The Conversation

Poor men south of Richmond? Why much of the rural South is in economic crisis

Written by Peter A. Coclanis, Professor of History; Director of the Global Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

For a brief moment in the summer of 2023, the surprise No. 1 song “Rich Men North of Richmond” focused the country’s attention on a region that often gets overlooked in discussions of the U.S. economy. Although the U.S. media sometimes pays attention to the rural South — often concentrating on guns, religion and opioid...

A TikTok Jesus promises divine blessings and many worldly comforts

Written by Brandon Dean, Visiting Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, University of Iowa

Jesus images on social media promise divine rewards for today's fast-paced age.TikTok

The TikTok profile Daily Believer (@believerdaily) has 70 videos with computer-generated Jesuses looking directly at the viewer, beseeching them to stop scrolling and watch the next minute’s worth of content.

All these Jesuses are long-haired and bearded,...

As the US begins to build offshore wind farms, scientists say many questions remain about impacts on the oceans and marine life

Written by Erin L. Meyer-Gutbrod, Assistant Professor of Earth, Ocean & Environment, University of South Carolina

A row of monopiles that will be the base for offshore wind turbines, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

As renewable energy production expands across the U.S., the environmental impacts of these new sources are receiving increased attention. In a recent report, the...

From ancient Greece to Broadway, music has played a critical role in theater

Written by Timothy J. Moore, John and Penelope Biggs Distinguished Professor of Classics, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

The remnants of a Greek theater in Sicily.Fausto Riolo/Getty Images

Though anxiety about the fate of live theater performances still lingers, Broadway is celebrating its third season since reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic, with a lineup dominated once again by musicals.

The new season includes long-running hits like “Hamilton,”...

The universe is expanding faster than theory predicts – physicists are searching for new ideas that might explain the mismatch

Written by Ryan Keeley, Postdoctoral Scholar in Physics, University of California, Merced

The James Webb Space Telescope's deep field image shows a universe full of sparkling galaxies.NASA/STScI

Astronomers have known for decades that the universe is expanding. When they use telescopes to observe faraway galaxies, they see that these galaxies are moving away from Earth.

To astronomers, the wavelength of light a galaxy emits is longer the...

For decades, mothers have borne the brunt of scrutiny for alcohol use during pregnancy − new research points to dad's drinking as a significant factor in fetal alcohol syndrome

Written by Michael Golding, Professor of Physiology, Texas A&M University

Little to no attention has been given to the father's potential contribution to fetal alcohol syndrome disorders.Katleho Seisa/E+ via Getty Images

Men drink more, are more likely to binge drink and are almost four times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder than women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yet when it...

Scientists suspect there's ice hiding on the Moon, and a host of missions from the US and beyond are searching for it

Written by Paul Hayne, Assistant Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder

The stark landscape of the Moon as viewed by the Apollo 12 astronauts on their return to Earth.NASA / The Planetary Society

Building a space station on the Moon might seem like something out of a science fiction movie, but each new lunar mission is bringing that idea closer to reality. Scientists are homing in on potential lunar ice reservoirs in...

Biden-Xi meeting: 6 essential reads on what to look out for as US, Chinese leaders hold face-to-face talks

Written by Matt Williams, Senior International Editor

President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are set to meet for the first time in a year.Saul Loeb/AFP cia Getty Images

U.S. President Joe Biden sits down with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Nov. 15, 2023, in the first head-to-head talks between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies in over a year.

During that time, relations between...

1 in 4 Colorado 11th-graders skipped their state's standardized test − geography and income help explain why

Written by Lydia Ross, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Innovation, Arizona State University

High school students in Colorado have protested the use of standardized tests. Caiaimage/Chris Ryan via Getty Images

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

About one in four 11th-graders in Colorado exercised their right to skip the state’s official science test each year between 2016 and 2019. More...

Music painted on the wall of a Venetian orphanage will be heard again nearly 250 years later

Written by Marica S. Tacconi, Distinguished Professor of Musicology and Art History, Penn State

The music room of the Ospedaletto is known for its remarkable acoustics.Marica S. Tacconi, CC BY-SA

Imagine Lady Gaga or Elton John teaching at an orphanage or homeless shelter, offering daily music lessons.

That’s what took place at Venice’s four Ospedali Grandi, which were charitable institutions that took in the needy –...