The Conversation

Understanding key terms swirling around Alligator Alcatraz and immigration enforcement in the US

Written by Mark Schlakman, Senior Program Director, Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, Florida State University

The right terms can help you properly express your views about Alligator Alcatraz.Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

A July 2025 CBS/YouGov poll asked Americans, “Do you approve or disapprove of the Trump administration’s program to find and deport immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally?”

The respondents were divided, with 49%...

Transgender, nonbinary and disabled people more likely to view AI negatively, study shows

Written by Oliver L. Haimson, Assistant Professor of Information, University of Michigan

Transgender and nonbinary people report negative attitudes toward AI.alvaro gonzalez/Moment via Getty Images

AI seems to be well on its way to becoming pervasive. You hear rumbles of AI being used, somewhere behind the scenes, at your doctor’s office. You suspect it may have played a role in hiring decisions during your last job search....

A toxicologist’s guide to poison ivy’s itch and bee stings’ burning pain – 2 examples of nature’s chemical warfare

Written by Christopher P. Holstege, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Virginia

There's a lot to explore out there. aldomurillo/E+ via Getty Images

Enjoying the outdoors carries the danger of running into nature’s less-friendly side: toxic plants and animals.

As toxicologists at the University of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Poison Center, we see many patients each year suffering from itchy rashes from poison ivy and...

Wildfire season is starting weeks earlier in California – a new study shows how climate change is driving the expansion

Written by Gavin D. Madakumbura, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California, Los Angeles

Firefighters battle in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2025David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images

Fire season is expanding in California, with an earlier start to wildfire activity in most of the state. In parts of the northern mountains, the season is now starting more than 10 weeks earlier than it did in the 1990s, a new study shows.

Atmospheric...

Trump has promised to eliminate funding to schools that don’t nix DEI work – but half of the states are not complying

Written by Hilary Lustick, Associate Professor of Education, UMass Lowell

While other presidential administrations have issued 'Dear Colleague' letters to schools, the Trump administration is the first to treat the letter like a law that mandates action. iStock/Getty Images Plus

It’s been about six months since the U.S. Department of Education sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to all schools that receive...

How states are placing guardrails around AI in the absence of strong federal regulation

Written by Anjana Susarla, Professor of Information Systems, Michigan State University

The California State Capitol has been the scene of numerous efforts to regulate AI.AP Photo/Juliana Yamada

U.S. state legislatures are where the action is for placing guardrails around artificial intelligence technologies, given the lack of meaningful federal regulation. The resounding defeat in Congress of a proposed moratorium on state-level AI...

History shows why FEMA is essential in disasters, and how losing independent agency status hurt its ability to function

Written by Susan L. Cutter, Distinguished Professor of Geography and Director of the Hazards Vulnerability & Resilience Institute, University of South Carolina

FEMA workers help residents who lost homes in the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires apply for aid.Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

When the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s urban search and rescue team resigned after the deadly July 4, 2025, Texas floods, he told colleagues he was frustrated with bureaucratic...

Iron nanoparticles can help treat contaminated water – our team of scientists created them out of expired supplements

Written by Ahmed Ibrahim Yunus, Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Scientists used pharmaceutical waste to create a new material with interesting properties. Mitrija/iStock via Getty Images

Today, approximately 1,800,000 acres of land in the United States is used for landfill waste disposal. In terms of volume, the U.S alone generated over 290 million tons of solid waste in 2018, an amount equivalent to about...

Youth athletes, not just professionals, may face mental health risks from repeated traumatic brain injuries

Written by David B. Sarwer, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Temple University

Limiting the amount of physical contact in training can reduce young players' head injury risks, research shows.Mint Images RF via Getty Images

On July 28, 2025, a 27-year-old gunman entered a New York City office building that is home to the National Football League’s headquarters. He shot and killed four people and injured one other before...

Insurance warning signs in doctors’ offices might discourage patients from speaking openly about their health

Written by Helen Colby, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Indiana University

Have you ever noticed a sign in a doctor’s office saying that you may have to pay extra insurance costs if you discuss additional problems with your physician?

If so, you’re not alone. As health care spending continues to rise, providers are being asked to warn patients about any potential unexpected costs – for example,...