The Conversation

Light pollution is encroaching on observatories around the globe – making it harder for astronomers to study the cosmos

Written by Richard Green, Astronomer Emeritus, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona

Light pollution from human activity can threaten radio astronomy – and people's view of the night sky. Estellez/iStock via Getty Images

Outdoor lighting for buildings, roads and advertising can help people see in the dark of night, but many astronomers are growing increasingly concerned that these lights could be blinding us to the rest of...

It is becoming easier to create AI avatars of the deceased − here is why Buddhism would caution against it

Written by Elaine Lai, Lecturer in Civic, Liberal, and Global Education, Stanford University

A grief-stricken woman, Kisa Gautami, pleads with the Buddha to resurrect her dead child.Anandajoti Bhikkhu via Flickr

In a story in the Buddhist canon, a grief-stricken mother named Kisa Gautami loses her only child and carries the body around town, searching for some way to resurrect the child.

When she encounters the Buddha, he asks her to...

How wind and solar power helps keep America’s farms alive

Written by Paul Mwebaze, Research Economist at the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

About 60% of Iowa's power comes from wind. Farmers can earn extra cash by leasing small sections of farms for power production.Bill Clark/Getty Images

Drive through the plains of Iowa or Kansas and you’ll see more than rows of corn, wheat and soybeans. You’ll also see towering wind turbines spinning above fields and solar panels shining...

Why government support for religion doesn’t necessarily make people more religious

Written by Brendan Szendro, Faculty Lecturer in Political Science, McGill University

History offers plenty of lessons about what happens when governments support faith groups – and it doesn't always help them.cosmonaut/iStock via Getty Images Plus

The IRS will offer religious congregations more freedom to endorse political candidates without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status, the agency said in a July 2025 court filing....

Colorado’s Marshall Fire survivors find healing and meaning through oral history project

Written by Kathryn E. Goldfarb, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder

The Marshall Fire impacted people of all ages. Rebecca Slusar organized her children and their friends in the neighborhood to paint signs of community resilience and thanking first responders. Courtesy of the Louisville Historical Museum

The Colorado Marshall Fire killed two people and destroyed over 1,000 structures on Dec. 30, 2021.

The news cycle...

Due process: What it means in US law and its implications for migrant rights

Written by Ray Brescia, Associate Dean for Research and Intellectual Life, Albany Law School

A core principle of the U.S. justice system is that the government must act in accordance with the rule of law.arsenisspyros, iStock Getty Images

As the United States edges up to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, one of the core principles the founders sought to advance – that the government must act with...

School shootings leave lasting scars on local economies, research shows

Written by Muzeeb Shaik, Assistant Professor, Indiana University

A mourner pays tribute to the victims of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December 2012.Lisa Wiltse/Corbis via Getty Images

Fatal school shootings don’t just devastate communities emotionally – they also harm their economies, new research shows. People eat out less, avoid public spaces and...

Do you really need to read to learn? What neuroscience says about reading versus listening

Written by Stephanie N. Del Tufo, Assistant Professor of Education & Human Development, University of Delaware

Reading and listening are two different brain functions. Do we need to do both?Goads Agency/E+ via Getty Images

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.

“Do we need to read, or can we just get everything through audio, like...

The beach wasn’t always a vacation destination - for the ancient Greeks, it was a scary place

Written by Marie-Claire Beaulieu, Associate Professor of Classical Studies, Tufts University

Ixia Beach, located on the northwestern coast of the Greek island of Rhodes, is a popular destination.Norbert Nagel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Many of us are heading to the beach to bask in the sun and unwind as part of our summer vacations. Research has shown that spending time at the beach can provide immense relaxation for many people....

Which wildfire smoke plumes are hazardous? New satellite tech can map them in 3D for air quality alerts at neighborhood scale

Written by Jun Wang, Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Iowa

Smoke from Canadian wildfires prompted air quality alerts in Chicago as it blanketed the city on June 5, 2025.Scott Olson/Getty Images

Canada is facing another dangerous wildfire season, with burning forests sending smoke plumes across the provinces and into the U.S. again. The pace of the 2025 fires is reminiscent of the record-breaking 2023...