The Conversation

After wildfires, ranchers face 2-year delay to graze cattle on federal land – is it doing more harm than good?

Written by Jared L. Talley, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Boise State University

Cattle can help keep down invasive grasses that are prone to burning.AP Photo/Jeff Barnard

Lightning struck deep in the central Idaho mountains on July 24, 2024, igniting the Wapiti Fire that burned across 129,063 acres around Stanley, Idaho – a place known for its scenic vistas and idyllic rural landscape.

Local communities evacuated, then...

How does the International Space Station orbit Earth without burning up?

Written by Kelly Griendling, Lecturer of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

The International Space Station orbits Earth. NASA/Roscosmos

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.

How is the International Space Station able to orbit without burning up? – Mateo, age 8, New York, New York

Flying through...

Twins were the norm for our ancient primate ancestors − one baby at a time had evolutionary advantages

Written by Tesla Monson, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Western Washington University

Twins are uncommon in human history.Tesla Monson

Twins have been rare in human history and for that reason can seem special. Many cultures associate twins with health and vitality, while others see them as a philosophical reminder of the duality of life and death, good and evil. Some famous twins are credited with the birth of nations, others are de...

How cities are reinventing the public-private partnership − 4 lessons from around the globe

Written by Debra Lam, Founding Director of the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology

Cities tackle a vast array of responsibilities – from building transit networks to running schools – and sometimes they can use a little help. That’s why local governments have long teamed up with businesses in so-called public-private partnerships. Historically, these arrangements have helped cities fund big infrastructure...

Black adults with long COVID report higher levels of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts − new research

Written by Janelle R. Goodwill, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, University of Chicago

Black Americans with long COVID reported more physical ailments than concern over mental illness.fizkes/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Black adults living with long COVID pointed to challenges with their physical health – rather than their mental health – when asked to describe their long-COVID symptoms. That is one key finding from our ne...

Only 0.16% of all US charitable giving supports LGBTQ+ groups despite recent increases

Written by Jacqueline Ackerman, Interim Director of the Women's Philanthropy Institute, Indiana University

Cynthia Erivo performs during Pride Live's Stonewall Day on June 28, 2024, in New York City.Marleen Moise/Getty Images

CC BY-ND

In an era marked by both significant advances and setbacks for LGBTQ+ people, charitable giving to LGBTQ+ organizations more than doubled in a recent 10-year period.

Despite that swift growth, those donations still amount to...

How humanities classes benefit students in the workplace and combat loneliness

Written by Anna Mae Duane, Professor of English, University of Connecticut

There's been a sharp drop in the number of students majoring in the humanities. urbazon/E+ via Getty Images

Stereotypes abound about liberal arts degrees leading to low-paying jobs, despite research showing that humanities majors earn salaries comparable to students in many other majors.

Authorities from the White House to high school guidance...

Marco Rubio is no friend of Havana − but does Trump’s pick for secretary of state mean Cuba policy is set?

Written by Joseph J. Gonzalez, Associate Professor of Global Studies, Appalachian State University

Having Trump's back on the world stage -- but how much can Marco Rubio sway policy? Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The U.S. looks set to have its first-ever Cuban American secretary of state in 2025, after President-elect Donald Trump nominated U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida for the role. But don’t expect that to mean cozier relations between...

FBI director guides the agency in confronting complex international threats, investigating federal crimes and running 55 field offices

Written by Javed Ali, Associate Professor of Practice of Public Policy, University of Michigan

FBI agents at a news conference announce the addition of Daniel Andreas San Diego, top right, to the FBI's list of most-wanted terrorists in April 2009 at FBI Headquarters in Washington.AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File

Mention the FBI, and many older Americans will likely think of a time when the agency was run by J. Edgar Hoover, who spent much...

Ferns’ ability to evolve ‘backward’ offers insights into the meandering path of evolution

Written by Jacob S. Suissa, Assistant Professor of Plant Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee

Unfurling fiddlehead of the Christmas fern (_Polystichum acrostichoides_).Jacob S. Suissa, CC BY-ND

Imagine a photograph of your great-grandparents, grandparents and parents side by side. You’d see a resemblance, but each generation would look distinct from its predecessors. This is the process of evolution in its simplest form: descent with...