The Conversation

Cold weather brings itchy, irritated, dry and scaly skin – here's how to treat eczema and other skin conditions and when to see a doctor

Written by Sonal Choudhary, Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Dermatopathology, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences

For some skin conditions, keeping hydrated is key.Yuliya Shevtsova/EyeEm via Getty Images

In many parts of the U.S., the winter months bring frigid temperatures and drier conditions that can wreak havoc on the skin.

The primary role of the skin, as the largest organ in the body, is to act as a physical barrier to the external environment. When your...

The weaponization of the federal government has a long history

Written by Ken Hughes, Research Specialist, the Miller Center, University of Virginia

President Nixon urged the IRS to audit his perceived enemies; Donald Trump wanted to do the same.LPettet/ iStock / Getty Images Plus

Now that House Republicans have created a “Select Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government,” let’s revisit a classic of that power-abusing genre, featuring its greatest star, Richard...

How ChatGPT robs students of motivation to write and think for themselves

Written by Naomi S. Baron, Professor of Linguistics Emerita, American University

AI writing tools may carry hidden dangers that harm the creative process.Guillaume via Getty Images

When the company OpenAI launched its new artificial intelligence program, ChatGPT, in late 2022, educators began to worry. ChatGPT could generate text that seemed like a human wrote it. How could teachers detect whether students were using language...

Installing solar-powered refrigerators in developing countries is an effective way to reduce hunger and slow climate change

Written by Abay Yimere, Postdoctoral Scholar in International Environment and Resource Policy, Tufts University

People buy produce at a wholesale market in Nakuru, Kenya, on Dec. 24, 2022.James Wakibia/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Food loss and waste are major problems around the world. When food is tossed aside or allowed to spoil, it makes economies less productive and leaves people hungry.

It also harms Earth’s climate by generating...

Prince Harry's portrayal of war in 'Spare' is making headlines – but combat decision-making is more complex than his words suggest

Written by Neil Shortland, Director, Center for Terrorism and Security Studies; Assistant Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies, UMass Lowell

Prince Harry sits on an Apache helicopter at the British-controlled flight line in Afghanistan on Dec. 12, 2012.John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images

The last few weeks have seen a steady stream of news related to the new memoir written by Prince Harry, titled “Spare.” While much of the media attention has focused on his relationship...

How Edgar Allan Poe became the darling of the maligned and misunderstood

Written by Scott Peeples, Professor of English, College of Charleston

Could the pugnacious writer ever have imagined that he would one day become a cult hero?Nick Lehr/The Conversation via DALL-E 2, CC BY-SA

Edgar Allan Poe, who would have turned 214 years old on Jan. 19, 2023, remains one of the world’s most recognizable and popular literary figures.

His face – with its sunken eyes, enormous forehead and...

Lo que la Biblia realmente dice sobre el aborto puede sorprenderte

Written by Melanie A. Howard, Associate Professor of Biblical & Theological Studies, Fresno Pacific University

Los abortos eran conocidos y practicados en tiempos bíblicos, aunque los métodos diferían significativamente de los modernos.Win McNamee via Getty Images

En los días transcurridos desde que la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos anuló Roe v. Wade, que habia establecido el derecho constitucional al aborto hecho 50...

Climate change trauma has real impacts on cognition and the brain, wildfire survivors study shows

Written by Jyoti Mishra, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego

The 2018 Camp Fire killed 85 people and destroyed 20,000 buildings in and around Paradise, Calif.Marcus Yam /Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Psychological trauma from extreme weather and climate events, such as wildfires, can have long-term impacts on survivors’...

Why China’s shrinking population is a big deal – counting the social, economic and political costs of an aging, smaller society

Written by Feng Wang, Professor of Sociology, University of California, Irvine

Will an aging, shrinking population put the brakes on economic growth?CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images.

Throughout much of recorded human history, China has boasted the largest population in the world – and until recently, by some margin.

So news that the Chinese population is now in decline, and will sometime later this year be surpass...

A librarian recommends 5 fun fiction books for kids and teens featuring disabled characters

Written by Rebecca Weber, Associate Professor Library, Oklahoma State University

There's a small but growing number of books for younger readers that feature main characters with disabilities.Wavebreakmedia/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

Disability representation is slowly increasing in books geared toward children and teens.

In 2019 the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison...