The Conversation

Trump has purged the Kennedy Center’s board, which in turn made him its chair – why does that matter?

Written by E. Andrew Taylor, Associate Professor and Director of Arts Management, American University

Former Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter walks by The Reach, a major expansion of the performing arts center completed during her tenure.AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

President Donald Trump dismissed half the appointed trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ board on Feb. 12, 2025. The remaining board members, most...

Why is water different colors in different places?

Written by Courtney Di Vittorio, Assistant Professor of Engineering, Wake Forest University

Crater Lake in Oregon looks brilliant blue because its water comes from melting snow and is extremely pure.CST Tami Beduhn, NOAA Ship Fairweather/Flickr, CC BY

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 is water different colors in...

Why do skiers sunburn so easily on the slopes? A snow scientist explains

Written by Steven R. Fassnacht, Professor of Snow Hydrology, Colorado State University

Skiers can sunburn easily for reasons that have nothing to do with the mountain's elevation.Matt Bird/Stone via Getty Images

It’s extremely easy to get sunburned while you’re skiing and snowboarding in the mountains, but have you ever wondered why?

While it’s true that you’re slightly closer to the Sun when you’re high...

Who are Ismaili Muslims and how do their beliefs relate to the Aga Khan’s work?

Written by Shariq Siddiqui, Assistant Professor of Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University

Prince Karim Aga Khan at an event on Oct. 2, 2019, in London.Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Prince Karim Aga Khan, who died on Feb. 4, 2025, served as the religious leader of Ismaili Muslims around the world since being appointed as the 49th hereditary imam in 1957. He came to be known around the world for his enormous work on global development...

Evolving intelligent life took billions of years − but it may not have been as unlikely as many scientists predicted

Written by Daniel Brady Mills, Postdoctoral Fellow in Geomicrobiology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

The Sun's distance from Earth allows it to be habitable for life.DrPixel/Moment via Getty Images

A popular model of evolution concludes that it was incredibly unlikely for humanity to evolve on Earth, and that extraterrestrial intelligence is vanishingly rare.

But as experts on the entangled history of life and our planet, we propose that the...

Congress, not the president, decides on government spending − a constitutional law professor explains how the ‘power of the purse’ works

Written by Zachary Price, Associate Professor of Law, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco

Congress has the authority to spend the nation's money. Presidents try to get around that limitation.ATU Images-The Image Bank/Getty Images

Because of the Trump administration’s efforts to cut staff and spending, Congress’ “power of the purse” has been in the news lately. Many of these actions have been challenged in court.

I&...

How Americans really feel about deporting immigrants – 3 charts explain the conflicting headlines from recent polls

Written by Leo Gugerty, Professor Emeritus in Psychology, Clemson University

A protest in San Diego against the Trump administration's mass deportation plan, Jan. 31, 2025.Carlos Moreno/NurPhoto via Getty Images

President Donald Trump’s signature promise during his campaign was to carry out the “largest deportation” operation in U.S. history, targeting all migrants “who violated the law coming into...

How to find climate data and science the Trump administration doesn’t want you to see

Written by Eric Nost, Associate Professor of Geography, University of Guelph

Government scientists at NOAA collect and provide crucial public information about coastal conditions that businesses, individuals and other scientists rely on.NOAA's National Ocean Service

Information on the internet might seem like it’s there forever, but it’s only as permanent as people choose to make it.

That’s apparent as the...

Nonprofits get more donations when they vary their Facebook fundraising messages − new research

Written by Abhishek Bhati, Associate professor, Bowling Green State University

Money doesn't grow on smartphones.SERSOL/Stock via Getty Images Plus

When nonprofits use multiple strategies during their online fundraising campaigns, such as thanking donors for their support, telling the public about their missions and conveying how they are helping people, they receive more donations than if they stick to only one kind of post....

Parents can soon use QR codes to reveal heavy metal content in baby food

Written by C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut

It's impossible to eliminate heavy metals from baby food entirely, but testing can help consumers make informed decisions.Jeff Greenberg via Getty Images

Parents across the U.S. should soon be able to determine how much lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury are in the food they feed their babies, thanks to a California law, the first of its kind, that...