The Conversation

Trans people affirmed their gender without medical help in medieval Europe − history shows how identity transcends medicine and law

Written by Sarah Barringer, Ph.D. Candidate in English, University of Iowa

The Lady and the Unicorn: Sight.Unknown/Musée de Cluny, Paris via Didier Descouens/Wikimedia Commons

Restrictions on medical care for transgender youth assume that without the ability to medically transition, trans people will vanish.

As of 2024, 26 U.S. states have banned gender-affirming care for young people. Less than a month into...

Why community pharmacies are closing – and what to do if your neighborhood location shutters

Written by Lucas A. Berenbrok, Associate Professor of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh

Neighborhood pharmacies are rapidly shuttering.

Not long ago, Walgreens, one of the nation’s biggest pharmacy chains, announced plans to close 1,200 stores over the next three years. That’s part of a larger trend that has seen nearly 7,000 pharmacy locations close since 2019, with more expected in the coming years.

Many community...

Many gluten-free foods are high in calories and sugar, low on fiber and protein, and they cost more − new research

Written by Sachin Rustgi, Associate Professor of Molecular Breeding, Clemson University

The vast majority of Americans are not sensitive to foods containing gluten.Westend61 via Getty Images

U.S. consumers often pay more for gluten-free products, yet these items typically provide less protein and more sugar and calories compared with gluten-containing alternatives. That is the key finding of my new study, published in the journal...

Deporting millions of immigrants would shock the US economy, increasing housing, food and other prices

Written by Francisco I. Pedraza, Professor of political scinece, Arizona State University

Immigrant farmworkers pick strawberries in California in April 2024. Visions of America/Joe Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

One of President Donald Trump’s major promises during the 2024 presidential campaign was to launch mass deportations of immigrants living in the U.S. without legal authorization.

The U.S. Immigration and...

Firing civil servants and dismantling government departments is how aspiring strongmen consolidate personal power – lessons from around the globe

Written by Erica Frantz, Associate Professor of Political Science, Michigan State University

A leader bent on expanding his own power would see the government's bureaucracy as a key target.Andry Djumantara - iStock/Getty Images Plus

With the recent confirmations of Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – two of the most controversial of President Donald Trump’s high-level administration nominees – the president’s...

Nat King Cole’s often overlooked role in the Civil Rights Movement

Written by Donna M. Cox, Professor of Music, University of Dayton

Nat King Cole performs in Copenhagen, Denmark, in April 1960.Ebbe Wrae/JP Jazz Archive/Getty Images

Six decades after Nat King Cole’s death in 1965, his music is still some of the most played in the world, and his celebrity transcends generational and racial divides. His smooth voice, captivating piano skills and enduring charisma earned him...

Philly’s Chinatown has a rich tradition of activism – the Sixers arena fight was just one of many to preserve the neighborhood

Written by Vivian Truong, Assistant Professor of History, Swarthmore College

Save Chinatown protesters take to the streets on Sept. 7, 2024.Zachary Kreines, CC BY-NC-ND

Visitors commonly view Philadelphia’s Chinatown as a place to eat Chinese food and appreciate Chinese culture. But for longtime members of the Chinatown community, the neighborhood – home to over over 5,000 residents – is also defined by...

How California can rebuild safer, more resilient cities after wildfires without pricing out workers

Written by Nichole Wissman, Assistant Professor of Management, University of San Diego

After the fires, what comes next for residents?Zoe Meyers/AFP via Getty Images

The dramatic images of wealthy neighborhoods burning during the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires captured global attention, but the damage was much more widespread. Many working-class families lost their homes, businesses and jobs. In all, more than 16,000 structures &n...

How Oscar-nominated screenwriters attempt to craft authentic dialogue, dialects and accents

Written by Chris C. Palmer, Professor of English, Kennesaw State University

Editors deployed AI to make the Hungarian dialogue in 'The Brutalist' sound more authentic.A24/TNS

The 2025 slate of Oscar nominees recognizes many writers, directors and actors whose scripts and performances don’t necessarily reflect their own cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley, both white, co-wrote “Sing...

Cutting funding for science can have consequences for the economy, US technological competitiveness

Written by Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona

National Institutes of Health indirect costs, which are under the knife, go toward managing laboratories and facilities. Fei Yang/Moment via Getty Images

America has already lost its global competitive edge in science, and funding cuts proposed in early 2025 may further a precipitous decline.

Proposed cuts to the federal agencies that fund...