The Conversation

Inflation rates are rising in the US – an economist explains why

Written by Martha Olney, Teaching Professor Emerita of Economics, University of California, Berkeley

A variety of factors have caused the U.S. inflation rate to increase over the past few years, from the pandemic to the war in Ukraine.Javier Ghersi/Moment via Getty Images

Consumer prices in the U.S. are rising due to inflation at the fastest rate they have in decades. Earlier this summer, SciLine interviewed Martha Olney, a teaching professor...

Illuminating the brain one neuron and synapse at a time – 5 essential reads about how researchers are using new tools to map its structure and function

Written by Vivian Lam, Assistant Health and Biomedicine Editor

The U.S. BRAIN Initiative seeks to elucidate the connection between brain structure and function.Science Photo Library - PASIEKA/Brand X Pictures via Getty Images

Scientists know both a lot and very little about the brain. With billions of neurons and trillions of connections among them, and the experimental limitations of examining the seat of...

China has a new global development initiative, but who will actually benefit from it?

Written by Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Distinguished Professor and Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics, Rochester Institute of Technology

Chinese global initiatives reflect the nation's indisputable economic power. Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash, CC BY-SA

China’s well-publicized Belt and Road Initiative to invest in infrastructure projects in other countries has helped it expand its political influence around the world. But a newer, lesser-known development program has...

Who benefits from renewable energy subsidies? In Texas, it's often fossil fuel companies that are fighting clean energy elsewhere

Written by Nathan Jensen, Professor of Government, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts

Texas is the No. 1 wind power producer in the U.S.Greg Smith/Corbis SABA via Getty Images

Texas is known for fiercely promoting its oil and gas industries, but it’s also the No. 2 renewable energy producer in the country after California. In fact, more than a quarter of all the wind power produced in the United States in 2021 was generated in...

Handwritten diaries may feel old fashioned, but they offer insights that digital diaries just can’t match

Written by Paula Vene Smith, Professor of English, Grinnell College

Handwritten diaries and digital diaries both help preserve experiences and memories, but in different ways.luza studios/E+ via Getty Images

The first time I taught a college course called “The London Diary” for young Americans studying abroad back in 2002, each student ended up with a tangible book of memories, a handwritten record of...

Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki left survivors wrestling with spiritual questions – here's how Buddhists and Catholics responded

Written by Yuki Miyamoto, Professor of Religious Studies, DePaul University

Priests from several religions pray for the victims of the atomic bomb in Nagasaki upon the 60th anniversary.Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images

It has been over seven decades since the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945. The U.S. attack left between 110,000 and 220,000 people dead, and hundreds of thousands...

Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit sparked international tension, but isn't likely to shake up her popularity with Chinese American voters at home in San Francisco

Written by Jonathan H. X. Lee, Professor of Asian American Studies, San Francisco State University

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her delegation leave Taipei on August 3, 2022.Taiwanese Foreign Ministry/Handout/Andalou Agency via Getty Images

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei, Taiwan, prompted warnings and threats from the Chinese government, but it is unlikely to upset her Taiwanese American and Chinese American...

From whistling arrows and trumpeting elephants to battle cries and eerie horns, ancient soldiers used sound to frighten and confuse their enemies

Written by Adrienne Mayor, Research Scholar, Classics and History and Philosophy of Science, Stanford University

Three soldiers (far right) carry karnyxes, long horns with frightening boar-headed mouths that produce eerie calls during battle.Prisma/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

As if the tumultuous din of battle is not horrendous enough, over the ages humans have discovered plenty of ways to exploit sound in warfare. I found an astonishing variety...

More than 1 in 5 US adults don’t want children

Written by Zachary P. Neal, Associate Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University

Americans are deciding to be childfree at a far younger age than previously thought.Photo via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Fears about declining fertility rates have come from sources as diverse as Pope Francis and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson could force women to give birth against their...

Coyotes are here to stay in North American cities – here's how to appreciate them from a distance

Written by David Drake, Professor of Forest and Wildlife Ecology and Extension Wildlife Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison

A coyote on a golf course in Scottsdale, Ariz., June 19, 2011.Dru Bloomfield/Flickr, CC BY

Coyotes have become practically ubiquitous across the lower 48 United States, and they’re increasingly turning up in cities. The draws are abundant food and green space in urban areas.

At first these appearances were novelties, like the hot summer day...