The Conversation

Urban trees vs. cool roofs: What’s the best way for cities to beat the heat?

Written by Ian Smith, Research Scientist in Earth & Environment, Boston University

Trees like these in Boston can help keep neighborhoods cooler on hot days.Yassine Khalfalli/Unsplash, CC BY

When summer turns up the heat, cities can start to feel like an oven, as buildings and pavement trap the sun’s warmth and vehicles and air conditioners release more heat into the air.

The temperature in an urban neighborhood with few...

Understanding the violence against Alawites and Druze in Syria after Assad

Written by Güneş Murat Tezcür, Professor and Director of the School of Politics and Global Studies, Arizona State University

Bedouin fighters at Mazraa village on the outskirts of Sweida city, during clashes in southern Syria on July 18, 2025. AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed

In July 2025, clashes between the Druze religious minority and Sunni Arabs backed by government-affiliated forces led to hundreds of deaths in Sweida province in southern Syria. Israel later launched dozens...

Binary star systems are complex astronomical objects − a new AI approach could pin down their properties quickly

Written by Andrej Prša, Professor of Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Villanova University

In a binary star system, two stars orbit around each other. ESO/L. Calçada, CC BY

Stars are the fundamental building blocks of our universe. Most stars host planets, like our Sun hosts our solar system, and if you look more broadly, groups of stars make up huge structures such as clusters and galaxies. So before astrophysicists can attempt...

I teach college and report on Colorado media — there should be more professors doing the same in other states

Written by Corey Hutchins, Manager, Colorado College Journalism Institute, Colorado College

Newsletters that cover a state's media landscape are few and far between, according to a new report.iStock / Getty Images Plus

Over the years, the crisis facing local news has meant the disappearance of reporting on the arts, politics, sports and local government.

Newspapers have disappeared from many local communities, and the ranks of individual...

Trump has fired the head of the Library of Congress, but the 225-year-old institution remains a ‘library for all’ – so far

Written by Alex H. Poole, Associate Professor of Information Science, Drexel University

The main reading room is seen at the Library of Congress on June 13, 2025, in Washington. Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Carla Hayden, the 14th librarian of Congress, who has held the position since 2016, received an unexpected email on May 8, 2025.

“Carla, on behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as...

How the nature of environmental law is changing in defense of the planet and the climate

Written by Dana Zartner, Professor of International Studies, University of San Francisco

A 2017 New Zealand law recognizes inherent rights of the Whanganui River. Jason Pratt, CC BY-SA

While the dangerous effects of climate change continue to worsen, legal efforts to address a range of environmental issues are also on the rise.

Headlines across the globe tout many of these legal actions: South Korea’s Climate Law Violates Rights...

Beijing’s ‘plausible deniability’ on arms supply is quickly becoming implausible – and could soon extend to Iran

Written by Linggong Kong, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science, Auburn University

Could longtime allies have a closer relationship than meets the eye?Thomas Peter/Pool Photo via AP

China has long maintained that it does not supply arms to any party at war – a central tenet of its “noninterference” foreign policy. But in recent years, Beijing has repeatedly faced accusations of doing the opposite: providing...

Imaginary athletes: Creating make-believe teammates, competitors and coaches during play

Written by Tracy Gleason, Professor of Psychology, Wellesley College

What would an imaginary companion add to a child's solo practice?Elkhophoto/iStock via Getty Images Plus

The coach, the specialized equipment, the carefully tailored exercise regimen – they’re all key to athletic performance. But imagination might be an unexpected asset when it comes to playing sports.

The idea that athletic achievement...

Bangladesh sees small glimmers of economic hope a year after longtime autocrat ousted in people’s revolt

Written by Mohammad Elahee, Professor of International Business, Quinnipiac University

Muhammad Yunus steps into the political void.Sean Gallup/Getty Images

By the time a student-led protest movement erupted into a full-scale revolution in Bangladesh in July 2024, the country’s economy was already in free fall.

Years of rampant corruption, mismanagement and dwindling opportunities for young people – not to mention the brut...

One of the biggest microplastic pollution sources isn’t straws or grocery bags – it’s your tires

Written by Boluwatife S. Olubusoye, Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry, University of Mississippi

Most tires are made of synthetic rubber that sheds particles of microplastics over time. Rapeepong Puttakumwong/Moment via Getty Images

Every few years, the tires on your car wear thin and need to be replaced. But where does that lost tire material go?

The answer, unfortunately, is often waterways, where the tiny microplastic particles from the...