The Conversation

What is the Darien Gap? And why are more migrants risking this Latin American route to get to the US?

Written by Sara McKinnon, Professor of Rhetoric, Politics & Culture, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Migrants wade through the Tuquesa River as they traverse the Darien Gap.AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco

Much of the discussion over illegal immigration to the U.S. has in recent weeks moved its focus south to the Darien Gap.

This treacherous route that spans parts of Central and South America has seen an increasing number of people attempting to pass on...

Climate-friendly beef? Argentina’s new ‘carbon-neutral’ certification could help reduce livestock emissions – if it’s done right

Written by Paul Winters, Professor of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame

Cattle are major producers of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano

In Argentina, where beef is a symbol of national pride, a government-led partnership has started certifying certain livestock as carbon neutral. It’s a big step that shouldn’t be underestimated, but getting the certification process right is...

How AI is shaping the music listening habits of Gen Z

Written by Beatriz Ilari, Professor of Music Teaching and Learning, University of Southern California

Listening to music from a device creates a protective bubble that can counteract a lack of personal space at school or home.Pierre Michel Jean/AFP via Getty Images

For four years, we’ve been teaching a class on music and the mind. We’ve asked the students at the start of each semester to complete a short, informal survey on their music...

Hopes that Biden will quit his reelection campaign ignore the differences – and lessons – of LBJ and 1968’s Democratic catastrophe

Written by Philip Klinkner, James S. Sherman Professor of Government, Hamilton College

The 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago was not a peaceful event.Bettmann/Getty Images

It’s just over six months until Election Day. The president faces a tough fight for reelection. His approval rating has cratered below 40% in the polls, his party is divided over a foreign war, and a bipartisan chorus declares that he’s no...

What the numbers say about diversity on corporate boards

Written by Richie Zweigenhaft, Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, Guilford College

Corporate diversity efforts have resulted in more women and minorities sitting on boards. Getty Images

Through the decades, corporate boards have been mostly white and mostly male.

That started changing in the early 1970s. Fueled by the historic gains of the Civil Rights Movement that broke down racial and gender barriers, a variety of social...

Leprosy cases are rising in the US – what is the ancient disease and why is it spreading now?

Written by Robert A. Schwartz, Professor and Head of Dermatology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University

Leprosy can be caused by two different bacteria, one of which was only identified in 2008.Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

The word “leprosy” conjures images of biblical plagues, but the disease is still with us today. Caused by infectious bacteria, some 200,000 new cases are reported each year, according to the World...

Surviving fishing gear entanglement isn’t enough for endangered right whales – females still don’t breed afterward

Written by Joshua Reed, Research Associate in Biology, Macquarie University

Endangered North Atlantic right whale Snow Cone, entangled in fishing rope, with her newborn calf off Georgia in 2021.Georgia Department of Natural Resources/NOAA Permit #21731, via AP

It sounds like a crime show episode at sea: In late January 2024, federal regulators learned that a dead female North Atlantic right whale had been sighted near...

Solar eclipses result from a fantastic celestial coincidence of scale and distance

Written by Christopher Palma, Teaching Professor, Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Penn State

Solar eclipses happen because of a few factors, including the Moon's size and distance from the Sun. AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley

On April 8, 2024, millions across the U.S. will have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to view a total solar eclipse. Cities including Austin, Texas; Buffalo, New York; and Cleveland, Ohio, will have a direct view of this rare...

Total solar eclipses, while stunning, can damage your eyes if viewed without the right protection

Written by Geoffrey Bradford, Professor of Pediatrics and Ophthalmology, West Virginia University

Solar eclipses don't come around often, but make sure to view these rare events with eclipse glasses to protect your vision. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

On April 8, 2024, and for the second time in the past decade, people in the U.S. will have an opportunity to view a total solar eclipse. But to do so safely, you’ll need to wear proper protection,...

Climate change matters to more and more people – and could be a deciding factor in the 2024 election

Written by Matt Burgess, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

Young people demonstrate ahead of a climate summit in New York in September 2023. Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

If you ask American voters what their top issues are, most will point to kitchen-table issues like the economy, inflation, crime, health care or education.

Fewer than 5% of respondents in 2023 and 2024 Gallup surveys said...