The Conversation

Philadelphia was once a sweet spot for chocolatiers and other candymakers who made iconic treats for Valentine’s Day and other holidays

Written by Jared Bahir Browsh, Assistant Teaching Professor of Critical Sports Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

S.F. Whitman & Sons introduced the Whitman's Sampler, an assortment of its popular chocolates, in 1912. HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Many of America’s iconic holiday candies have Philadelphia or Pennsylvania roots – like Peeps on Easter, Reese’s peanut butter cups on Halloween, and a good, old-fashioned...

Infusing asphalt with plastic could help roads last longer and resist cracking under heat

Written by Md S Hossain, Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington

A stretch of road near Rockwall, Texas, paved with plastic-infused asphalt. Md. Sahadat Hossain

Globally, more than 400 million tons of plastic are produced each year, and less than 10% is recycled. Much of the rest ends up burned, buried or drifting through waterways, a problem that’s only getting worse.

As a civil engineer, I started asking...

How do scientists hunt for dark matter? A physicist explains why the mysterious substance is so hard to find

Written by David Joffe, Associate Professor of Physics, Kennesaw State University

The Coma Cluster, research into which supports the existence of dark matter. NASA, ESA, J. Mack (STScl), and J. Madrid (Australian Telescope National Facility)

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.

Can we generate a way to interact...

Americans are asking too much of their dogs

Written by Margret Grebowicz, Distinguished Professor of the Humanities, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Some people appreciate relationships with pets to combat loneliness – but others simply prefer dogs' company.Catherine Falls Commercial/Moment via Getty Images

Americans love dogs.

Nearly half of U.S. households have one, and practically all owners see pets as part of the family – 51% say pets belong “as much as a human...

Fifteen years after Egypt’s uprising, how faith and politics reshaped a generation

Written by Nareman Amin, Assistant Professor of Contemporary Islam, Michigan State University

The crowd in Tahrir Square in Cairo just before a speech by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 10, 2011.Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty News Images

Fifteen years ago, Egyptians from all walks of life took to the street to demand “bread, freedom, social justice.” They were protesting the oppressive 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt...

How the law can add to child sex trafficking victims’ existing trauma

Written by Kate Price, Associate Research Scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College

Most U.S. states retain the right to arrest and prosecute children for prostitution.Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

The January 2026 release of additional files related to the Justice Department’s investigation of convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell has brought renewed attention to the late financier’s connections...

Sixth year of drought in Texas and Oklahoma leaves ranchers bracing for another harsh summer

Written by Joel Lisonbee, Senior Associate Scientist, Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder

Cattle auctions aren’t often all-night affairs. But in Texas Lake Country in June 2022, ranchers facing dwindling water supplies and dried out pastures amid a worsening drought sold off more than 4,000 animals in an auction that lasted nearly 24 hours – about 200 cows an hour.

It was the height of a drought that has gripped the Southern...

Why ‘The West Wing’ went from a bipartisan hit to a polarized streaming comfort watch over 2 decades, reflecting profound shifts in media and politics

Written by Karrin Vasby Anderson, Professor of Communication Studies, Colorado State University

If you're like the many viewers who have binge-watched the series multiple times, you know who all these cast members of 'The West Wing' are.James Sorensen/NBC/Newsmakers, Hulton Archive

When the early 2000s hit series “The West Wing” returned on Netflix in December 2025, it spurred conversation about how the idealistic political drama...

Journalism may be too slow to remain credible once events are filtered through social media

Written by Charles Edward Gehrke, Deputy Division Director of Wargame Design and Adjudication, US Naval War College

House Speaker Mike Johnson updates reporters about budget talks on Capitol Hill.AFP/Roberto Schmitt via Getty Images

In the first weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a strange pattern emerged in Western media coverage. Headlines oscillated between confidence and confusion. Kyiv would fall within days, one story would claim, then...

No animal alive today is ‘primitive’ – why are so many still labeled that way?

Written by Kevin Omland, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

A platypus has evolved to fit its particular ecological niche.Joao Inacio/Moment via Getty Images

We humans have long viewed ourselves as the pinnacle of evolution. People label other species as “primitive” or “ancient” and use terms like “higher” and “lower” animals.

‘Man’ is at the very...