The Conversation

PBS and NPR are generally unbiased, independent of government propaganda and provide key benefits to US democracy

Written by Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin, Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair of Public Affairs, Boise State University

Congress' cuts to public broadcasting will diminish the range and volume of the free press and the independent reporting it provides.MicroStockHub-iStock/Getty Images Plus

Champions of the almost entirely party-line vote in the U.S. Senate to erase US$1.1 billion in already approved funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting called their...

Dogs are helping people regulate stress even more than expected, research shows

Written by Kevin Morris, Research Professor of Social Work, University of Denver

Studies show that dogs help humans cope with stress.marcoventuriniautieri/E+ via Getty Immages

In a 2022 survey of 3,000 U.S. adults, more than one-third of respondents reported that on most days, they feel “completely overwhelmed” by stress. At the same time, a growing body of research is documenting the negative health consequences of...

Amid fragile ceasefire, violence in southern Syria brings Druze communities’ complex cross-border ties to the fore

Written by Asher Kaufman, Professor of History and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

Druze from Syria hug relatives from the Israeli Druze community before crossing the border in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on July 17, 2025.AP Photo/Leo Correa

A fragile ceasefire was put in place in southern Syria on July 19, 2025, after days of violence between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes that drew in government forces and prompted...

How mothers supporting mothers can help fill the health care worker shortage gap and other barriers to care

Written by Sona Dimidjian, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder

For generations, women have relied on informal networks of friends, family and neighbors to navigate the complexities of birth and motherhood. Today, research is finally catching up to what generations of women have known: Peer support can be a lifeline.

Despite growing evidence, the unique wisdom and strength that arise when mothers help mothers...

Microbes in deep-sea volcanoes can help scientists learn about early life on Earth, or even life beyond our planet

Written by James F. Holden, Professor of Microbiology, UMass Amherst

A submersible, which travels to the seafloor to collect rock and microbe samples, is lifted by the arm of a research vessel. James F. Holden

People have long wondered what life was first like on Earth, and if there is life in our solar system beyond our planet. Scientists have reason to believe that some of the moons in our solar system – like...

Comparing ICE to the Gestapo reveals people’s fears for the US – a Holocaust scholar explains why Nazi analogies remain common, yet risky

Written by Daniel H. Magilow, Professor of German, University of Tennessee

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers gather for a briefing before an enforcement operation on Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Md. Associated Press

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently sparked controversy by comparing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Nazi Germany’s notorious secret police, the Gestapo.

“Donald...

‘Democratizing space’ is more than just adding new players – it comes with questions around sustainability and sovereignty

Written by Timiebi Aganaba, Assistant Professor of Space and Society, Arizona State University

A group of people gaze up at the Moon in Germany. AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

“India is on the Moon,” S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, announced in August 2023. The announcement meant India had joined the short list of countries to have visited the Moon, and the applause and shouts of joy that followed...

Filipino sailors dock in Mexico … and help invent tequila?

Written by Stephen Acabado, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles

Bottles of tequila now command premium prices in trendy bars. On Instagram, celebrity-backed brands of the agave-based Mexican spirit jostle for attention. And debates over cultural appropriation and agave sustainability swirl alongside booming tourism in Jalisco, the western Mexican state that serves as the world’s tequila distillation hub.

B...

Why is heart cancer so rare? A biologist explains

Written by Julie Phillippi, Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh

When heart cancer does happen, it can be particularly serious.Olga Pankova/Moment 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.

Why is heart cancer so rare? – Jackson, age 12, Davis, California

You probably know...

How the world’s nuclear watchdog monitors facilities around the world – and what it means that Iran kicked it out

Written by Anna Erickson, Professor of Nuclear and Radiological Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

This travel case holds a toolkit containing equipment for inspecting nuclear facilities.Dean Calma/IAEA, CC BY

What happens when a country seeks to develop a peaceful nuclear energy program? Every peaceful program starts with a promise not to build a nuclear weapon. Then, the global community verifies that stated intent via the Treaty on the...