The Conversation

A toxicologist’s guide to poison ivy’s itch and bee stings’ burning pain – 2 examples of nature’s chemical warfare

Written by Christopher P. Holstege, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Virginia

There's a lot to explore out there. aldomurillo/E+ via Getty Images

Enjoying the outdoors carries the danger of running into nature’s less-friendly side: toxic plants and animals.

As toxicologists at the University of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Poison Center, we see many patients each year suffering from itchy rashes from poison ivy and...

Wildfire season is starting weeks earlier in California – a new study shows how climate change is driving the expansion

Written by Gavin D. Madakumbura, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California, Los Angeles

Firefighters battle in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2025David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images

Fire season is expanding in California, with an earlier start to wildfire activity in most of the state. In parts of the northern mountains, the season is now starting more than 10 weeks earlier than it did in the 1990s, a new study shows.

Atmospheric...

Trump has promised to eliminate funding to schools that don’t nix DEI work – but half of the states are not complying

Written by Hilary Lustick, Associate Professor of Education, UMass Lowell

While other presidential administrations have issued 'Dear Colleague' letters to schools, the Trump administration is the first to treat the letter like a law that mandates action. iStock/Getty Images Plus

It’s been about six months since the U.S. Department of Education sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to all schools that receive...

How states are placing guardrails around AI in the absence of strong federal regulation

Written by Anjana Susarla, Professor of Information Systems, Michigan State University

The California State Capitol has been the scene of numerous efforts to regulate AI.AP Photo/Juliana Yamada

U.S. state legislatures are where the action is for placing guardrails around artificial intelligence technologies, given the lack of meaningful federal regulation. The resounding defeat in Congress of a proposed moratorium on state-level AI...

History shows why FEMA is essential in disasters, and how losing independent agency status hurt its ability to function

Written by Susan L. Cutter, Distinguished Professor of Geography and Director of the Hazards Vulnerability & Resilience Institute, University of South Carolina

FEMA workers help residents who lost homes in the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires apply for aid.Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

When the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s urban search and rescue team resigned after the deadly July 4, 2025, Texas floods, he told colleagues he was frustrated with bureaucratic...

Iron nanoparticles can help treat contaminated water – our team of scientists created them out of expired supplements

Written by Ahmed Ibrahim Yunus, Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Scientists used pharmaceutical waste to create a new material with interesting properties. Mitrija/iStock via Getty Images

Today, approximately 1,800,000 acres of land in the United States is used for landfill waste disposal. In terms of volume, the U.S alone generated over 290 million tons of solid waste in 2018, an amount equivalent to about...

Youth athletes, not just professionals, may face mental health risks from repeated traumatic brain injuries

Written by David B. Sarwer, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Temple University

Limiting the amount of physical contact in training can reduce young players' head injury risks, research shows.Mint Images RF via Getty Images

On July 28, 2025, a 27-year-old gunman entered a New York City office building that is home to the National Football League’s headquarters. He shot and killed four people and injured one other before...

Insurance warning signs in doctors’ offices might discourage patients from speaking openly about their health

Written by Helen Colby, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Indiana University

Have you ever noticed a sign in a doctor’s office saying that you may have to pay extra insurance costs if you discuss additional problems with your physician?

If so, you’re not alone. As health care spending continues to rise, providers are being asked to warn patients about any potential unexpected costs – for example,...

Where next for Khamenei? After war, Iran’s supreme leader is faced with difficult choices

Written by Shirvin Zeinalzadeh, Graduate Teaching Associate, School of Politics and Global Studies, Arizona State University

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei makes a speech in Tehran, Iran, on July 16, 2025. Photo by Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu via Getty Images

In the weeks since Israel’s expansive 12-day war, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rarely been seen in public.

That absence has inevitably led to speculation over...

Philadelphia is using AI-driven cameras to keep bus lanes clear – transparency can help build trust in the system

Written by Murugan Anandarajan, Professor of Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems, Drexel University

More than 150 Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority buses across Philadelphia are equipped with cameras that detect vehicles blocking bus lanes. Han Zheng via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority piloted a new enforcement tool in Philadelphia in 2023: AI-powered cameras mounted on seven of...