The Conversation

Why some storms brew up to extreme dimensions in the middle of America – and why it’s happening more often

Written by Shuang-Ye Wu, Professor of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, University of Dayton

Floodwaters rise in downtown Hopkinsville, Ky., on April 4, 2025.AP Photo/George Walker IV

A powerful storm system that stalled over states from Texas to Ohio for several days in early April 2025 wreaked havoc across the region, with deadly tornadoes, mudslides and flooding as rivers rose. More than a foot of rain fell in several areas.

As a climate...

Cities that want to attract business might want to focus less on financial incentives and more on making people feel safe

Written by Kaitlyn DeGhetto, Associate Professor of Management, University of Dayton

To attract business investment, American cities and states offer companies billions of dollars in incentives, such as tax credits. As the theory goes, when governments create a business-friendly environment, it encourages investment, leading to job creation and economic growth.

While this theory may seem logical on its face, it’s a bit of a...

The founder kings of Silicon Valley: Dual-class stock gives US social media company controllers nearly as much power as ByteDance has over TikTok

Written by Gregory H. Shill, Professor of Law & Michael and Brenda Sandler Faculty Fellow in Corporate Law, University of Iowa

When Congress passed a law in 2024 to ban TikTok unless it came under U.S. ownership, lawmakers argued that the app’s Chinese parent company posed national security concerns. The Trump administration, which had granted the viral video app a reprieve shortly after taking office in January 2025, extended that pause again on April 4 after the...

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...