The Conversation

US barrels toward another government shutdown showdown: 4 essential reads

Written by Bryan Keogh, Managing Editor

President Biden and Vice President Harris met on Feb. 27, 2024, with congressional leaders to avert a shutdown.AP Photo/Evan Vucci

President Joe Biden summoned congressional leaders to the White House on Feb. 27, 2024, in a bid to avoid a government shutdown. Democrats and Republicans remain far apart on funding the government, as a group of...

Betty Smith enchanted a generation of readers with ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’ − even as she groused that she hoped Williamsburg would be flattened

Written by Rachel Gordan, Assistant Professor of Religion and Jewish Studies, University of Florida

Betty Smith's novel sold millions of copies in the 1940s.Weegee/International Center of Photography via Getty Images

Eighty years ago, in the winter and spring of 1944, Brooklyn-born author Betty Smith was entering a new chapter of life.

A year earlier, she was an unknown writer, negotiating with her publisher about manuscript edits and the date of...

Where does lightning strike? New maps pinpoint 36.8 million yearly ground strike points in unprecedented detail

Written by Chris Vagasky, Meteorologist, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Lightning strikes near St. George, Utah.jerbarber/iStock/Getty Images Plus

It’s been a warm day, maybe even a little humid, and the tall clouds in the distance remind you of cauliflower. You hear a sharp crack, like the sound of a batter hitting a home run, or a low rumble reminiscent of a truck driving down the highway. A distant...

Gifts that live on, from best bodices to money for bridge repairs: Women’s wills in medieval France give a glimpse into their surprising independence

Written by Joelle Rollo-Koster, Professor of Medieval History, University of Rhode Island

Women's wills and last testaments provide a more nuanced picture of life in the Middle Ages than medieval stereotypes allow, such as that depicted in "Death and the Prostitute" by Master of Philippe of Guelders.Gallica/Bibliothèque nationale de France/Feminae

In medieval Europe, views of women could often be summed up in two words: sinner...

Hundreds of thousands of US infants every year pay the consequences of prenatal exposure to drugs, a growing crisis particularly in rural America

Written by Amna Umer, Associate Professor of Pediatric Epidemiology, West Virginia University

Substance use during pregnancy can lead to a broad array of harmful effects.Liudmila Chernetska/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Nearly 1 in 12 newborns in the United States in 2020 – or about 300,000 infants – were exposed to alcohol, opioids, marijuana or cocaine before they were born. Exposure to these substances puts these newborns at a...

Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexei Navalny, steps forward to lead the Russian opposition – 3 points to understand

Written by Farida Jalalzai, Professor of Political Science; Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Virginia Tech

Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, attends the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 16, 2024, the day it was announced Navalny was dead.Kai Pfaffenbach/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Alexei Navalny, one of Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s biggest critics and the country’s de facto opposition leader, died...

Belief in the myth of outlaw heroes partly explains Donald Trump’s die-hard support

Written by David G. Bromley, Professor Emeritus of World Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University

The former U.S. president speaks in Greenville, S.C., on Feb. 20, 2024.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Before Donald Trump likened himself to Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, the former president frequently compared himself with a completely opposite personality – Chicago organized crime boss Al Capone.

During a speech in Nevada in December...

E-bike incentives are a costly way to cut carbon emissions, but they also promote health, equity and cleaner air

Written by Christopher R. Cherry, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee

A man pulls his kids behind an electric bicycle near the pier in Huntington Beach, Calif.Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register via Getty Images

E-bikes have captured widespread attention across the U.S., and for good reason. They are the most energy-efficient way to move from place to place, providing exercise in the process, and offer enough...

What the ancient Indian text Bhagavad Gita can teach about not putting too much of our identity and emotions into work

Written by Robert J. Stephens, Principal Lecturer in Religion, Clemson University

This famous scene from the Bhagavad Gita, featuring the god Krishna with his cousin, Prince Arjuna, on a chariot heading into war.Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A 2023 Gallup poll found that U.S. employees are generally unhappy at work. The number of those who feel angry and disconnected with their...

Omega-3 fatty acids are linked to better lung health, particularly in patients with pulmonary fibrosis

Written by John Kim, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia

Your diet may play a role in maintaining lung health.magicmine/iStock via Getty Images

Omega-3 fatty acids have garnered significant interest among patients and clinicians for their potential protective health effects, including lung health. In our recently published research, my colleagues and I found that higher dietary intake of omega-3 fatty...