The Conversation

Mirror life is a scientific fantasy leading to a dangerous reality − a synthetic biologist explains how mirror bacteria could conquer life on Earth

Written by Kate Adamala, Assistant Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota

Synthetic biology offers many tantalizing possibilities, but scientists consider some projects too risky to pursue.DBenitostock/Moment via Getty Images

Most major biological molecules, including all proteins, DNA and RNA, point in one direction or another. In other words, they are chiral, or handed. Like how your left glove fits only your left hand...

Rural Americans don’t live as long as those in cities − new research

Written by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, James Irvine Chair in Urban and Regional Planning and Professor of Public Policy, University of Southern California

Part of the problem is that people living in rural areas don't always have easy access to health care.cstar55/iStock via Getty Images

Rural Americans – particularly men – are expected to live significantly shorter, less healthy lives than their urban counterparts, according to our research, recently published in the Journal of Rural...

Whether Christians should prioritize care for migrants as much as for fellow citizens has been debated for centuries

Written by Laura E. Alexander, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Nebraska Omaha

Vice President JD Vance has criticized the U.S. Catholic bishops condemning agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement entering churches and schools.Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Vice President JD Vance and several bishops of the U.S. Roman Catholic Church are having a war of words over the Trump administration’s flurry of executive orders...

How opioid deaths tripled in Philly over a decade − and what may be behind a recent downturn

Written by Ben Cocchiaro, Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, Drexel University

Fatal overdose deaths in Philadelphia dropped 7% in 2023. The city is expected to release 2024 data in the spring.Spencer Platt via Getty Images

After nearly a decade of almost year-over-year increases in overdose deaths, the tide may finally be turning in Philadelphia.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in May 2024 an...

Art and science illuminate the same subtle proportions in tree branches

Written by Mitchell Newberry, Research Assistant Professor of Biology, University of New Mexico

Tree branches in art throughout history follow geometric rules related to fractal geometry. 'Almond blossom' by Vincent van Gogh.Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Do artists and scientists see the same thing in the shape of trees? As a scientist who studies branching patterns in living things, I’m starting to think so.

Piet Mondrian was an early...

If FEMA didn’t exist, could states handle the disaster response alone?

Written by Ming Xie, Assistant Professor of Emergency Management and Public Health, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Hurricane Ian caused widespread damage in Florida in 2022, estimated at over $112 billion. This scene was once a shopping center.Giorgio Veira/AFP via Getty Images

Imagine a world in which a hurricane devastates the Gulf Coast, and the U.S. has no federal agency prepared to quickly send supplies, financial aid and temporary housing assistance.

Could...

Here’s how researchers are helping AIs get their facts straight

Written by Lu Wang, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Michigan

AI chatbots need help learning to give accurate answers.CreativaImages/iStock via Getty Images

AI has made it easier than ever to find information: Ask ChatGPT almost anything, and the system swiftly delivers an answer. But the large language models that power popular tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude were not designed...

Poor sleep and addiction go hand in hand − understanding how could lead to new treatments for opioid use disorder

Written by Ryan Logan, Professor of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School

Whether sleep disorders worsen addiction or addiction worsens sleep disorders is unclear.Maria Korneeva/Moment via Getty Images

A good night’s sleep often sets the stage for a positive day. But for the nearly quarter of American adults struggling with mental illness, a good night’s rest is often elusive.

For patients with psychiatric...

A boycott campaign fuels tension between Black shoppers and Black-owned brands – evoking the long struggle for ‘consumer citizenship’

Written by Timeka N. Tounsel, Associate Professor of Black Studies in Communication, University of Washington

Some Black consumers may be breaking up with Target this February.

It all started late last month, when the retailer announced that it was ending its diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The move drew widespread rebuke from social justice organizers, including New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant. Although Target said...

Why the price of your favorite chocolate will continue to rise

Written by Narcisa Pricope, Professor of Geography and Land Systems Science and Associate Vice President for Research, Mississippi State University

Chocolate prices spiked amid very dry conditions in Africa.Chuck Fishman/Getty Images

Valentine’s Day often conjures images of chocolates and romance. But the crop behind this indulgence faces an existential threat.

Regions like northeastern Brazil, one of the world’s notable cocoa-producing areas, are grappling with increasing aridity...