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Sacred texts and ‘little bells’: The building blocks of Arvo Pärt’s musical masterpieces

  • Written by Jeffers Engelhardt, Professor of Music, Amherst College
imageFor years, Arvo Pärt has been one of the most performed contemporary classical composers in the world.Calle Hesslefors/ullstein bild via Getty Images

The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, who turns 90 on Sept. 11, 2025, is one of the most frequently performed contemporary classical composers in the world. Beyond the concert stage and cathedral...

Read more: Sacred texts and ‘little bells’: The building blocks of Arvo Pärt’s musical masterpieces

40 years ago, the first AIDS movies forced Americans to confront a disease they didn’t want to see

  • Written by Scott Malia, Associate Professor of Theatre, College of the Holy Cross
image'Buddies,' which premiered on Sept. 17, 1985, cost just $27,000 to make.Vinegar Syndrome/Roe Bressan/Frameline Distribution

First it was referred to as a “mysterious illness.” Later it was called “gay cancer,” “gay plague” and “GRID,” an acronym for gay-related immune deficiency. Most egregiously,...

Read more: 40 years ago, the first AIDS movies forced Americans to confront a disease they didn’t want to see

Doctors are joining unions in a bid to improve working conditions and raise wages in a stressful health care system

  • Written by Patrick Aguilar, Managing Director of Health, Washington University in St. Louis
imageDr. Maryssa Miller speaks to fellow union members outside George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., in 2024. Maansi Srivastava/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The share of doctors who belong to unions is rising quickly at a time when organized labor is losing ground with other professions. The Conversation U.S. asked Patrick...

Read more: Doctors are joining unions in a bid to improve working conditions and raise wages in a stressful...

Why journalists are reluctant to call Trump an authoritarian – and why that matters for democracy

  • Written by Karrin Vasby Anderson, Professor of Communication Studies, Colorado State University
imageA free election can still result in authoritarian rule.Photo illustration: Douglas Rissing, iStock/Getty Images Plus

In an authoritarian state, the leader engages in unconstitutional or undemocratic practices for the purpose of consolidating power.

Key components of authoritarianism include rejecting democratic rules; denying the legitimacy of...

Read more: Why journalists are reluctant to call Trump an authoritarian – and why that matters for democracy

Bail reforms across the US have shown that releasing people pretrial doesn’t harm public safety

  • Written by Henry F. Fradella, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University
imageNine of every 10 detained defendants in the U.S. remain in jail awaiting trial because they cannot pay bail money.AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File

President Donald Trump recently signed two executive orders targeting “cashless bail,” the policies that permit the release of people arrested for crimes pending trial without requiring them...

Read more: Bail reforms across the US have shown that releasing people pretrial doesn’t harm public safety

How does AI affect how we learn? A cognitive psychologist explains why you learn when the work is hard

  • Written by Brian W. Stone, Associate Professor of Cognitive Psychology, Boise State University

When OpenAI released “study mode” in July 2025, the company touted ChatGPT’s educational benefits. “When ChatGPT is prompted to teach or tutor, it can significantly improve academic performance,” the company’s vice president of education told reporters at the product’s launch. But any dedicated teacher...

Read more: How does AI affect how we learn? A cognitive psychologist explains why you learn when the work is...

Israel’s attack in Doha underscores a stark reality for Gulf states looking for stability and growth: They remain hostage to events

  • Written by David Mednicoff, Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Public Policy, UMass Amherst
imageFootage from an Israeli strike in Qatar on Sept. 9, 2025. Photo by Security Camera/Anadolu via Getty Images

The oil-rich states of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have a lot going for them: wealth, domestic stability and growing global influence. In recent months, these Gulf kingdoms also appear closer to something they have long...

Read more: Israel’s attack in Doha underscores a stark reality for Gulf states looking for stability and...

New report ranks Philadelphia and Allentown among toughest cities in America for people with asthma

  • Written by Ana Santos Rutschman, Professor of Law, Villanova University
imageThe top 5 'asthma capitals' in the U.S. are Detroit, Rochester, Allentown, Philadelphia and Cleveland, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's 2025 report. Terry Vine/DigitalVision Collection via Getty Images

Philadelphia has once again been named one of the “asthma capitals” of the U.S. – ranking No. 4 in a...

Read more: New report ranks Philadelphia and Allentown among toughest cities in America for people with asthma

What causes muscle cramps during exercise? Athletes and coaches may want to look at the playing surface

  • Written by Michael Hales, Associate Professor of Health Promotion and Physical Education, Kennesaw State University
imageMuscle cramps have felled many an athlete on game day.Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images

For athletes across all sports, few experiences are as agonizing as being forced to leave competition with a sudden muscle cramp. These painful, uncontrolled spasms – formally known as exercise-associated muscle cramps – have frustrated athletes,...

Read more: What causes muscle cramps during exercise? Athletes and coaches may want to look at the playing...

