The Conversation

Seeing an eclipse from Earth is awe-inspiring – for astronauts seeing one from space, the scene was even more grand

Written by Deana L. Weibel, Professor of Anthropology, Grand Valley State University

During a total solar eclipse, the Sun is barely visible behind the Moon. Roger Sorensen

The astronauts on Artemis II’s trip to the Moon in April 2026 didn’t just have an amazing journey through space. They also saw something extraordinary. They were the first humans to see a total solar eclipse from space.

A solar eclipse happens when...

Supreme Court ruling: The latest in history of diminishing minority voting rights

Written by Robert D. Bland, Assistant Professor of History and Africana Studies, University of Tennessee

The Supreme Court issued a significant ruling that could limit minority voting rights in states across the country.Bloomberg Creative via Getty Images

Divided along ideological lines, the U.S. Supreme Court on April 29, 2026, issued a ruling that severely weakens a provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. That provision, known as...

What Trump’s post as a Jesus-like figure tells us about political messianism

Written by Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center on Dec. 22, 2024, in Arizona. Rebecca Noble/Getty Images

President Donald Trump sparked immediate outcry on April 12, 2026, when he posted an image of himself as a Jesus-like figure. The post, which Trump later said was supposed to depict him...

Warmer temps bring soaring tick populations – here’s how to stay safe from Lyme disease

Written by Lakshmi Chauhan, Associate Professor of Infectious Disease Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Exposure to ticks can be a downside to spending time in the woods.skaman306/Moment via Getty Images

Spring’s warmer weather lures people outdoors – and into possible contact with ticks that spread Lyme disease.

Already, the 2026 tick season is booming. On April 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that emergency room...

Supreme Court bolsters donors’ free speech rights in unanimous crisis pregnancy center ruling

Written by Wayne Unger, Associate Professor of Law, Quinnipiac University

State governments have had trouble regulating what crisis pregnancy centers should tell their clients and donors.AP Photo/Mark Zaleski

The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for a chain of crisis pregnancy centers based in New Jersey to challenge a subpoena from New Jersey’s attorney general.

First Choice Women’s Resource Centers...

Universities returning Native American remains and artifacts isn’t just about physical objects – it’s about dignity and justice

Written by Kerri J. Malloy, Assistant Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies, San José State University

A museum curator removes a rare Native American Chumash basket from California, circa 1800, at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., in 2003.MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images

Many universities and museums in the U.S. have long held Native American burial artifacts, other sacred objects and even human remains.

Most of these...

Americans care more about future generations than many think – and that gap could matter for policy

Written by Kyle Fiore Law, Postdoctoral Research Scholar in Sustainability, Arizona State University

Decisions made now can affect people far into the future.Andriy Onufriyenko/Moment via Getty Images

Caring about future generations means believing that people who will live decades or centuries from now deserve ethical consideration. In practice, that means taking their interests into account when making all kinds of decisions across a range of...

The US has long used economic coercion to achieve foreign policy goals — the war in Iran shows how that power has declined

Written by Charmaine N. Willis, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Old Dominion University

The Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz has largely brought oil traffic to a halt, hitting petroleum-exporting countries hard. Asghar Besharati / Getty Images

Two months after the United States, along with Israel, launched a war against Iran, that conflict appears far from a lasting resolution.

Much commentary on the protracted nature of the...

How much should politics influence science, and vice versa? National Science Board’s ousting resurrects an existential debate

Written by Caroline Wagner, Professor of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University

The governing structure of the National Science Foundation partially insulated science from political control.Evgeny Gromov/iStock via Getty Images Plus

“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump,” read 22 emails sent from the White House Presidential Personnel Office on Friday afternoon, April 24, 2026, “I am writing to inform you...

Supreme Court considers how much states can protect consumers when federal agencies won’t

Written by Sarah J. Morath, Professor of Law and Associate Dean for International Affairs, Wake Forest University

As of April 2026, the U.S. government has not required a warning label on Roundup weed killer.AP Photo/Haven Daley

Chemical giant Monsanto has argued for years that if the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approves a pesticide label without requiring a cancer warning, states cannot hold its manufacturer liable in court for failing to warn...