The Conversation

Gangsters are the villains in 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' but the biggest thief of Native American wealth was the US government

Written by Torivio Fodder, Indigenous Governance Program Manager and Professor of Practice, University of Arizona

An Osage delegation with President Calvin Coolidge at the White House on Jan. 20, 1924. Bettman via Getty Images

Director Martin Scorsese’s new movie, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” tells the true story of a string of murders on the Osage Nation’s land in Oklahoma in the 1920s. Based on David Grann’s meticulously...

Gun deaths among children and teens have soared – but there are ways to reverse the trend

Written by Rebeccah Sokol, Assistant Professor of Social Work, University of Michigan

Firearm injuries are now the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens following a huge decadelong rise.

Analyses published on Oct. 5, 2023, by a research team in Boston found an 87% increase in firearm-involved fatalities among Americans under the age of 18 from 2011 to 2021.

Such an increase is obviously very concerning. But as scholars o...

Why is space so dark even though the universe is filled with stars?

Written by Brian Jackson, Associate Professor of Astronomy, Boise State University

This age old question has been dubbed Olbers' paradox.John Moore via Getty Images News

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.

Why is space so dark despite all of the stars in the universe? – Nikhil, age 15, New Delhi

People...

How the 'laws of war' apply to the conflict between Israel and Hamas

Written by Robert Goldman, Professor of Law, American University

Warring parties are duty-bound to minimize civilian casualties.Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images

The killing of Israeli civilians by Hamas and retaliatory airstrikes on the densely populated Gaza Strip by Israel raises numerous issues under international law.

Indeed, President Joe Biden made express reference to the “laws of war” in comments...

Deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust spurs a crisis of confidence in the idea of Israel – and its possible renewal

Written by Avner Cohen, Professor of Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies

Family and friends of those taken hostage by Hamas during an attack on Israel react during a press conference on Oct. 13, 2023, in Tel Aviv, Israel. Leon Neal/Getty Images

Living for 75 years within a hostile neighborhood has required the state of Israel to provide security against external threats to all its citizens.

That responsibility is a soci...

Reflections on hope during unprecedented violence in the Israel-Hamas war

Written by Boaz Dvir, Associate Professor of Journalism, Penn State

People in Tel Aviv on Oct. 12, 2023, light candles in memory of civilians and soldiers killed, as well as hostages taken, by Hamas.Amir Levy/Getty Images

On Yom Kippur in 1973, I was 6 years old and living in Petah Tikvah, a city in central Israel. Playing a nail-biting game of marbles, I initially ignored my mom calling me from our front porch....

An itching paradox – a molecule that triggers the urge to scratch also turns down inflammation in the skin

Written by Marlys Fassett, Associate Professor of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco

Itching, and the subsequent urge to scratch, can make eczema worse.Kinga Krzeminska/Moment via Getty Images

Itching can be uncomfortable, but it’s a normal part of your skin’s immune response to external threats. When you’re itching from an encounter with poison ivy or mosquitoes, consider that your urge to scratch may have...

Wildfire smoke leaves harmful gases in floors and walls − air purifiers aren’t enough, new study shows, but you can clean it up

Written by Delphine Farmer, Professor of Chemistry, Colorado State University

When wildfire smoke turns the air brown and hazy, you might think about heading indoors with the windows closed, running an air purifier or even wearing a mask. These are all good strategies to reduce exposure to the particles in wildfire smoke, but smoky air is also filled with potentially harmful gases. Those gases can get into buildings and...

Empire building has always come at an economic cost for Russia – from the days of the czars to Putin's Ukraine invasion

Written by Christopher A. Hartwell, Professor of International Business Policy, ZHAW School of Management and Law

The Russian economy: A Potemkin village?Getty Images

President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has come at huge economic costs. By conservative estimates, the Russian economy has taken a US$67 billion annual hit as a result of war expenses and the effects of economic sanctions. In the early stages of the invasion, some analysts put the...

Steep physical decline with age is not inevitable – here's how strength training can change the trajectory

Written by Zachary Gillen, Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology, Mississippi State University

Resistance training can take many forms and can be individualized to suit a person's needs as they age. Jamie Grill/Tetra Images via Getty Images

Raise your hand if you regularly find yourself walking up a flight of stairs. What about carrying heavy bags of groceries? How about picking up your child or grandchild? Most of us would raise our hands...