The Conversation

Hundreds of thousands of US infants every year pay the consequences of prenatal exposure to drugs, a growing crisis particularly in rural America

Written by Amna Umer, Associate Professor of Pediatric Epidemiology, West Virginia University

Substance use during pregnancy can lead to a broad array of harmful effects.Liudmila Chernetska/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Nearly 1 in 12 newborns in the United States in 2020 – or about 300,000 infants – were exposed to alcohol, opioids, marijuana or cocaine before they were born. Exposure to these substances puts these newborns at a...

Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexei Navalny, steps forward to lead the Russian opposition – 3 points to understand

Written by Farida Jalalzai, Professor of Political Science; Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Virginia Tech

Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, attends the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 16, 2024, the day it was announced Navalny was dead.Kai Pfaffenbach/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Alexei Navalny, one of Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s biggest critics and the country’s de facto opposition leader, died...

Belief in the myth of outlaw heroes partly explains Donald Trump’s die-hard support

Written by David G. Bromley, Professor Emeritus of World Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University

The former U.S. president speaks in Greenville, S.C., on Feb. 20, 2024.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Before Donald Trump likened himself to Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, the former president frequently compared himself with a completely opposite personality – Chicago organized crime boss Al Capone.

During a speech in Nevada in December...

E-bike incentives are a costly way to cut carbon emissions, but they also promote health, equity and cleaner air

Written by Christopher R. Cherry, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee

A man pulls his kids behind an electric bicycle near the pier in Huntington Beach, Calif.Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register via Getty Images

E-bikes have captured widespread attention across the U.S., and for good reason. They are the most energy-efficient way to move from place to place, providing exercise in the process, and offer enough...

What the ancient Indian text Bhagavad Gita can teach about not putting too much of our identity and emotions into work

Written by Robert J. Stephens, Principal Lecturer in Religion, Clemson University

This famous scene from the Bhagavad Gita, featuring the god Krishna with his cousin, Prince Arjuna, on a chariot heading into war.Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A 2023 Gallup poll found that U.S. employees are generally unhappy at work. The number of those who feel angry and disconnected with their...

Omega-3 fatty acids are linked to better lung health, particularly in patients with pulmonary fibrosis

Written by John Kim, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia

Your diet may play a role in maintaining lung health.magicmine/iStock via Getty Images

Omega-3 fatty acids have garnered significant interest among patients and clinicians for their potential protective health effects, including lung health. In our recently published research, my colleagues and I found that higher dietary intake of omega-3 fatty...

A Texas court ruling on a Black student wearing hair in long locs reflects history of racism in schools

Written by Kenjus T. Watson, Assistant Professor of Urban Education, American University

America's schools don't always welcome cultural expression. MoMo Productions via Getty Images

A Texas judge ruled on Feb. 22, 2024, that the Barbers Hill School District didn’t violate the law when it punished Darryl George, a Black student, for wearing his hair in long locs. The Texas law in question – the CROWN Act – prohibits...

I went to CPAC as an anthropologist to understand Trump’s base − they believe, more than ever, he is a savior

Written by Alexander Hinton, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology; Director, Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights, Rutgers University - Newark

A person signs a bus wrapped with an image of former President Donald Trump during the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 22, 2024. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

What is happening in the hearts of former President Donald Trump’s supporters?

As an anthropologist who studies peace and conflict, I went to the annual...

As war in Ukraine enters third year, 3 issues could decide its outcome: Supplies, information and politics

Written by Tara Sonenshine, Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice in Public Diplomacy, Tufts University

Will war fatigue be a factor?Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty Images

In retrospect, there was perhaps nothing surprising about Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Vladimir Putin’s intentions were, after all, hiding in plain sight and signaled in the months running up to the incursion.

What could not be foreseen,...

What ancient farmers can really teach us about adapting to climate change – and how political power influences success or failure

Written by Chelsea Fisher, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of South Carolina

A farmer paddles to his fields on an artificial island among canals, part of an ancient Aztec system known as chinampas, in 2021. AP Photo /Marco Ugarte

In dozens of archaeological discoveries around the world, from the once-successful reservoirs and canals of Angkor Wat in Cambodia to the deserted Viking colonies of Greenland, new evidence paints...