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What the dead, the uncanny and the monstrous tell us about human nature

  • Written by Jue Liang, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Case Western Reserve University
imageA scroll illustrating the realm of the hungry ghosts, one of the six realms in Buddhist cosmology.Kyoto National Museum via Wikimedia Commons

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

Title of the course

Ghosts, Zombies and Monsters: What We Fear and Loathe in Religions

What...

Read more: What the dead, the uncanny and the monstrous tell us about human nature

Why does a rocket have to go 25,000 mph to escape Earth?

  • Written by Benjamin L. Emerson, Principal Research Engineer, School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
imageA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with its Crew Dragon capsule launches from Cape Canaveral, Fla., in January 2024.Chandan Khanna/AFP 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 does a rocket have to go 25,000 mph (about...

Read more: Why does a rocket have to go 25,000 mph to escape Earth?

From watts to warheads: Secretary of energy oversees big science research and the US nuclear arsenal

  • Written by Valerie Thomas, Professor of Industrial Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
imageThe Energy Department recently finished modernizing the B61-12 nuclear bomb, extending its service life by at least 20 years.Devan Halstead, U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Department of Energy was created in 1977 by merging two agencies with different missions: the Atomic Energy Commission, which developed, tested and maintained the nation’s...

Read more: From watts to warheads: Secretary of energy oversees big science research and the US nuclear arsenal

Secretary of defense must perform a ‘delicate dance’ between the president, Congress and the public

  • Written by Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director, McCain Institute, Arizona State University
imageThe U.S. military is a massive group effort serving the nation's -- and the public's -- interests.AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Senate confirmation hearings are slated to begin on Jan. 14, 2025, for Pete Hegseth, whom President-elect Donald Trump has chosen to serve as the next secretary of defense. It’s a massive job, broadly affecting...

Read more: Secretary of defense must perform a ‘delicate dance’ between the president, Congress and the public

Wildfires can contaminate drinking water systems with harmful chemicals − here’s what Los Angeles needs to know

  • Written by Andrew J. Whelton, Professor of Civil, Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Purdue University
imageWater runs from a pipe where a home once stood in the Pacific Palisades community of Los Angeles in January 2025. Jay L. Clendenin/Getty Images

The wildfires in the Los Angeles area have destroyed thousands of structures, many of them homes, and firefighters continue to battle the infernos. Parts of Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena and other...

Read more: Wildfires can contaminate drinking water systems with harmful chemicals − here’s what Los Angeles...

Philly sports fans consider themselves ‘gritty’ − but it’s merely a myth used to fuel their passion

  • Written by Timothy J. Brown, Professor of Communication Studies, Eastern University
imagePhilly sports fans ... rowdy or rude?Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Philadelphia sports fans like to think of themselves as “gritty.”

In Philadelphia, grittiness can be defined as a working-class ideology that thrives on being the “underdog” and emphasizes toughness, hard work, physicality and a combative...

Read more: Philly sports fans consider themselves ‘gritty’ − but it’s merely a myth used to fuel their passion

An eye for an eye: People agree about the values of body parts across cultures and eras

  • Written by Yunsuh Nike Wee, Ph.D. Student in Experimental Psychology, Oklahoma State University
imageThese values seem due more to shared intuitions than local customs or social practices.arturbo/E+ via Getty Images

The Bible’s lex talionis – “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Exodus 21:24-27) – has captured the human imagination for millennia. This idea of fairness has been a model for...

Read more: An eye for an eye: People agree about the values of body parts across cultures and eras

How the EPA administrator protects public health, air, water and the environment

  • Written by Stan Meiburg, Executive Director, Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University
imageAn EPA-sponsored cleanup of toxic waste from the Gowanus Canal, a Superfund site in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 2016.Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

From the time you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night, and even while you are asleep, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency affects your life. The air you breathe, the water you...

Read more: How the EPA administrator protects public health, air, water and the environment

With more Americans able to access legalized marijuana, fewer are picking up prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications – new research

  • Written by Ashley Bradford, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology
imageNew research suggests that in some states, medicinal cannabis use could be leading to a reduction in the use of anxiety medications.Olena Ruban/Moment via Getty Images

In states where both medical and recreational marijuana are legal, fewer patients are filling prescriptions for medications used to treat anxiety. That is the key finding of my...

Read more: With more Americans able to access legalized marijuana, fewer are picking up prescriptions for...

Even 1 drink a day elevates your cancer risk – an expert on how alcohol affects the body breaks down a new government report

  • Written by Nikki Crowley, Assistant Professor of Biology, Biomedical Engineering and Pharmacology, Penn State
imageThe Surgeon General's report links alcohol to 100,000 cancer cases every year.Lord Henri Voton/E+ via Getty Images

Many people use the new year to reflect on their relationship with alcohol. Just-released government guidelines are giving Americans another reason to consider a “dry January.”

Over the past few decades, mounting scientific...

Read more: Even 1 drink a day elevates your cancer risk – an expert on how alcohol affects the body breaks...

More Articles ...

  1. Funding public schools based on enrollment in the previous year may help keep their budgets more stable, research shows
  2. Many ‘impact investors’ aren’t fully tracking whether their investments are good for society or the environment − new research
  3. From anecdotes to AI tools, how doctors make medical decisions is evolving with technology
  4. Southern California is extremely dry, and that’s fueling fires − maps show just how dry
  5. Trump gets an ‘unconditional discharge’ in hush money conviction − a constitutional law expert explains what that means
  6. Wildfire smoke inside homes can create health risks that linger for months − tips for cleaning and staying safe
  7. How the U.S. could in fact make Canada an American territory
  8. 2024’s extreme ocean heat leaves 2 mysteries to solve
  9. 2024’s extreme ocean heat breaks records again, leaving 2 mysteries to solve
  10. Trump’s Greenland bid is really about control of the Arctic and the coming battle with China
  11. Germany and US have long been allies - that could change with Trump
  12. Birkin handbags, Walmart’s ‘Wirkin’ and the meme-ification of class warfare
  13. How midlife became a crisis
  14. Trees ‘remember’ wetter times − never having known abundant rain could buffer today’s young forests against climate change
  15. I study modern-day slavery − and here’s what I’ve learned about how enslavers try to justify their actions
  16. 3 myths about rural education that are holding students back
  17. How the world fell in love with plastic without thinking through the consequences – podcast
  18. How Santa Ana winds fueled the deadly fires in Southern California
  19. Trump won’t rule out force to take Greenland – a country with a complex colonial history
  20. Trump’s push to control Greenland echoes US purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867
  21. Want to quit vaping this year? Here’s what the evidence shows so far about effective strategies
  22. 3 ways Trump’s EPA could use the language of science to weaken pollution controls
  23. Logging off life but living on: How AI is redefining death, memory and immortality
  24. Nuclear fusion could one day be a viable clean energy source – but big engineering challenges stand in the way
  25. Selfish or selfless? Anti-natalists say they’re going child-free to protect the kids they won’t have
  26. Interior secretary manages vast lands that all Americans share − and can sway the balance between conservation and development
  27. Gender balance in computer science and engineering is improving at elite universities but getting worse elsewhere
  28. Who owns that restaurant? The answer can affect food safety in unexpected ways, researchers find
  29. Jean-Marie Le Pen died knowing his extremist far-right politics have been successfully mainstreamed in France
  30. Vitamin deficiency may be why you’re so tired – a nutritional neuroscientist explains how to kickstart your energy by getting essential nutrients in a well-rounded diet, along with more sleep and exercise
  31. Unlikely bedfellows: How platform companies shortchange porn performers and ride-hailing drivers alike
  32. Providing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants improves birth outcomes, research shows
  33. Technology is supposed to decrease teacher burnout – but we found it can sometimes make it worse
  34. Brain monitoring may be the future of work – how it’s used could improve employee performance or worsen discrimination
  35. Planning for spring’s garden? Bees like variety and don’t care about your neighbors’ yards
  36. Trudeau taps out: How Trump’s taunts and tariff threats added to domestic woes confronting Canada’s long-standing PM
  37. Americans’ rage at insurers goes beyond health coverage – the author of ‘Delay, Deny, Defend’ points to 3 reforms that could help
  38. How Christian nationalism played a role in incorporating the phrase ‘so help me God’ in the presidential oath of office
  39. That Arctic blast can feel brutally cold, but how much colder than ‘normal’ is it really?
  40. What Shakespeare revealed about the chaotic reign of Richard III – and why the play still resonates in the age of Donald Trump
  41. Nearly 54% of extreme conservatives say the federal government should use violence to stop illegal immigration
  42. Plants that evolved in Florida over millennia now face extinction and lack protection
  43. Microbes can colonize space, produce drugs and create energy − researchers are simulating their inner workings to harness how
  44. What is a war crime?
  45. Here’s what happens when teachers tailor their lessons to students’ individual learning styles
  46. Relentless warming is driving the water cycle to new extremes, the 2024 global water report shows
  47. Mainstream media faces a credibility crisis – my journalism research shows how the news can still serve the public
  48. Will AI revolutionize drug development? Researchers explain why it depends on how it’s used
  49. Is the American Dream achievable? These students are examining its promises and pitfalls
  50. Tech law in 2025: a look ahead at AI, privacy and social media regulation under the new Trump administration