NewsPronto

 
Men's Weekly

.

The Conversation

Noam Chomsky at 96: The linguist, educator, philosopher and public thinker has had a massive intellectual and moral influence

  • Written by Robert F. Barsky, Professor of Humanities and Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University
imageNoam Chomsky has lectured and debated in many forums on numerous topics throughout his long career.Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Noam Chomsky, one of the world’s most famous and respected intellectuals, will be 96 years old on Dec. 7, 2024. For more than half a century, multitudes of people have read his works in a variety of languages, and...

Read more: Noam Chomsky at 96: The linguist, educator, philosopher and public thinker has had a massive...

Are trans women ‘biologically male’? The answer is complicated

  • Written by G. Samantha Rosenthal, Visiting Assistant Professor of American History, Washington and Lee University
imageSarah McBride, center, is the first out transgender member of Congress.Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

A surprising buzzword in the U.S. Congress these days is “biological.”

In a now viral video, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina was filmed taping a piece of paper with the word “biological” on it above a women’s...

Read more: Are trans women ‘biologically male’? The answer is complicated

Wildland firefighters face a big pay cut if Congress doesn’t act − that’s taking a toll on a workforce already under stress

  • Written by Robin Verble, Professor of Biology, Environmental Science Program Director, Missouri University of Science and Technology
imageWildland firefighting is physically and emotionally intense. The job is also essential for community safety. Neal Waters/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

As cool weather arrives and the number of U.S. wildfires declines, wildland firefighters who have spent months working in the heat and smoke are able to take a much-needed break. But for many of...

Read more: Wildland firefighters face a big pay cut if Congress doesn’t act − that’s taking a toll on a...

Wildland firefighters face up to $20,000 pay cut if Congress doesn’t act − that’s taking a toll on a workforce already under stress

  • Written by Robin Verble, Professor of Biology, Environmental Science Program Director, Missouri University of Science and Technology
imageWildland firefighting is physically and emotionally intense. The job is also essential for community safety. Neal Waters/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

As cool weather arrives and the number of U.S. wildfires declines, wildland firefighters who have spent months working in the heat and smoke are able to take a much-needed break. But for many of...

Read more: Wildland firefighters face up to $20,000 pay cut if Congress doesn’t act − that’s taking a toll on...

What is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham? And how did the Islamist group evolve into a key player in Syria’s civil war?

  • Written by Sara Harmouch, Ph.D. candidate in Public Affairs, American University
imageAnti-Assad fighters stationed at the airport in Aleppo on Dec. 2, 2024. Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images

A major offensive has seen rebel groups in Syria retake the country’s second city, Aleppo – and demonstrated the growing prominence of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the 13-year-long civil war.

The surprise advance was...

Read more: What is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham? And how did the Islamist group evolve into a key player in Syria’s...

Pardon who? Hunter Biden case renews ethical debate over use and limits of peculiar presidential power

  • Written by Scott Davidson, Professor of Philosophy, West Virginia University
imagePresident Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden stepping out of a bookstore in Nantucket, Mass. on Nov. 29, 2024. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

The decision by President Joe Biden to pardon his son, Hunter, despite previously suggesting he would not do so, has reopened debate over the use of the presidential pardon.

Hunter Biden will be spared potential...

Read more: Pardon who? Hunter Biden case renews ethical debate over use and limits of peculiar presidential...

Do Mom and Dad really know what’s best? A psychologist explains why kids see their parents as bossier than they are

  • Written by Annie Pezalla, Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology, Macalester College
imageNobody likes being told what to do, but a parent's main job is to protect their kids.VioletaStoimenova/E+ via Getty Imagesimage

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.

Why do my parents always act like they know best? – Taliyah, age...

Read more: Do Mom and Dad really know what’s best? A psychologist explains why kids see their parents as...

Music can change how you feel about the past

  • Written by Yiren Ren, Adjunct Researcher in Cognitive Brain Science, Georgia Institute of Technology
imageMusic could alter the emotional tenor of your memories.CoffeeAndMilk/E+ via Getty Images

Have you ever noticed how a particular song can bring back a flood of memories? Maybe it’s the tune that was playing during your first dance, or the anthem of a memorable road trip.

People often think of these musical memories as fixed snapshots of the...

Read more: Music can change how you feel about the past

The apocalypse that wasn’t: AI was everywhere in 2024’s elections, but deepfakes and misinformation were only part of the picture

  • Written by Bruce Schneier, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
imageAI played many roles in 2024's elections.AP Photo/Paul Vernon

It’s been the biggest year for elections in human history: 2024 is a “super-cycle” year in which 3.7 billion eligible voters in 72 countries had the chance to go the polls. These are also the first AI elections, where many feared that deepfakes and artificial...

Read more: The apocalypse that wasn’t: AI was everywhere in 2024’s elections, but deepfakes and...

