The Conversation

A layered lake is a little like Earth’s early oceans − and lets researchers explore how oxygen built up in our atmosphere billions of years ago

Written by Elizabeth Swanner, Associate Professor of Geology, Iowa State University

Researchers sample water from various layers to analyze back in the lab.Elizabeth Swanner, CC BY-ND

Little Deming Lake doesn’t get much notice from visitors to Itasca State Park in Minnesota. There’s better boating on nearby Lake Itasca, the headwaters of the Mississippi River. My colleagues and I need to maneuver hundreds of pounds of...

Key Trump co-defendants accept plea deals – a legal expert explains what that means

Written by Cynthia Alkon, Professor of Law, Texas A&M University

Kenneth Chesebro, left, is sworn in during his plea deal hearing in Atlanta on Oct. 20, 2023.Alyssa Pointer/Pool Photo via AP

Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, two people charged in Georgia with racketeering and other crimes alongside former President Donald Trump, have accepted plea deals that let them avoid the jail time their original charges...

For the Osage Nation, the betrayal of the murders depicted in 'Killers of the Flower Moon' still lingers

Written by Shannon Toll, Associate Professor of Indigenous Literatures, University of Dayton

An Osage man on the Arkansas River sometime between 1910 and 1918 – about a decade before the Osage Reign of Terror.Vince Dillion/Oklahoma Historical Society via Getty Images

This article contains plot spoilers of “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

The sheriff disguised her death as whiskey poisoning.
Because, when he carved her body...

How much time do kids spend on devices – playing games, watching videos, texting and using the phone?

Written by David Rosenberg, Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Wayne State University

Today, nearly all U.S. teens have a smartphone.MoMo Productions/Digital Vision via Getty Images

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.

How many hours does the average American spend on devices each year? – Maxwell P., age 10

Thi...

Hezbollah alone will decide whether Lebanon − already on the brink of collapse − gets dragged into Israel-Hamas war

Written by Asher Kaufman, Professor of History and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

Supporters of Hezbollah have been rallying in Beirut in support of Palestinians in Gaza.AP Photo/Bilal Hussein

Lebanon, which is teetering on the edge of economic and political collapse, risks becoming entangled in the escalating war between Israel and Hamas.

Hezbollah has been gearing up for the possibility of joining the fight ever since...

Delivering aid during war is tricky − here’s what to know about what Gaza relief operations may face

Written by Topher L. McDougal, Professor of Economic Development & Peacebuilding, University of San Diego

Palestinians on the outskirts of Gaza City walk by buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardment on Oct. 20, 2023. AP Photo/Ali Mahmoud

The 2.2 million people who live in Gaza are facing economic isolation and experiencing incessant bombardment. Their supplies of essential resources, including food and water, are quickly dwindling.

In response, U.S....

New research helps explain why Indian girls appear to be less engaged in politics than Indian boys

Written by Sara Wilf, Ph.D. Candidate in Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles

A recent survey found that just over half of boys in India consider themselves politically engaged compared with less than a third of girls. Sayantan Chakraborty/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Girls in India report being less interested and engaged in...

A memorial in Yiddish, Italian and English tells the stories of Triangle Shirtwaist fire victims − testament not only to tragedy but to immigrant women's fight to remake labor laws

Written by Karla Goldman, Professor of Social Work and Judaic Studies, University of Michigan

Victims' names engraved in a metal overhang, part of the Triangle Shirtwaist Memorial, are reflected in mirroring panels along the sidewalk.AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

The 10-story Brown Building, site of one of the deadliest workplace disasters in United States history, stands one block east of Washington Square Park in New York City. Despite three...

Quantum dots − a new Nobel laureate describes the development of these nanoparticles from basic research to industry application

Written by Louis Brus, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, Columbia University

Louis Brus, center, shares Nobel recognition with two other quantum dots pioneers.Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images

The Nobel Prize in chemistry for 2023 goes to three scientists “for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.” The Conversation Weekly podcast caught up with one of this trio, physical chemist Louis Brus, who did...

Does chicken soup really help when you're sick? A nutrition specialist explains what's behind the beloved comfort food

Written by Colby Teeman, Assistant Professor of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Dayton

A bowl of chicken soup typically contains protein, vegetables and soothing broth. Westend61 via Getty Images

Preparing a bowl of chicken soup for a loved one when they’re sick has been a common practice throughout the world for centuries. Today, generations from virtually every culture swear to the benefits of chicken soup. In the U.S., the...