The Conversation

To spur the construction of affordable, resilient homes, the future is concrete

Written by Pablo Moyano Fernández, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Washington University in St. Louis

A modular, precast system of concrete 'rings' can be connected in different ways to build a range of models of energy-efficient homes.Pablo Moyano Fernández, CC BY-SA

Wood is, by far, the most common material used in the U.S. for single-family home construction.

But wood construction isn’t engineered for long-term durability, and it oft...

Astronomy has a major data problem – simulating realistic images of the sky can help train algorithms

Written by John Peterson, Assoc. Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University

A simulation of a set of synthetic galaxies. Photons are sampled from these galaxies and have been simulated through the Earth's atmosphere, a telescope and a sensor using a code called PhoSim.John Peterson/Purdue

Professional astronomers don’t make discoveries by looking through an eyepiece like you might with a backyard telescope. Instead,...

Neuropathic pain has no immediate cause – research on a brain receptor may help stop this hard-to-treat condition

Written by Pooja Shree Chettiar, Ph.D. Candidate in Medical Sciences, Texas A&M University

Neuropathic pain is experienced both physically and emotionally.Salim Hanzaz/iStock via Getty Images

Pain is easy to understand until it isn’t. A stubbed toe or sprained ankle hurts, but it makes sense because the cause is clear and the pain fades as you heal.

But what if the pain didn’t go away? What if even a breeze felt like fire, or...

I’m an expert in crafting public health messages: Here are 3 marketing strategies I use to make Philadelphia healthier

Written by Sarah Bauerle Bass, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Temple University

A comic book produced for Black transgender women in Philadelphia explains the benefits of using PrEP to prevent HIV infection.Wriply Bennet for the Risk Communication Laboratory, Temple University

In Philadelphia, the leading causes of death are heart disease, cancer and unintentional drug overdose. While some of these deaths are caused by things...

How do atoms form? A physicist explains where the atoms that make up everything around come from

Written by Stephen L. Levy, Associate Professor of Physics and Applied Physics and Astronomy, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Many heavy atoms form from a supernova explosion, the remnants of which are shown in this image. NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team

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.

How do atoms form? – Joshua, age 7, Shoreview, Minnesota

Richa...

The sleeper Supreme Court decision that could have profound impacts on the Trump administration agenda – and restore faith in the high court

Written by Ray Brescia, Associate Dean for Research and Intellectual Life, Albany Law School

The Trump administration has tried to punish or suppress speech and opposition to administration policies.Baac3nes/Getty Images

The American public’s trust in the Supreme Court has fallen precipitously over the past decade. Many across the political spectrum see the court as too political.

This view is only strengthened when Americans see...

No country for old business owners: Economic shifts create a growing challenge for America’s aging entrepreneurs

Written by Nancy Forster-Holt, Clinical Associate Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Rhode Island

Americans love small businesses. We dedicate a week each year to applauding them, and spend Small Business Saturday shopping locally. Yet hiding in plain sight is an enormous challenge facing small business owners as they age: retiring with dignity and foresight. The current economic climate is making this even more difficult.

As a professor who...

After the smoke clears, a wildfire’s legacy can haunt rivers for years, putting drinking water at risk

Written by Ben Livneh, Associate Professor of Hydrology, University of Colorado Boulder

Burned ground can become hydrophobic and almost waxlike, allowing rainfall to quickly wash contaminants downslope.Carli Brucker

Picture a wildfire raging across a forested mountainside. The smoke billows and the flames rise. An aircraft drops vibrant red flame retardant. It’s a dramatic, often dangerous scene. But the threat to water supplies...

US bombs Iran’s nuclear sites: What led to Trump pulling the trigger – and what happens next?

Written by Javed Ali, Associate Professor of Practice of Public Policy, University of Michigan

US President Donald Trump addresses the nation on Iran strikes on June 21, 2025Carlos Barria/AFP via Getty Images

In the early hours of June 22, 2025, local time, the United States attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran with “bunker buster” bombs and Tomahawk missiles.

Following more than a week of Israeli strikes on various targets...

Outsourcing cost of ‘impact’ data could mean 13% more bang for every charitable buck

Written by George E. Mitchell, Professor of Public and International Affairs, Baruch College, CUNY

Trying to measure a charity's impact requires the right tools.MirageC/Moment via Getty Images

Charitable donors often make gifts despite having little information about the organizations they support. Without relevant data, that money may not flow to the charities that evidence suggests are delivering the biggest bang for donors’ bucks.

But...