The Conversation

From ancient Greece to Broadway, music has played a critical role in theater

Written by Timothy J. Moore, John and Penelope Biggs Distinguished Professor of Classics, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

The remnants of a Greek theater in Sicily.Fausto Riolo/Getty Images

Though anxiety about the fate of live theater performances still lingers, Broadway is celebrating its third season since reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic, with a lineup dominated once again by musicals.

The new season includes long-running hits like “Hamilton,”...

The universe is expanding faster than theory predicts – physicists are searching for new ideas that might explain the mismatch

Written by Ryan Keeley, Postdoctoral Scholar in Physics, University of California, Merced

The James Webb Space Telescope's deep field image shows a universe full of sparkling galaxies.NASA/STScI

Astronomers have known for decades that the universe is expanding. When they use telescopes to observe faraway galaxies, they see that these galaxies are moving away from Earth.

To astronomers, the wavelength of light a galaxy emits is longer the...

For decades, mothers have borne the brunt of scrutiny for alcohol use during pregnancy − new research points to dad's drinking as a significant factor in fetal alcohol syndrome

Written by Michael Golding, Professor of Physiology, Texas A&M University

Little to no attention has been given to the father's potential contribution to fetal alcohol syndrome disorders.Katleho Seisa/E+ via Getty Images

Men drink more, are more likely to binge drink and are almost four times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder than women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yet when it...

Scientists suspect there's ice hiding on the Moon, and a host of missions from the US and beyond are searching for it

Written by Paul Hayne, Assistant Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder

The stark landscape of the Moon as viewed by the Apollo 12 astronauts on their return to Earth.NASA / The Planetary Society

Building a space station on the Moon might seem like something out of a science fiction movie, but each new lunar mission is bringing that idea closer to reality. Scientists are homing in on potential lunar ice reservoirs in...

Biden-Xi meeting: 6 essential reads on what to look out for as US, Chinese leaders hold face-to-face talks

Written by Matt Williams, Senior International Editor

President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are set to meet for the first time in a year.Saul Loeb/AFP cia Getty Images

U.S. President Joe Biden sits down with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Nov. 15, 2023, in the first head-to-head talks between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies in over a year.

During that time, relations between...

1 in 4 Colorado 11th-graders skipped their state's standardized test − geography and income help explain why

Written by Lydia Ross, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Innovation, Arizona State University

High school students in Colorado have protested the use of standardized tests. Caiaimage/Chris Ryan via Getty Images

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

About one in four 11th-graders in Colorado exercised their right to skip the state’s official science test each year between 2016 and 2019. More...

Music painted on the wall of a Venetian orphanage will be heard again nearly 250 years later

Written by Marica S. Tacconi, Distinguished Professor of Musicology and Art History, Penn State

The music room of the Ospedaletto is known for its remarkable acoustics.Marica S. Tacconi, CC BY-SA

Imagine Lady Gaga or Elton John teaching at an orphanage or homeless shelter, offering daily music lessons.

That’s what took place at Venice’s four Ospedali Grandi, which were charitable institutions that took in the needy –...

Brains have a remarkable ability to rewire themselves following injury − a concussion specialist explains the science behind rehabilitation and recovery

Written by Hilary A. Diefenbach, Speech Language Pathologist and Cognitive Rehabilitation Specialist, Marcus Institute for Brain Health; Instructor, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Every brain injury is unique, as is every person's path to recovery. Chinnapong/iStock via Getty Images Plus

High-profile sports like football and soccer have brought greater attention in recent years to concussions – the mildest form of traumatic brain injury.

Yet people often do not realize how common concussions are in everyday life, and...

How PFAS 'forever chemicals' are getting into Miami's Biscayne Bay, where dolphins, fish and manatees dine

Written by Natalia Soares Quinete, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Florida International University

PFAS, the “forever chemicals” that have been raising health concerns across the country, are not just a problem in drinking water. As these chemicals leach out of failing septic systems and landfills and wash off airport runways and farm fields, they can end up in streams that ultimately discharge into ocean ecosystems where fish,...

Insulin injections could one day be replaced with rock music − new research in mice

Written by Bill Sullivan, Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University

Turns out pop songs and movie soundtracks are key to a new system to deliver insulin.Sammyvision/Moment via Getty Images

More than 37 million people in the U.S. have diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, 8.4 million Americans needed to take insulin in 2022 to lower their blood sugar. Insulin, however, is tricky to deliver into...