Why sending a belated gift is not as bad as you probably think − and late is better than never

  • Written by Rebecca Walker Reczek, Professor of Marketing, The Ohio State University
imageThe thoughtfulness counts more than the timeliness.Maria Korneeva/Moment via GettyImages

If finding the right present and making sure the recipient gets it on time leaves you feeling anxious, you’re not alone. More than half of Americans say that gift-giving stresses them out.

Concerns about on-time delivery are so common that people share...

Read more: Why sending a belated gift is not as bad as you probably think − and late is better than never

More Articles ...

  1. Tip pressure might work in the moment, but customers are less likely to return
  2. Dozens of cyclists and pedestrians are killed each year in Philly − an injury epidemiologist explains how to better protect bike lanes, slow drivers down and reduce collisions
  3. US attorney general’s professionalism can protect Americans’ privacy, former federal judge explains
  4. Tiff Massey’s ‘7 Mile Livernois’ exhibition isn’t just about a neighborhood – it’s a tribute to Black Detroit
  5. Fossilized footprints reveal 2 extinct hominin species living side by side 1.5 million years ago
  6. 208 million Americans are classified as obese or overweight, according to new study synthesizing 132 data sources
  7. An upward spiral – how small acts of kindness and connection really can change the world, according to psychology research
  8. Why Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire now − and what it means for Israel, Lebanon, Biden and Trump
  9. Is using AI tools innovation or exploitation? 3 ways to think about the ethics
  10. UN climate negotiations end on shaky geopolitical ground, but I see reasons for hope
  11. Cycling can make seniors healthier and more independent − here’s how to design bikes and networks that meet their needs
  12. Cinnamon, spice and ‘everything nice’ – why lead-tainted cinnamon products have turned up on shelves, and what questions consumers should ask
  13. Light exercise can yield significant cognitive benefits, new research shows
  14. On Bodhi Day, Buddhists commemorate Siddhartha Gautama’s enlightenment by lighting lamps to combat darkness
  15. ‘Insurrection,’ ‘equity’ and more − these are the words that trigger Trump supporters
  16. To control your spending this holiday season, stick with cash
  17. Trump’s next HUD secretary would have a lot to do to address the history of racist housing policy – and Trump’s own comments and history suggest that’s unlikely
  18. How the gladiators inspired evangelicals’ sense of persecution
  19. Taxpayers spend 22% more per patient to support Medicare Advantage – the private alternative to Medicare that promised to cost less
  20. China’s influence grows at COP29 climate talks as US leadership fades
  21. Amid lull in tit-for-tat missile exchange, Iran and Israel seek to control the online narrative
  22. Students go to hell and back in this course that looks at depictions of the damned throughout the ages
  23. Election reform was on the ballot – voters largely said ‘no’
  24. Polling in the age of Trump highlights flawed methods and filtered realities
  25. I wrote a book on the execution of the Rosenbergs for Cold War spying – and a recently declassified document has convinced me that Ethel was innocent
  26. Tiny laboratories that fit in your hand can rapidly identify pathogens using electricity
  27. Gen Z heads home: How to navigate the evolving parent-child relationship as kids become adults
  28. In a world where political polarization and disengagement are denting democracy, does Botswana’s ‘kgotla’ system hold the key?
  29. Opioid-free surgery treats pain at every physical and emotional level
  30. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ case raises questions about the many observers who might have ignored his alleged crimes
  31. As Trump touts plans for immigrant roundup, militias are standing back, but standing by
  32. AI has been a boon for marketing, but the dark side of using algorithms to sell products and brands is little studied
  33. Meat has a distinct taste, texture and aroma − a biochemist explains how plant-based alternatives mimic the real thing
  34. Is it possible to dig all the way through the Earth to the other side?
  35. How the first Pilgrims and the Puritans differed in their views on religion and respect for Native Americans
  36. US House passes measure that could punish nonprofits Treasury Department decides are ‘terrorist’
  37. Dogecoin is a joke − so what’s behind its rally?
  38. Presidents often claim mandates − especially when they want to expand their power or are on the defensive
  39. Awkwardness can hit in any social situation – here are a philosopher’s 5 strategies to navigate it with grace
  40. AI harm is often behind the scenes and builds over time – a legal scholar explains how the law can adapt to respond
  41. Denmark’s uprooting of settled residents from ‘ghettos’ forms part of aggressive plan to assimilate nonwhite inhabitants
  42. Americans agree politics is broken − here are 5 ideas for fixing key problems
  43. Vulnerability to financial scams in aging adults could be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease, new research shows
  44. No need to overload your cranberry sauce with sugar this holiday season − a food scientist explains how to cook with fewer added sweeteners
  45. Graduate students explore America’s polarized landscape via train in this course
  46. To some ancient Romans, gladiators were the embodiment of tyranny
  47. Activism on foot: When Indigenous activists walk the land to honor their past and reshape their future
  48. New maps show high-risk zones for whale-ship collisions − vessel speed limits and rerouting can reduce the toll
  49. ICC arrest warrants for Israel’s Netanyahu and Hamas leader doesn’t mean those accused will face trial anytime soon
  50. Why you should get to know Thomas Aquinas, even 800 years after he lived