The Conversation

A decade after the release of ‘The Martian’ and a decade out from the world it envisions, a planetary scientist checks in on real-life Mars exploration

Written by Ari Koeppel, Postdoctoral Scientist in Earth and Planetary Science, Dartmouth College

'The Martian' protagonist Mark Watney contemplates his ordeal.20th Century Fox

Andy Weir’s bestselling story “The Martian” predicts that by 2035 NASA will have landed humans on Mars three times, perfected return-to-Earth flight systems and collaborated with the China National Space Administration. We are now 10 years past the Holly...

Lifecycle of a research grant – behind the scenes of the system that funds science

Written by Kelly S. Mix, Associate Dean for Research, Innovation, and Partnerships in the College of Education, University of Maryland

Without grants for salaries, supplies and more, many research labs would be empty.Solskin/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Science funding is a hot topic these days and people have questions about how grants work. Who decides whether a researcher will receive funds? What’s the decision-making process? How is the money spent once a grant...

FDA will approve COVID-19 vaccine only for older adults and high-risk groups – a public health expert explains the new rules

Written by Libby Richards, Professor of Nursing, Purdue University

Older adults will continue to receive yearly COVID-19 shots, but lower-risk groups will not, says the FDA.dusanpetkovic via iStock / Getty Images Plus

On May 20, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration announced a new stance on who should receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

The agency said it would approve new versions of the vaccine only for adults 65...

What does it mean for Biden’s prostate cancer to be ‘aggressive’? A urologic surgeon explains

Written by Jason P. Joseph, Assistant Professor of Urology, University of Florida

Joe Biden's Cancer Moonshot initiative was started in honor of his son, Beau Biden, who died from brain cancer.AP Photo/Elise Amendola

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. But what does it mean for this type of cancer to be called aggressive?

As a urologic...

Windows are the No. 1 human threat to birds – an ecologist shares some simple steps to reduce collisions

Written by Jason Hoeksema, Professor of Ecology, University of Mississippi

Birds are drawn to the mirror effect of windows. That can turn deadly when they think they see trees.CCahill/iStock/Getty Images Plus

When wood thrushes arrive in northern Mississippi on their spring migration and begin to serenade my neighborhood with their ethereal, harmonized song, it’s one of the great joys of the season. It’s also...

Russia’s invasion united different parts of Ukraine against a common enemy – 3 years on, that unanimity still holds

Written by Ben Horne, Assistant Professor in the School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee

Russian aggression has united Ukrainians around the flag.Omer Messinger/Getty Images

When Russia invaded Ukraine in the spring of 2022, President Vladimir Putin incorrectly assumed it would be a swift takeover.

In fact, three years on, negotiators from both countries are tentatively exploring the idea of a negotiated way out of a largely stalemated...

Trump treats laws as obstacles, not limits − and the only real check on his rule-breaking can come from political pressure

Written by Andrew Reeves, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Weidenbaum Center, Washington University in St. Louis

At his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, Donald Trump swore to 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.'Morry Gash/POOL/AFP, Getty Images

Lately, the headlines have been clear: President Donald Trump is headed for a showdown with the courts. If he ignores their rulings, the courts have few tools and limited power to make...

Too much sitting increases risk of future health problems in chest pain patients – new research

Written by Keith Diaz, Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University

Chest pain could be a symptom of angina or a heart attack.Moyo Studio/E+ via Getty Images

For patients hospitalized with chest pain, the amount of time they spend sedentary afterward is linked to a greater risk for more heart problems and death within a year. That’s the key finding of a new peer-reviewed study my colleagues and I published in...

Why your electricity bill is so high and what Pennsylvania is doing about it

Written by Hannah Wiseman, Professor of Law, Penn State

Pennsylvanians can expect 10% to 20% increases in their electricity bills over the next three years.Gregory Rodriguez/iStock via Getty Images

Americans’ electricity bills tend to tick up each year in line with inflation.

But upgrades to electric wires, reinforcing and protecting power lines from severe weather, and changing fuel costs –...

Rethinking engineering education: Why focusing on learning preferences matters for diversity

Written by Sharon Tettegah, Professor of Creative Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara

Retention and recruitment efforts designed to boost diversity in engineering programs often fall short of their goals.gorodenkoff/Getty Images

For decades, colleges, government agencies and foundations have experimented with recruitment and retention efforts designed to increase diversity in engineering programs.

However, the efforts have not...