parece el actual presidente Donald Trump al líder del partido español Podemos, un profesor universitario de la izquierda política con el pelo largo llamado Pablo Iglesias?

La tentación es responder: en nada.

Otra sería la respuesta si la comparación fuera entre Trump...

How far away was that lightning?

Written by Becky Bolinger, Assistant State Climatologist and Research Scientist in Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University

One one thousand, two one thousand....Eric Ward/Unsplash, CC BY

You probably do it. It might be ingrained from when you were a kid, and now it’s almost automatic. You see the flash of lightning – and you immediately start counting the seconds till it thunders.

But does counting really get you a good estimate for how far away the...