The Conversation

Chaos gardening – wild beauty, or just a mess? A sustainable landscape specialist explains the trend

Written by Deryn Davidson, Sustainable Landscape State Specialist, Extension, Colorado State University

A mix of annuals and perennials can look colorful and carefree.Deryn Davidson

If you’ve spent any time in the gardening corners of social media lately, you’ve likely come across a trend called “chaos gardening.”

The name alone is eye-catching – equal parts fun, rebellious and slightly alarming. Picture someone tossing...

One of Hurricane Katrina’s most important lessons isn’t about storm preparations – it’s about injustice

Written by Ivis García, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University

New Orleans residents wait to be rescued from a rooftop two days after Hurricane Katrina made landfall.AP Photo/David J. Phillipp

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans, the images still haunt us: entire neighborhoods underwater, families stranded on rooftops and a city brought to its knees.

We study disaster planning at Texas...

Misspelled names may give brands a Lyft – if the spelling isn’t too weird

Written by Annika Abell, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Tennessee

Misspelled brand names can be catchy – but don't always connect with consumers. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Consumers don’t mind when companies use misspelled words – think Lyft for “lift” or Froot Loops for “fruit loops” – as their brand names, as long as the alterations aren’t too extreme and...

Reverse discrimination? In spite of the MAGA bluster over DEI, data shows white Americans are still advantaged

Written by Fred L. Pincus, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

There's no evidence of widespread racial discrimination against white people.Sebastian Gorczowski/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Two big assumptions underlie President Donald Trump’s attack on diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The first is that discrimination against people of color is a thing of the past. The second is that DEI policies...

Alaska summit and its afterlife provides a glimpse into what peace looks like to Putin and Trump

Written by Ronald Suny, Professor of History and Political Science, University of Michigan

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska.Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

For all the pomp and staged drama of the summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the substantive part of the spectacle – that is, the negotiations between two great powers over the grinding war in...

1 in 5 Bolivians spoiled their ballots – a sign of voter dissatisfaction as nation tips to the right

Written by Mollie J. Cohen, Associate Professor of Political Science, Purdue University

A pedestrian walks past graffiti promoting a null vote in the 2025 Bolivian presidential elections.AP Photo/Juan Karita

For the first time since the country’s return to democracy in 1982, Bolvia’s presidential election will go to a runoff after no candidate secured the required absolute majority in the first-round vote on Aug. 17, 2025....

AI is about to radically alter military command structures that haven’t changed much since Napoleon’s army

Written by Benjamin Jensen, Professor of Strategic Studies at the Marine Corps University School of Advanced Warfighting; Scholar-in-Residence, American University School of International Service

This U.S. Army command post, seen from a drone, is loaded with modern technology but uses a centuries-old structure.Col. Scott Woodward, U.S. Army

Despite two centuries of evolution, the structure of a modern military staff would be recognizable to Napoleon. At the same time, military organizations have struggled to incorporate new technologies as...

Some pro athletes keep getting better as they age − neuroscience can explain how they stay sharp

Written by Fiddy Davis Jaihind Jothikaran, Associate Professor of Kinesiology, Hope College

Recovery and mental resilience support the development of neuroplasticity, which helps athletes like Allyson Felix stay sharp. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

In a world where sports are dominated by youth and speed, some athletes in their late 30s and even 40s are not just keeping up – they are thriving.

Novak Djokovic is still outlasting opponents...

Data-driven early intervention strategies could revolutionize Philly’s approach to crime prevention

Written by Caterina G. Roman, Professor of Criminal Justice, Temple University

Positive role models are a key anti-violence strategy. monkeybusinessimages/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Pennsylvania spends roughly US$200,000 a year for each juvenile it incarcerates, according to a 2021 report from the bipartisan Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice Task Force.

That’s 50 times the cost to deliver evidence-based family therapy that...

Data that taxpayers have paid for and rely on is disappearing – here’s how it’s happening and what you can do about it

Written by Margaret Levenstein, Research Professor at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan

Many U.S. government agencies collect data and make it publicly available.Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

People rely on data from federal agencies every day – often without realizing it.

Rural residents use groundwater level data from the U.S. geological survey’s National Water Information System to decide where to dig wells. High school...