The Conversation

1776’s Declaration of Independence inspired Washington’s troops to fight against the odds – and also helped bring in powerful allies

Written by Christopher Magra, Professor of American History, University of Tennessee

The Declaration of Independence did more than assert the Colonies' independence from Britain.iStock/Getty Images Plus

A crowd gathered along the waterfront in New York City in the summer of 1776. The scene they witnessed was terrifying.

The largest expeditionary force in British history sailed into the American harbor. Over 300 ships brought 32,000...

US refugee policy for white South Africans is part of a century-long effort to keep some English-speaking nations white

Written by John Broich, Associate Professor of History, Case Western Reserve University

Newly arrived South Africans listen to U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau deliver welcome statements in a hangar near Washington Dulles International Airport on May 12, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Whiteness appears to be an official immigration credential in the eyes of the United States government.

The Trump administration...

AI is reengineering drug discovery by speeding up testing and scanning petabytes of data for connections between diseases

Written by Jeffrey Skolnick, Regents' Professor; Mary and Maisie Gibson Chair & GRA Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology

In December, The Conversation hosted a webinar on AI’s revolutionary role in drug discovery and development.

Science and technology editor Eric Smalley interviewed Jeffrey Skolnick, eminent scholar in computational systems biology at Georgia Institute of Technology, and Benjamin P. Brown, assistant professor of pharmacology at Vanderbilt...

Massive eye drop recall reflects ongoing issues with manufacturing and FDA inspection

Written by C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut

Using nonsterile eye drops can cause severe eye infections.Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A California company has recalled more than 3.1 million bottles of lubricating eye drops because it had not properly tested – and thus could not prove – whether the products were sterile.

These products are sold under...

We teach at a Florida university that agreed to cooperate with ICE – and we worry that it is making our students feel less safe

Written by Anindya Kundu, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Florida International University

The University of Florida in Gainesville is one of the universities that signed a memo agreeing to cooperate with ICE. Mireya Acierto

Since March 2025, at least 15 Florida public universities and colleges, including the University of Florida and Florida State College at Jacksonville, have signed memorandums of agreement for their campus police...

How does spider venom damage human cells? Researchers uncover the killer mechanism of recluse spider toxin

Written by Matthew Cordes, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona

While rarely aggressive, the brown recluse is known for the damage its venom can inflict on people.Lisa Zins/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Spiders are among Earth’s most resourceful predators, nabbing prey by any means necessary. Orb weavers spin webs for capture. Wolf spiders ambush on the ground at night. Almost all spiders use venom when they hunt.

But...

Hormuz closure threatens the global food supply – why grocery price hikes are coming

Written by Aya S. Chacar, Professor of International Business, Florida International University

Fertilizer scarcity and costs are just the beginning of the problems.Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

The global energy crisis caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is only the beginning of the economic cost of the war with Iran.

I study how institutions affect businesses and supply chains, and I expect food prices to rise next, with high...

Philadelphia’s founding years were rife with conspiracy fears about ‘godless’ Freemasons and the Illuminati

Written by Derek Arnold, Instructor in Communication, Villanova University

George Washington was initiated into Freemasonry at the age of 20.Strobridge & Co. Lith./Library of Congress via AP

How conspiracies spread has changed immensely over the history of the United States, as technology and media have evolved. But the nature of conspiracies has not.

I teach communications courses at Villanova University, 12 miles...

What is CREC and how does it shape Pete Hegseth’s religious rhetoric?

Written by Samuel Perry, Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Baylor University

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. on March 31, 2026. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s conservative evangelical religious beliefs drew attention even before his confirmation hearings in January 2025. He is a member of the Communion of Reformed...

What I learned from analyzing 789 ‘Shark Tank’ pitches: Narcissists get funding if they’re not arrogant or defensive

Written by Paul Sanchez Ruiz, Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, Iowa State University

On 'Shark Tank,' the 'sharks,' or investors, hear pitches from entrepreneurs to invest in their business. Courtesy of ABC

Entrepreneurs displaying narcissistic behavior are better able to convince investors to give them money when their grandiosity comes across as confidence as opposed to defensiveness or arrogance.

That’s what we learned from...