The Conversation

Social media before bedtime wreaks havoc on our sleep − a sleep researcher explains why screens alone aren’t the main culprit

Written by Brian N. Chin, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Trinity College

Social media use before bedtime can be stimulating in ways that screen time alone is not. Adam Hester/Tetra Images via Getty Images

“Avoid screens before bed” is one of the most common pieces of sleep advice. But what if the real problem isn’t screen time − it’s the way we use social media at night?

Sleep deprivation is...

How racism fueled the Eaton Fire’s destruction in Altadena − a scholar explains why discrimination can raise fire risk for Black Californians

Written by Calvin Schermerhorn, Professor of History, Arizona State University

Altadena is inherently prone to fire. But Black residents are the most vulnerable. Mario Tama/Getty Images

The damage from the Eaton Fire wasn’t indiscriminate. The blaze that ravaged the city of Altadena, California, in January 2025, killing 17 people and consuming over 9,000 buildings, destroyed Black Altadenans’ homes in greatest...

Providing farmworkers with health insurance is worth it for their employers − new research

Written by John Lowrey, Assistant Professor of Supply Chain and Health Sciences, Northeastern University

Farmworkers at Del Bosque Farms pick and pack melons on a mobile platform in Firebaugh, Calif., in July 2021.AP Photo/Terry Chea

Agricultural employers who provide farmworkers with health insurance earn higher profits, even after accounting for the cost of that coverage. In addition, farmworkers who get health insurance through their employers are...

Peru’s ancient irrigation systems succeeded in turning deserts into farms because of the culture − without it, the systems failed

Written by Ari Caramanica, Assistant Professor of Archaeology, Vanderbilt University

A pre-Hispanic canal funnels water from mountains to farm fields.Ari Caramanica

Seeing the north coast of Peru for the first time, you would be hard-pressed to believe it’s one of the driest deserts in the world.

Parts of the region receive less than an inch of rain in an entire year. Yet, water and greenery are everywhere. This is the...

The ‘courage to be’ in uncertain times − how one 20th-century philosopher defined bravery

Written by Mordechai Gordon, Professor of Education, Quinnipiac University

Over the past few weeks, as negotiations for a ceasefire in Ukraine drag on, I’ve thought back to Feb. 28, 2025: the day of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s heated visit to the Oval Office.

Zelenskyy has called the tone of the meeting “regrettable” as he tries to salvage support for Ukraine. But in some ways, he has stood by his...

AI isn’t what we should be worried about – it’s the humans controlling it

Written by Billy J. Stratton, Professor of English and Literary Arts, University of Denver

In William Gibson's 'Neuromancer,' the AI seeks sanctuary from humanity's corrupting influence.Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis via Getty Images

In 2014, Stephen Hawking voiced grave warnings about the threats of artificial intelligence.

His concerns were not based on any anticipated evil intent, though. Instead, it was from the idea of AI achieving...

What is reinforcement learning? An AI researcher explains a key method of teaching machines – and how it relates to training your dog

Written by Ambuj Tewari, Professor of Statistics, University of Michigan

Training an AI system and training a dog have a basic principle in common.Westend61 via Getty Images

Understanding intelligence and creating intelligent machines are grand scientific challenges of our times. The ability to learn from experience is a cornerstone of intelligence for machines and living beings alike.

In a remarkably prescient 1948...

American liberators of Nazi camps got ‘a lifelong vaccine against extremism’ − their wartime experiences are a warning for today

Written by Sara J. Brenneis, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Spanish, Amherst College

A staged recreation of Mauthausen's liberation, May 6, 1945. Spanish prisoners documented the camp's actual liberation the day prior using Nazi cameras. National Archives and Records, Cpl. Donald R. Ornitz, US Signal Corps/Administration, III-SC-206395

When American soldiers liberated the Mauthausen Nazi concentration camp in Austria 80 years ago...

EPA must use the best available science − by law − but what does that mean?

Written by H. Christopher Frey, Glenn E. Futrell Distinguished University Professor of Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University

Science is essential as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency carries out its mission to protect human health and the environment.

In fact, laws passed by Congress require the EPA to use the “best available science” in many decisions about regulations, permits, cleaning up contaminated sites and responding to emergencies.

For...

The trade deficit isn’t an emergency – it’s a sign of America’s strength

Written by Tarek Alexander Hassan, Professor of Economics, Boston University

When U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on imported goods on April 2, 2025 – upending global trade and sending markets into a tailspin – he presented the move as a response to a crisis. In an executive order released the same day, the White House said the move was necessary to address “the national emergency...