The Conversation

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...

‘Emilia Pérez’ was nominated for 13 Oscars. Why do so many people hate it?

Written by Alejandra Marquez Guajardo, Assistant Professor of Spanish, Michigan State University

Going by recent media coverage, you wouldn't be remiss for assuming it had been nominated for a slew of Golden Raspberries.Netflix

French director Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” first made waves among critics at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, when it won multiple awards. It went on to receive 10 Golden Globe...

‘For You’: What to know about news on TikTok

Written by Anne Oeldorf-Hirsch, Associate Professor of Communication Technology, University of Connecticut

People work inside the TikTok building in Culver City, Calif., in March 2024.AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Last time you scrolled the “For You” page on TikTok, did you get a video about current events? Politics? Breaking news?

If you’re one of the 63% of teens or 33% of adults in the U.S. who uses TikTok, you probably have. But where...

Enzymes are the engines of life − machine learning tools could help scientists design new ones to tackle disease and climate change

Written by Sam Pellock, Postdoctoral Scholar in Biochemistry, University of Washington

Enzymes have complicated molecular structures that are hard to replicate.Design Cells/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Enzymes are molecular machines that carry out the chemical reactions that sustain all life, an ability that has captured the attention of scientists like me.

Consider muscle movement. Your body releases a molecule called acetylcholine...

60 years of progress in expanding rights is being rolled back by Trump − a pattern that’s all too familiar in US history

Written by Philip Klinkner, James S. Sherman Professor of Government, Hamilton College

There's a long history in the U.S. of denying the rights, liberties and benefits of democracy to some Americans.rob dobi/Getty Images

For many Americans, Donald Trump’s head-spinning array of executive orders in the early days of his second term look like an unprecedented effort to roll back democracy and the rights and liberties of American...