The Conversation

Scandinavia has its own dark history of assimilating Indigenous people, and churches played a role – but are apologizing

Written by Thomas A. DuBois, Professor of Scandinavian Studies, Folklore, and Religious Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison

A church in Kiruna, Sweden, designed by architect Gustaf Wickman to resemble a Sami hut.Apolline Guillerot-Malick/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

In May 2025, Tapio Luoma, archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, delivered an apology to the Sámi, the only recognized Indigenous people in the European Union.

Speaking...

Jews were barred from Spain’s New World colonies − but that didn’t stop Jewish and converso writers from describing the Americas

Written by Flora Cassen, Senior Faculty, Hartman Institute and Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies, Washington University in St. Louis

An auto-da-fé − a public punishment for heretics − in San Bartolome Otzolotepec, in present-day Mexico.Museo Nacional de Arte via Wikimedia Commons

Every few years, a story about Columbus resurfaces: Was the Genoese navigator who claimed the Americas for Spain secretly Jewish, from a Spanish family fleeing the Inquisition?

This...

Supreme Court rules that states may deny people covered by Medicaid the freedom to choose Planned Parenthood as their health care provider

Written by Naomi Cahn, Professor of Law, University of Virginia

Abortion-rights demonstrators holds a sign in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington as the Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic case is heard on April 2, 2025.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Having the freedom to choose your own health care provider is something many Americans take for granted. But the U.S. Supreme...

Toxic algae blooms are lasting longer than before in Lake Erie − why that’s a worry for people and pets

Written by Gregory J. Dick, Professor of Biology, University of Michigan

A satellite image from Aug. 13, 2024, shows an algal bloom covering approximately 320 square miles (830 square km) of Lake Erie. By Aug. 22, it had nearly doubled in size.NASA Earth Observatory

Federal scientists released their annual forecast for Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms on June 26, 2025, and they expect a mild to moderate season....

Toxic algae blooms are lasting longer in Lake Erie − why that’s a worry for people and pets

Written by Gregory J. Dick, Professor of Biology, University of Michigan

A satellite image from Aug. 13, 2024, shows an algal bloom covering approximately 320 square miles (830 square km) of Lake Erie. By Aug. 22, it had nearly doubled in size.NASA Earth Observatory

Federal scientists released their annual forecast for Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms on June 26, 2025, and they expect a mild to moderate season....

Natural hazards don’t disappear when the storm ends or the earthquake stops – they evolve

Written by Brian J. Yanites, Associate Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Science. Professor of Surficial and Sedimentary Geology, Indiana University

The Carter Lodge hangs precariously over the flood-scoured bank of the Broad River in Chimney Rock Village, N.C., on May 13, 2025, eight months after Hurricane Helene.AP Photo/Allen G. Breed

Hurricane Helene lasted only a few days in September 2024, but it altered the landscape of the Southeastern U.S. in profound ways that will affect the hazards...

Hurricane Helene set up future disasters, from landslides to flooding – cascading hazards like these are now upending risk models

Written by Brian J. Yanites, Associate Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Science. Professor of Surficial and Sedimentary Geology, Indiana University

The Carter Lodge hangs precariously over the flood-scoured bank of the Broad River in Chimney Rock Village, N.C., on May 13, 2025, eight months after Hurricane Helene.AP Photo/Allen G. Breed

Hurricane Helene lasted only a few days in September 2024, but it altered the landscape of the Southeastern U.S. in profound ways that will affect the hazards...

Grilling with lump charcoal: Is US-grown hardwood really in that bag?

Written by Adriana Costa, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Bioproducts, Mississippi State University

When you're getting ready to cook, do you know what's burning underneath?Alexandr Baranov/iStock/Getty Images Plus

People dedicated to the art of grilling often choose lump charcoal – actual pieces of wood that have been turned into charcoal – over briquettes, which are compressed charcoal dust with other ingredients to keep the dust...

Uranium enrichment: A chemist explains how the surprisingly common element is processed to power reactors and weapons

Written by André O. Hudson, Dean of the College of Science, Professor of Biochemistry, Rochester Institute of Technology

Yellowcake is a concentrated form of mined and processed uranium. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, CC BY

When most people hear the word uranium, they think of mushroom clouds, Cold War standoffs or the glowing green rods from science fiction. But uranium isn’t just fuel for apocalyptic fears. It’s also a surprisingly common element that...

Yelp’s addition of a ‘Black-owned’ tag led to a slight drop in business ratings in Detroit

Written by Matthew Bui, Assistant Professor of Information and Digital Studies, University of Michigan

Yelp's Black-owned tag was designed to help business owners like Don Studvent attract more customers. His restaurant closed in 2018 after nine years in business.AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

When the online review platform Yelp added a “Black-owned” tag in 2020, it boosted the visibility of Black-owned restaurants in Detroit. It also caused...