The Conversation

Cities contain pockets of nature – our study shows which species are most tolerant of urbanization

Written by Joseph Curti, Ph.D. Candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles

Black-crowned night herons perch on rocks in the Los Angeles River in Los Angeles. Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The Earth is losing animals, plants and other living things so fast that some scientists believe the planet is entering its sixth mass extinction. But there’s some surprising good news: Urban areas may be key to...

Summer reading: 5 young-adult fiction novels that explore LGBTQ+ teen lives

Written by James B. Blasingame, Professor of English, Arizona State University

These titles promise to surprise and delight.Saowakhon Brown/Moment via Getty Images

In recognition of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, The Conversation reached out to Gabriel Acevedo and James B. Blasingame, English professors at Arizona State University who focus on sexuality and sexual identity in young-adult fiction. What follows is a list the two scholars...

Inside the rise and fall of one of the world’s most powerful writing groups

Written by Christine Larson, Assistant Professor of Journalism, University of Colorado Boulder

At its peak in the mid-2010s, the Romance Writers of America had around 10,000 members.Ekaterina Markelova/iStock via Getty Images

The Romance Writers of America, once the world’s largest and most powerful authors’ association, filed for bankruptcy on May 30, 2024.

In its filing, the nonprofit blamed “disputes concerning...

What the statue of a kneeling enslaved man in the Emancipation Memorial of 1876 tells us about its history − an art historian explains

Written by Virginia Raguin, Distinguished Professor of Humanities Emerita, Visual Arts, College of the Holy Cross

The striking Emancipation Memorial statue in Washington, D.C., shows Abraham Lincoln standing, while a man wearing only a loincloth is appearing to rise from a kneeling position.

The face in the memorial is that of Archer Alexander, who had escaped slavery in 1863 by fleeing to St. Louis, Missouri. Fundraising for a memorial was launched in 1864...

Biden’s immigration order won’t fix problems quickly – 4 things to know about what’s changing

Written by Jean Lantz Reisz, Clinical Associate Professor of Law, Co-Director, USC Immigration Clinic, University of Southern California

Undocumented migrants in Jacumba, Calif., are detained by U.S. Border Patrol officers on June 4, 2024. Katie McTiernan/Anadolu via Getty Images

Immigration is a top issue in the upcoming presidential election – and President Joe Biden’s new executive order restricting migrants’ ability to apply for asylum is likely to further...

Colorado to tighten regulations on funeral homes after multiple scandals − here’s what this means for families

Written by Tanya D. Marsh, Professor of Law, Wake Forest University

Colorado citizen Samantha Naranjo highlights her mother Dorothy Tardif, who was involved in the recent Colorado funeral home scandals. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

In May 2024, Colorado enacted two laws that will tighten regulations on the funeral industry. The legislation comes in the wake of several incidents at funeral homes across the state in...

Female giraffes drove the evolution of long giraffe necks in order to feed on the most nutritious leaves, new research suggests

Written by Douglas R. Cavener, Huck Distinguished Chair in Evolutionary Genetics and Professor of Biology, Penn State

A female giraffe browsing.

Everything in biology ultimately boils down to food and sex. To survive as an individual you need food. To survive as a species you need sex.

Not surprisingly then, the age-old question of why giraffes have long necks has centered around food and sex. After debating this question for the past 150 years, biologists still...

With a record-breaking 2024 Atlantic hurricane forecast, here’s how scientists are helping Caribbean communities adapt to a warming world

Written by Jorge González-Cruz, Professor of Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York

Puerto Rico has a fraught history with tropical storms, and climate change is making them more damaging.Mike Hill/Stone, via Getty Images

Preparing for Atlantic hurricane season is always a priority in the Caribbean, especially when forecasts project high numbers of storms, as they do for 2024. The region’s most devastating storm in recent...

Heat index warnings can save lives on dangerously hot days − if people understand what they mean

Written by Micki Olson, Senior Researcher in Emergency and Risk Communication, University at Albany, State University of New York

The sticky combination of heat and high humidity can be more than uncomfortable -- it can be deadly.Mario Tama/Getty Images

You’ve probably heard people say, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” There’s a lot of truth to that phrase, and it’s important to understand it as summer temperatures rise.

Humidity...

Removing Cuba from list of countries ‘not fully cooperating’ over terrorism may presage wider rapprochement – if politics allows

Written by Jason M. Blazakis, Professor of Practice and Director of Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism, Middlebury

Will the US election put the brakes on any attempt to engage with Cuba?Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. State Department removed Cuba from its list of countries “not fully cooperating” with anti-terrorism efforts in mid-May 2024, but you would be forgiven for not noticing.

There was little fanfare accompanying the news: no...