The Conversation

Gender is not an ideology – but conservative groups know learning about it empowers people to think for themselves

Written by Victoria Pitts-Taylor, Professor of Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Sociology; Science and Technology Studies, Wesleyan University

Who is afraid of gender and why?AP Photo/Alastair Grant

Political attacks on teaching about gender in colleges and universities are about more than just gender: They are part of a grander project of eroding civil and human rights, limiting personal freedoms and undermining democracy in the name of “traditional” values.

On the first day of...

Many Colorado homeowners are underinsured − here’s what to do before the next fire

Written by Tony Cookson, Associate Professor of Finance, University of Colorado Boulder

Many people who lost their homes in the Marshall Fire were underinsured. The Washington Post/GettyImages

Most Colorado homeowners do not have enough insurance coverage to rebuild their house after a total loss. That’s according to our new research examining whether homes destroyed in Colorado’s Marshall Fire — which burned more...

Even before they can read, young children are visualizing letters and other objects with the same strategies adults use

Written by Shannon Pruden, Professor of psychology, Florida International University

A student looks at different images, as eye-tracking technology monitors how she is visualizing the objects. Chris Necuze/FIU, CC BY

What do puzzles, gymnastics, writing and using maps all have in common?

They all rely on people’s ability to visualize objects as they spin, flip or turn in space, without physically moving them. This is a...

Trump’s words aren’t stopping China, Brazil and many other countries from setting higher climate goals, but progress is slow

Written by Shannon Gibson, Professor of Environmental Studies, Political Science and International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Sea walls now ring much of the Marshall Islands' capital, Majuro, as the ocean rises.Lt. Anna Maria Vaccaro/U.S. Coast Guard

In the Marshall Islands, where the land averages only 7 feet (2 meters) above sea level, people are acutely aware of climate change.

Their ancestors have lived on this string of Pacific islands for thousands of years. But as se...

Does the full moon make us sleepless? A neurologist explains the science behind sleep, mood and lunar myths

Written by Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh

How much does the moon cycle affect sleep? Probably less than your screen time at night. Muhammad Khazin Alhusni/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Have you ever tossed and turned under a full moon and wondered if its glow was keeping you awake? For generations, people have believed that the Moon has the power to stir up sleepless nights and strange...

Rethinking polygamy – new research upends conventional thinking about the advantages of monogamous marriage

Written by David W. Lawson, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara

Most polygamous marriages are "polygynous," a union between one husband and multiple wives.HerminUtomo/iStock via Getty Images Plus

In July 2025, Uganda’s courts swiftly dismissed a petition challenging the legality of polygamy, citing the protection of religious and cultural freedom. For most social scientists and policymakers who have long...

Astronauts can get motion sick while splashing back down to Earth – virtual reality headsets could help them stay sharp

Written by Taylor Lonner, Ph.D. Candidate in Aerospace Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

Between adjusting to gravity and floating through choppy waves, returning to Earth from space can be nauseating. Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images

When learning about the effects of spaceflight on human health, you typically will hear about the dangers of radiation, bone density loss and changes in eyesight. While these long-term risks are...

Flying is safe thanks to data and cooperation – here’s what the AI industry could learn from airlines on safety

Written by James Higgins, Professor of Aviation, University of North Dakota

Flying is routine and safe. Hard lessons were learned to make it that way.Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Approximately 185,000 people have died in civilian aviation accidents since the advent of powered flight over a century ago. However, over the past five years among the U.S. airlines, the risk of dying was almost zero. In fact, you have a...

When coal smoke choked St. Louis, residents fought back − but it took time and money

Written by Robert Wyss, Professor Emeritus of Journalism, University of Connecticut

Scenes from downtown St. Louis on 'Black Tuesday,' Nov. 28, 1939, show how thick the smoke was even in the middle of the day.Missouri Historical Society

It was a morning unlike anything St. Louis had ever seen. Automobile traffic crawled as drivers struggled to peer through murky air. Buses, streetcars and trains ran an hour behind schedule....

The Erie Canal: How a ‘big ditch’ transformed America’s economy, culture and even religion

Written by Matthew Smith, Visiting Assistant Professor of History, Miami University

The Erie Canal, seen here in Pittsford, N.Y., opened up western regions to trade, immigration and social change.Andre Carrotflower via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Two hundred years ago, on Oct. 26, 1825, New York Gov. DeWitt Clinton boarded a canal boat by the shores of Lake Erie. Amid boisterous festivities, his vessel, the Seneca Chief, embarked...