The Conversation

Suspending family-based immigrant visas weakens US families and the economy

Written by Sothy Eng, Associate Professor of of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Hawaii

The United States has paused immigrant visa processing for 75 countries.Photo by Ufuk Celal Guzel/Anadolu via Getty Images

The U.S. Department of State has announced that starting on Jan. 21, 2026, it has indefinitely stopped issuing immigrant visas for people from 75 countries, claiming concerns that some immigrants may rely on public benefits...

Is the whole universe just a simulation?

Written by Zeb Rocklin, Associate Professor of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Could the Earth and everything on it – and even the whole universe – be a simulation running on a giant computer?OsakaWayne Studios/Moment via Getty Images

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

Is the whole universe...

From ski jumping to speedskating, winter sports represent physics in action

Written by Amy Pope, Principal Lecturer of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University

An understanding of angular momentum helps figure skaters glide across the ice and execute complex spins. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

During the 2026 Winter Olympics, athletes will leap off ramps, slide across ice and spin through the air. These performances will look different to my students who have studied physics through sports. These feats will be...

Life isn’t all diamonds – money and fame don’t shield the many ‘Real Housewives’ facing criminal charges

Written by C. Clare Strange, Assistant Research Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies, Drexel University

Jen Shah, a cast member of the "Real Housewives" series, leaves a Manhattan federal court in January 2023 after receiving a 6½-year sentence for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.Gotham/GC Images

“The Real Housewives” reality TV series, which showcases the lives of a rotating cast of wealthy women in 11 cities in the U.S. and...

800 years after his death, the legends and legacy of Francis of Assisi endure

Written by Vanessa Corcoran, Adjunct Professor of History, Georgetown University

On the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order, his body will be displayed for the first time ever in February 2026, at the Basilica of San Francesco. Millions of visitors are expected to converge in the small Tuscan town of Assisi to honor the 13th-century saint.

Francis, who died on Oct. 4, 1226,...

US exit from the World Health Organization marks a new era in global health policy – here’s what the US, and world, will lose

Written by Jordan Miller, Teaching Professor of Public Health, Arizona State University

The U.S.-WHO collaboration has been critical in the country's response to mpox, shown here, as well as Ebola, Marburg, flu and COVID-19.Uma Shankar sharma/Moment via Getty Images

The U.S. departure from the World Health Organization became official in late January 2026, according to the Trump administration – a year after President Donald...

3 things to know about Kevin Warsh, Trump’s nod for Fed chair

Written by D. Brian Blank, Associate Professor of Finance, Mississippi State University

Kevin Warsh has been tapped by Donald Trump to lead the Federal Reserve.AP Photo/Alastair Grant

After months of speculation, President Donald Trump nominated Kevin Warsh on Jan. 30, 2026, to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve.

If confirmed by Congress, Warsh will inherit leadership of the U.S. central bank at a delicate time. For months,...

I’m a former FBI agent who studies policing, and here’s how federal agents in Minneapolis are undermining basic law enforcement principles

Written by Luke William Hunt, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Alabama; Institute for Humane Studies

U.S. Border Patrol agents stand guard at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 8, 2026. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

The Trump administration says federal agents have “absolute immunity” from prosecution in Minneapolis. Department of Justice and Homeland Security officials have indicated...

Short on resources, special educators are using AI – with little knowledge of the effects

Written by Seth King, Associate Profess of Special Education, University of Iowa

In special education in the U.S., funding is scarce and personnel shortages are pervasive, leaving many school districts struggling to hire qualified and willing practitioners.

Amid these long-standing challenges, there is rising interest in using artificial intelligence tools to help close some of the gaps that districts currently face and lower...

Grammys’ AI rules aim to keep music human, but large gray area leaves questions about authenticity and authorship

Written by Mark Benincosa, Teaching Associate Professor, West Virginia University

AI is making it hard for the music industry to embrace innovation while keeping it real.elenabs/iStock via Getty Images

At its best, artificial intelligence can assist people in analyzing data, automating tasks and developing solutions to big problems: fighting cancer, hunger, poverty and climate change. At its worst, AI can assist people in...