The Conversation

Chickadees, titmice and nuthatches flocking together benefit from a diversity bonus – so do other animals, including humans

Written by Todd M. Freeberg, Professor and Associate Head of Psychology, University of Tennessee

More watchful eyes can mean more safety for all.Georgette Douwma/Stone via Getty Images

Carolina chickadees are small, boisterous year-round residents of the southeastern United States. They are regularly found with much larger tufted titmice, white-breasted nuthatches and various woodpecker species.

In these mixed flocks, chickadees are almost...

Memphis police numbers dropped by nearly a quarter in recent years – were staffing shortages a factor in the killing of Tyre Nichols?

Written by Ian T. Adams, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of South Carolina

Dwindling numbers means more inexperienced officers.AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

In the years running up to the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, the Memphis Police Department faced an increasingly dire staffing crisis. Indeed, shortages on the force have led to questions over whether, given their relative lack of experience, the five officers now charged...

Mexico made criminal justice reforms in 2008 – they haven't done much to reduce crime

Written by Rebecca Janzen, Associate Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature, University of South Carolina

Mexican soldiers stand guard near during the arrest of Joaquin Ovidio Guzman in Culiacan, Mexico, in January 2023.Juan Carlos Cruz/AFP via Getty Images

Mexico has waged a long, bloody battle on drugs and crime for decades. But violence there continues to soar.

In one of the latest high-profile incidents, Mexican law enforcement arrested Ovidio...

Hurricane Harvey more than doubled the acidity of Texas' Galveston Bay, threatening oyster reefs

Written by Tacey Hicks, PhD Candidate in Oceanography, Texas A&M University

Seabirds forage on an oyster shell island on the Texas Gulf Coast.Jon G. Fuller/VW Pics/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Most people associate hurricanes with high winds, intense rain and rapid flooding on land. But these storms can also change the chemistry of coastal waters. Such shifts are less visible than damage on land, but they can...

How do you make a universal flu vaccine? A microbiologist explains the challenges, and how mRNA could offer a promising solution

Written by Deborah Fuller, Professor of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington

Broad protection from a universal flu vaccine could replace seasonal flu shots.Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty Images

To everything there is a season, and for the flu, it’s wintertime. Flu cases peak between December and February, and the flu vaccine is your best defense. Getting the vaccine means you will be less sick even if you get a...

Large numbers of Americans want a strong, rough, anti-democratic leader

Written by Tarah Williams, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Allegheny College

Many Americans, many of them Republicans, seek leaders who would violate basic principles of democracy.AP Photo/Ben Gray

It might be comforting to think that American democracy has made it past the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. But our research shows that a wide range of the American people, of all political stripes, seek leaders who are...

W.E.B. Du Bois, Black History Month and the importance of African American studies

Written by Chad Williams, Samuel J. and Augusta Spector Professor of History and African and African American Studies, Brandeis University

Scholar-activist W.E.B. DuBois in 1946.Underwood Archives/Getty Images

The opening days of Black History Month 2023 have coincided with controversy about the teaching and broader meaning of African American studies.

On Feb. 1, 2023, the College Board released a revised curriculum for its newly developed Advanced Placement African American studies...

Atmospheric rivers are hitting the Arctic more often, and increasingly melting its sea ice

Written by Pengfei Zhang, Assistant Research Professor of Atmospheric Science, Penn State

Rain and warm air make it harder for sea ice to grow.Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Atmospheric rivers, those long, powerful streams of moisture in the sky, are becoming more frequent in the Arctic, and they’re helping to drive dramatic shrinking of the Arctic’s sea ice cover.

While less ice might have some benefits...

Chocolate chemistry – a food scientist explains how the beloved treat gets its flavor, texture and tricky reputation as an ingredient

Written by Sheryl Barringer, Professor of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University

In what form do you eat your annual share of the approximately 5 million tons of cocoa produced worldwide?Tracey Kusiewicz/Foodie Photography/Moment via Getty Images

Whether it is enjoyed as creamy milk chocolate truffles, baked in a devilishly dark chocolate cake or even poured as hot cocoa, Americans on average consume almost 20 pounds (9...

How did birds survive while dinosaurs went extinct?

Written by Chris Lituma, Assistant Professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Resources, West Virginia University

It wasn't flying that gave birds the advantage.Corey Ford/Stocktrek Images 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.

If dinosaurs died, how come there are birds? Caiden S., age 9, Wylie, Texas

Everyone knows what a bird...