The Conversation

Dali hit Key Bridge with the force of 66 heavy trucks at highway speed

Written by Amanda Bao, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Technology, Environmental Management and Safety, Rochester Institute of Technology

The Baltimore bridge didn't stand a chance.AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson

The cargo ship Dali knocked down three main truss spans, constructed with connected steel elements forming triangles, on the Francis Scott Key Bridge just seconds after crashing into one of the bridge piers early on Tuesday morning, March 26, 2024.

The bridge collapse...

US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

Written by Hao Peng, Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational Social Science, Northwestern University

Once their research comes out, who will be quoted in the news coverage?gorodenkoff/iStock via Getty Images Plus

When one Chinese national recently petitioned the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a permanent resident, he thought his chances were pretty good. As an accomplished biologist, he figured that news articles in top media...

Coastal wetlands can’t keep pace with sea-level rise, and infrastructure is leaving them nowhere to go

Written by Randall W. Parkinson, Research Associate Professor in Coastal Geology, Florida International University

Wetlands at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland shows signs of 'pitting,' where areas of cordgrass have converted to open water. Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program via Wikimedia, CC BY-NC

Wetlands have flourished along the world’s coastlines for thousands of years, playing valuable roles in the lives of people and wildlife. They...

A dramatic schism over social issues? The United Methodist Church has been here before – but this time, America’s religious landscape is far different

Written by Christopher H. Evans, Professor of the History of Christianity, Boston University

Debates over LGBTQ+ issues have divided Methodist congregations for years leading up to the current schism.AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File

The United Methodist Church’s General Conference will meet in Charlotte, North Carolina from April 23 to May 4, 2024. Originally scheduled for 2020 and delayed three times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this...

Fetal personhood rulings could nullify a pregnant patient’s wishes for end-of-life care

Written by Jessica L. Waters, Assistant Professor of Justice, Law & Criminology, American University

People who are pregnant or planning to be should be as clear as possible about their wishes for end-of-life care during pregnancy.sturti/E+ via Getty Images

The Alabama Supreme Court handed down an unprecedented decision in February 2024, holding that stored frozen embryos created for in vitro fertilization, known as IVF, were “minor...

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

Written by Adi Foord, Assistant Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Thousands of galaxies, each containing billions of stars, are in this 2022 photo taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

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.

If the James Webb telescope was 10 times more...

Happier, more connected neighborhoods start right in the front yard

Written by Conrad Kickert, Associate Professor of Architecture, University at Buffalo

A front lawn can be a canvas for kitsch, elegance and everything in between.Jeff Hutchens/Getty Images

A salve for America’s loneliness epidemic could exist right in front of its homes.

Front yards are a staple of many American neighborhoods. Lush plantings, porches or trinkets can capture the attention of passersby and spark conversation....

What causes earthquakes in the Northeast, like the magnitude 4.8 that shook New Jersey? A geoscientist explains

Written by Gary Solar, Professor of Geosciences, Buffalo State, The State University of New York

A map of earthquakes over the past century. The large orange dot was a magnitude 4.8 on April 5, 2024.USGS

It’s rare to feel earthquakes in the U.S. Northeast, so the magnitude 4.8 earthquake in New Jersey that shook buildings in New York City and was felt from Maryland to Boston on April 5, 2024, drew a lot of questions. It was one of the str...

College athletes still are not allowed to be paid by universities − here’s why

Written by Cyntrice Thomas, Instructional Associate Professor, Sport Management, University of Florida

College athletes help generate billions of dollars in revenue through TV deals, but colleges aren't allowed to compensate them for their fame.Lance King for Getty Images

Ever since July 1, 2021, student-athletes have been able to pursue endorsement deals. But when it comes to getting paid by the universities for which they play, the students have...

Biden steps up pressure on Israel − using the key levers available against an ally with strong domestic support

Written by Jordan Tama, Provost Associate Professor, American University School of International Service

President Joe Biden greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York City in September 2023. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

The fraying relationship between the U.S. and Israel over the latter country’s conduct of its war in Gaza got even worse on April 4, 2024, several days after Israel killed seven aid workers in a drone...