The Conversation

Teenagers turning to AI companions are redefining love as easy, unconditional and always there

Written by Anna Mae Duane, Professor of English, University of Connecticut

Can a person love an AI chatbot?RLT_Images/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

Teenagers are falling in love with chatbots. Young people are reporting epidemic levels of loneliness, and some are turning to technology to fill the void. Recent tragedies provide a glimpse into the extent of this trend and the dangers it poses.

A 14-year-old boy&rsquo...

Address science misinformation not by repeating the facts, but by building conversation and community

Written by Anne Toomey, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Science, Pace University

Using communication strategies that tap into people's social networks can help agencies combat misinformation. arthobbit/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Misinformation about scientific topics, including falsehoods such as vaccines cause autism and climate change being an entirely natural phenomenon, is an issue scientists have been discussing more and...

Helping teachers learn what works in the classroom − and what doesn’t − will get a lot harder without the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences

Written by Nicole M. McNeil, Professor of Psychology, University of Notre Dame

A U.S. flag and an Education Department flag fly outside the U.S. Department of Education building on Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C.Alex Wong/Getty Images

The future of the Institute of Education Sciences, the nonpartisan research arm of the Education Department, is suddenly in jeopardy. The Department of Government Efficiency, a Trump...

Even as polarization surges, Americans believe they live in a compassionate country

Written by Tara Sonenshine, Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice in Public Diplomacy, Tufts University

Most Americans responding to a survey said compassion is declining but still strong.stellalevi/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

Compassion comes easily to me.

As the granddaughter of immigrants from Lithuania and Poland who spoke little English, I understand what it’s like to be treated as a stranger in America.

As a journalist, I covered...

The New Yorker turns 100 − how a poker game pipe dream became a publishing powerhouse

Written by Christopher B. Daly, Professor Emeritus of Journalism, Boston University

The New Yorker expanded the scope of journalism far beyond the standard categories of crime, courts, politics and sports.Design Uncensored

Literate in tone, far-reaching in scope, and witty to its bones, The New Yorker brought a new – and much-needed – sophistication to American journalism when it launched 100 years ago this month.

As I...

Decluttering can be stressful − a clinical psychologist explains how personal values can make it easier

Written by Mary E. Dozier, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Mississippi State University

Asking how discarding an item fits with a person's goals can help them decide whether to keep it. MoMo Productions via Getty Images

I recently helped my mom sort through boxes she inherited when my grandparents passed away. One box was labeled – either ironically or genuinely – “toothpick holders and other treasures.” Inside...

Why are migrants dying trying to cross into the US? These are the 3 main risks they face

Written by Marni LaFleur, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of San Diego

An altar set at the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Baja, Calif., in November 2024 honors migrants who died trying to reach the U.S. Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump closed much of the activity at the U.S.-Mexico border in January 2025, making it impossible for migrants who arrive at a U.S. port of entry to apply for asylum....

NOAA’s vast public weather data powers the local forecasts on your phone and TV – a private company alone couldn’t match it

Written by Christine Wiedinmyer, Associate Director for Science at CIRES, University of Colorado Boulder

A forecaster monitors incoming data for Hurricane Irma in 2017 at the National Hurricane Center, part of the NOAA.Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

When a hurricane or tornado starts to form, your local weather forecasters can quickly pull up maps tracking its movement and showing where it’s headed. But have you ever wondered...

Legal fight against AI-generated child pornography is complicated – a legal scholar explains why, and how the law could catch up

Written by Wayne Unger, Assistant Professor of Law, Quinnipiac University

Child pornography laws may be clear, but AI makes enforcement more difficult.AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was shaken by revelations in December 2023 that two local teenage boys shared hundreds of nude images of girls in their community over a private chat on the social chat platform Discord. Witnesses said the...

Mirror life is a scientific fantasy leading to a dangerous reality − a synthetic biologist explains how mirror bacteria could conquer life on Earth

Written by Kate Adamala, Assistant Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota

Synthetic biology offers many tantalizing possibilities, but scientists consider some projects too risky to pursue.DBenitostock/Moment via Getty Images

Most major biological molecules, including all proteins, DNA and RNA, point in one direction or another. In other words, they are chiral, or handed. Like how your left glove fits only your left hand...