The Conversation

Women in STEM face challenges and underrepresentation – this course gives them tools to succeed

Written by Filomena Nunes, Professor of Physics, Michigan State University

Women with strong networks and communities are most likely to succeed in the STEM fields. LWA/Dann Tardif via Getty Images

As a graduate student in physics, I was often the only woman in the room. As I gained more experience, I learned valuable lessons about the scientific community and how to better advance my career. Once I started mentoring...

My research team used 18 years of sea wave records to learn how destructive ‘rogue waves’ form – here’s what we found

Written by Francesco Fedele, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Rogue waves have captivated the attention of both seafarers and scientists for decades. These are giant, isolated waves that appear suddenly in the open ocean.

These puzzling giants are brief, typically lasting less than a minute before disappearing. They can reach heights of 65 feet (20 meters) or greater and often more than twice the height of...

US has slashed global vaccine funding – if philanthropy fills the gap, there could be some trade-offs

Written by Amy E. Stambach, Professor of Cultural Anthropology and International Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Bill Gates gives a baby in a woman's arms a rotavirus vaccine in Ghana in 2013.Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. government is relaxing federal vaccine requirements and cutting vaccine research and development funding here at home. Elsewhere, it’s going even further.

The Trump administration has stopped funding Gavi, a global...

This isn’t how wars are ended − a veteran diplomat explains how Trump-Putin summit is amateurish and politically driven

Written by Donald Heflin, Executive Director of the Edward R. Murrow Center and Senior Fellow of Diplomatic Practice, The Fletcher School, Tufts University

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska on Aug. 15, 2025. Here, they arrive for a group photo at the G20 Summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty ImagesBrendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

A hastily arranged summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President...

Moose have lived in Colorado for centuries – unpacking the evidence from history, archaeology and oral traditions

Written by William Taylor, Assistant Professor and Curator of Archaeology, University of Colorado Boulder

Moose may have been in Colorado longer than previously thought.Illustration courtesy of Ettore Mazza, CC BY-ND

Moose are on the loose in the southern Rockies.

In July 2025, a young wandering bull was captured roaming a city park in Greeley, Colorado. A spate of similar urban sightings alongside some aggressive moose encounters has elevated moose...

Inside an urban heat island, one street can be much hotter than its neighbor – new tech makes it easier to target cooling projects

Written by Dan O'Brien, Professor of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and Director of the Boston Area Research Initiative, Northeastern University

A tree canopy can make a big difference in temperature for people on the street below. The challenge is getting trees where they're needed most.Andrey Denisyuk/Moment via Getty Images

It’s summer, and it’s been hot, even in northern cities such as Boston. But not everyone is hit with the heat in the same way, even within the same...

What is rust? A materials scientist explains metal’s crusty enemy

Written by Guangwen Zhou, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Rust can attack the surfaces of old metal objects, such as bicycles.Sami Auvinen/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

What is rust? – Henry E., age 13, Boston, Massachusetts

Imagine leaving your...

Inside the search for sustainable aviation fuels, which are on the federal chopping block

Written by Li Qiao, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University

Researchers are working to make aviation fuel more environmentally friendly.Tsvetomir Hristov/Moment via Getty Images

The federal spending law passed in early July 2025, often called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, significantly reduces federal funding for efforts to create renewable or sustainable types of fuel that can power aircraft over long...

For Syrian Druze, latest violence is one more chapter in a centuries-long struggle over autonomy

Written by Rami Zeedan, Associate Professor, University of Kansas

An elderly Druze man stands near Syria's new flag and the multicolored Druze flag in Al Karama Square in the city of Sweida on March 4, 2025.AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki

Fighting has flared on and off in southern Syria for nearly a month, despite a fragile ceasefire. Violence in July 2025 left more than 1,600 people dead, according to the Syrian...

Schools are looking for chaplains, but the understanding of who – and what – chaplains are varies widely

Written by Wendy Cadge, Professor of Sociology and President, Bryn Mawr College

Navy Chaplain Judy Malana sings during the funeral service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter on Nov. 29, 2023, in Plains, Ga.Photo by Alex Brandon - Pool/Getty Images

There is an ongoing push to make chaplains available in public schools across the United States. Chaplains, also called spiritual caregivers, are religious professionals who work...