The Conversation

Why rural Maine may back Democrat Graham Platner’s populism in the Senate campaign − but not his party

Written by Nicholas Jacobs, Goldfarb Family Distinguished Chair in American Government, Colby College; Institute for Humane Studies

Graham Platner, left, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, chats with his neighbor, Denis Nault, on Nov. 3, 2025, in Sullivan, Maine. AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Every few years, Democrats try to convince themselves they’ve found the one – a candidate who can finally speak fluent rural, who looks and sounds like the voters they’ve...

NASA goes on an ESCAPADE – twin small, low-cost orbiters will examine Mars’ atmosphere

Written by Christopher Carr, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

This close-up illustration shows what one of the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft will look like conducting its science operations.James Rattray/Rocket Lab USA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Envision a time when hundreds of spacecraft are exploring the solar system and beyond. That’s the future that NASA’s ESCAPADE, or Escape and Plasma...

The rise of the autistic detective – why neurodivergent minds are at the heart of modern mysteries

Written by Soohyun Cho, Assistant Professor at the Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts & Humanities, Michigan State University

There never seems to be a shortage of good crime shows on TV, and network television is teeming with detectives who think – and act – differently.

This fall, new seasons of “Elsbeth,” “High Potential,” “Patience” and “Watson” have aired, and they all feature leads who share similar...

The shutdown has ended – but this economist isn’t rejoicing quite yet

Written by Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Distinguished Professor, Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics, & Head, Department of Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology

After 43 days, the U.S. government shutdown finally came to an end late on Nov. 12, 2025, when Congress voted through a long-overdue funding bill, which President Donald Trump promptly signed.

But the prolonged gap in government-as-usual has come at a cost to the economy.

The Conversation spoke with RIT economist Amitrajeet A. Batabyal on the short-...

What is Fusarium graminearum, the fungus a Chinese scientist pleaded guilty to smuggling into the US?

Written by Tom W. Allen, Associate Research Professor of Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University

Wheat infected by *_Fusarium_*, a toxic fungus, has kernels that appear white with orange at the base.Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/picture alliance via Getty Images

A Chinese plant scientist at the University of Michigan who drew national attention in June 2025 when she was arrested and accused along with another Chinese scientist of smuggling a...

No time to recover: Hurricane Melissa and the Caribbean’s compounding disaster trap as the storms keep coming

Written by Farah Nibbs, Assistant Professor of Emergency and Disaster Health Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Hurricane Melissa tore off roofs and stripped trees of their leaves, including in many parts of Jamaica hit by Hurricane Beryl a year earlier.Ricardo Makyn/AFP via Getty Images

Headlines have been filled with talk of the catastrophic power of Hurricane Melissa after the Category 5 storm devastated communities across Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti in...

New technologies like AI come with big claims – borrowing the scientific concept of validity can help cut through the hype

Written by Kai R. Larsen, Professor of Information Systems, University of Colorado Boulder

Closely examining the claims companies make about a product can help you separate hype from reality.Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty Images

Technological innovations can seem relentless. In computing, some have proclaimed that “a year in machine learning is a century in any other field.” But how do you know whether those advancements are...

What is time? Rather than something that ‘flows,’ a philosopher suggests time is a psychological projection

Written by Adrian Bardon, Professor of Philosophy, Wake Forest University

Time isn't an illusion, unlike optical illusions that trick your eyes. There's nothing to 'trick' because it has no physical basis.BSIP/UIG Via Getty Image

“Time flies,” “time waits for no one,” “as time goes on”: The way we speak about time tends to strongly imply that the passage of time is some sort of real...

Turn shopping stress into purposeful gift giving by cultivating ‘consumer wisdom’ during the holidays

Written by Michael Luchs, JS Mack Professor of Business, William & Mary

The most meaningful gifts reflect the recipient’s values and identity – and the giver’s, too.Halfpoint images/Moment via Getty Images

Every fall I anticipate the winter holidays with almost childlike joy. I look forward to familiar traditions with friends and family, eggnog in my coffee, and the sense that everyone is feeling a...

Community health centers provide care for 1 in 10 Americans, but funding cuts threaten their survival

Written by Jennifer Spinghart, Clinical Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina

Community health clinics provide primary care to 1 in 10 people in the U.S., but they often operate on razor-thin margins.Ariel Skelley/Photodisc via Getty Images

Affordable health care was the primary point of contention in the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which hit 43 days on Nov. 12, 2025.

This fight highlights a persistent...