We tracked every overseas trip by world leaders since the end of the Cold War – here’s what we found

  • Written by Kylie McKee, Project Manager & Research Associate, University of Denver
imageA must for jet-setting heads of states.Alex Wong/Getty Images

Donald Trump’s return to the White House has so far seen the U.S. president travel to foreign lands to sign billion-dollar deals, attend lavish royal welcomes and attempt to forge elusive peace agreements amid conflicts and crises. And on Sept. 17, 2025, he is expected to visit the...

Read more: We tracked every overseas trip by world leaders since the end of the Cold War – here’s what we found

More Articles ...

  1. The surprising recovery of once-rare birds
  2. Techno-utopians like Musk are treading old ground: The futurism of early 20th-century Europe
  3. Trump reversed policies supporting electric vehicles − it will affect the road to clean electricity, too
  4. Brazil’s Bolsonaro may soon join ranks of failed coup plotters held to account − hampering the chance of any political comeback
  5. How Trump’s dismissal of a Fed governor could redefine presidential power – if courts agree that he alone can interpret vague laws
  6. Trump’s radical argument that he alone can interpret vague laws fails its first court test in dismissal of Fed governor
  7. Philly’s Puerto Rican Day Parade embodies strength of the mainland’s second-largest Boricua community
  8. When you’re caught between ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ here’s why ‘maybe’ isn’t the way to go
  9. 50 years ago, NASA sent 2 spacecraft to search for life on Mars – the Viking missions’ findings are still discussed today
  10. How is paint made?
  11. Boosting timber harvesting in national forests while cutting public oversight won’t solve America’s wildfire problem
  12. Complying with Trump administration’s attack on DEI could get employers into legal trouble
  13. George Washington’s worries are coming true
  14. Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to fight crime blurs the legal distinction between the police and the military
  15. Infant mortality rises in states with restrictive abortion laws – new research
  16. An Arkansas group’s effort to build a white ethnostate forms part of a wider US movement inspired by white supremacy
  17. Federal judges are frustrated by defiance from the Trump administration and fuzziness from the Supreme Court
  18. Helping teens navigate online racism − study shows which parenting strategy works best
  19. 3 states push to put the Ten Commandments back in school – banking on new guidance at the Supreme Court
  20. Colorado has one of the nation’s highest suicide rates − an ER doctor explains how to bring it down
  21. When it comes to wars − from the Middle East to Ukraine − what we call them matters
  22. Jury trials, a critical part of democracy, are disappearing
  23. Astrology’s appeal in uncertain times
  24. Kennedy hearing deepens crisis over dismantling of CDC leadership - health scholar explains why the agency’s ability to protect public health is compromised
  25. US obliteration of Caribbean boat was a clear violation of international ‘right to life’ laws – no matter who was on board
  26. Civil servant exodus: How employees wrestle with whether to stay, speak up or go
  27. A first connection can make a big difference when it comes to sticking with a career
  28. Scientific objectivity is a myth – cultural values and beliefs always influence science and the people who do it
  29. How Frank Rizzo, a high school dropout, became Philadelphia’s toughest cop and a harbinger of MAGA politics
  30. You can be exposed to PFAS through food, water, even swimming in lakes – new maps show how risk from ‘forever chemicals’ varies
  31. Hidden treasures of America’s national parks are closer than you might think
  32. How RFK Jr.’s misguided science on mRNA vaccines is shaping policy − a vaccine expert examines the false claims
  33. China’s electric vehicle influence expands nearly everywhere – except the US and Canada
  34. AI is transforming weather forecasting − and that could be a game changer for farmers around the world
  35. 5 forecasts early climate models got right – the evidence is all around you
  36. Green gruel? Pea soup? What Westerners thought of matcha when they tried it for the first time
  37. AI’s ballooning energy consumption puts spotlight on data center efficiency
  38. No credit history? No problem − new research suggests shopping data works as a proxy for creditworthiness
  39. From intention to impact: 3 ways men in leadership can build equitable workplaces that work for everyone
  40. 65,000 Pennsylvania kids have a parent in prison or jail − here’s what research says about the value of in-person visits
  41. China’s WWII anniversary parade rekindles cross-strait battle over war narrative − and fears in Taiwan of future conflict
  42. ‘What you feel is valid’: Social media is a lifeline for many abused and neglected young people
  43. What is AI slop? A technologist explains this new and largely unwelcome form of online content
  44. How Europe’s deforestation law could change the global coffee trade
  45. Personal power v. socialized power: What Machiavelli and St. Francis can tell us about modern CEOs
  46. Adding more green space to a campus is a simple, cheap and healthy way to help millions of stressed and depressed college students
  47. Turkey and the PKK have made historic moves toward peace – now begins the hard diplomatic work
  48. AI has a hidden water cost − here’s how to calculate yours
  49. How to poop outdoors in a way that won’t harm the environment and other hikers
  50. Balancing kratom’s potential benefits and risks − new legislation in Colorado seeks to minimize harm