The Conversation

AI helps students skip right to the good stuff in this intro programming course

Written by Leo Porter, Teaching Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego

Letting AI do the dirty work of programming frees students to work on problem-solving.Issarawat Tattong/Moment via Getty Images

Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

Title of course:

“Learn AI-Assisted Python Programming”

What prompted the idea for the course?...

Perils of pet poop – so much more than just unsightly and smelly, it can spread disease

Written by Julia Wuerz, Clinical Assistant Professor of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida

Responsible pet owners are on diligent poop patrol.Hannah Sussman, CC BY-ND

Have you ever been out on a walk and as you take that next step, you feel the slippery squish of poop under your foot?

It’s not just gross. Beyond the mess and the smell, it’s potentially infectious. That’s why signs reminding pet owners to “curb your...

Self-extinguishing batteries could reduce the risk of deadly and costly battery fires

Written by Apparao Rao, Professor of Physics, Clemson University

Cutaway view of a Nissan Leaf electric vehicle showing part of its battery array (silver boxes).Tennen-gas/Wikipedia, CC BY-SA

In a newly published study, we describe our design for a self-extinguishing rechargeable battery. It replaces the most commonly used electrolyte, which is highly combustible – a medium composed of a lithium salt and...

From rebel to retail − inside Bob Marley’s posthumous musical and merchandising empire

Written by Mike Alleyne, Professor Emeritus of Recording Industry (Popular Music Studies & Music Business), Middle Tennessee State University

Bob Marley performs at a 'Viva Zimbabwe' independence celebration in April 1980.William F. Campbell/Getty Images

The long-awaited Bob Marley biopic “One Love” will highlight important moments in the musician’s life – his adolescence in Trench Town, his spiritual growth, the attempt on his life. But as a music industry scholar...

It’s the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac − associated with good fortune, wisdom and success

Written by Mario Poceski, Professor of Buddhist Studies and Chinese Religions, University of Florida

Dragons on display in Shanghai. A dragon image is often used to symbolize China itself.Feng Wei Photography/Moment via Getty Images

Among China’s traditional holidays and celebrations, none ranks higher in importance than the Lunar New Year (農曆新年). Also known as the Spring Festival (春節), or simply...

Black communities are using mapping to document and restore a sense of place

Written by Joshua F.J. Inwood, Professor of Geography and Senior Research Associate in the Rock Ethics Institute, Penn State

These highways displaced many Black communities. Some Black activists are using mapping to do the opposite: highlight hidden parts of history.Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division

When historian Carter Woodson created “Negro History Week” in 1926, which became “Black History Month” in 1976, he sought not to just...

Enemy collaboration in occupied Ukraine evokes painful memories in Europe – and the response risks a rush to vigilante justice

Written by Ronald Niezen, Professor of Practice in Sociology and Political Science/International Relations, University of San Diego

A suspected Russian collaborator arrested in Kharkiv, Ukraine.AP Photo/Felipe Dana

Collaboration with the enemy is a common and often painful part of armed conflict. It is also an issue in which I have both a professional and personal interest.

The war in Ukraine is, in many ways, a transparent conflict, with cellphone images, drone cameras and...

Why Elon Musk’s ‘self-driving’ of Tesla’s board and its decision to pay him $56B collided with the law – and what happens next

Written by Justin P. Klein, Director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, University of Delaware

Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick has blocked Elon Musk’s US$55.8 billion pay package, which Tesla’s board of directors approved in 2018 through a process she found to be “deeply flawed.”

No CEO of a publicly traded U.S. company has ever been paid this much for one year’s work, according to...

Why do people and animals need to breathe? A biologist explains why you need a constant source of oxygen

Written by Christina S. Baer, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Your blood's natural limit to how much oxygen it can hold means you can't stockpile it.Lisa520/E+ via Getty Images

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.

Why do humans and animals have to breathe? – Tennessee, age 7, Hartford,...

What do your blood test results mean? A toxicologist explains the basics of how to interpret them

Written by Brad Reisfeld, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Public Health, Colorado State University

From CBC to CMP and beyond, blood test panels provide essential information to health practitioners.angelp/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Your blood serves numerous roles to maintain your health. To carry out these functions, blood contains a multitude of components, including red blood cells that transport oxygen, nutrients and hormones; white blood...