The Conversation

A bottlenose dolphin? Or Tursiops truncatus? Why biologists give organisms those strange, unpronounceable names

Written by Nicholas Green, Assistant Professor of Biology, Kennesaw State University

The system of scientific naming began in the 1700s.Westend61 via Getty Images

Most people would call it a “field mouse,” but a scientist would ask, “Was it Peromyscus maniculatus? Or Peromyscus leucopus?”

Scientists use a system of complicated-sounding names to refer to everyday creatures, a practice heavily lampooned in the...

It’s miller moth season in Colorado – an entomologist explains why they’re important and where they’re headed

Written by Ryan St Laurent, Assistant Professor of Biology, University of Colorado Boulder

It is spring on the Front Range of Colorado, which means before long the region will receive an influx of many, many moths.

Colorado is home to thousands of species of moths, many of which are hatching out from a winter of hibernation, known as diapause.

Moths are known to swarm porch, stadium and street lights at night. Each summer, Denver is...

The Michelin Guide is Eurocentric and elitist − yet it will soon be an arbiter of culinary excellence in Philly

Written by Tulasi Srinivas, Professor of Anthropology, Religion and Transnational Studies, Emerson College

Could a Philly cheesesteak joint actually get a Michelin star?

The famed Michelin Red Guide is coming to Philadelphia, and inspectors are already scouting local restaurants to award the famed Michelin star.

Michelin says the selected restaurants will be announced in a Northeast cities edition celebration later this year. Boston will also be included...

Is methylene blue really a brain booster? A pharmacologist explains the science

Written by Lorne J. Hofseth, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina

This vibrantly colored chemical was originally created for use as a fabric dye.Kittisak Kaewchalun via iStock/Getty Images Plus

The internet is abuzz with tributes to a liquid chemical called methylene blue that is being sold as a health supplement.

Over the past five or 10 years, methylene blue has come to be touted online as a so-called nootropic...

Autocrats don’t act like Hitler or Stalin anymore − instead of governing with violence, they use manipulation

Written by Daniel Treisman, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles

Autocrats today tend to govern by manipulation of the public, among other tactics, rather than solely using violence. Nanzeeba Ibnat/iStock/Getty Images Plus

President Donald Trump’s critics often accuse him of harboring authoritarian ambitions. Journalists and scholars have drawn parallels between his leadership style and that of strongmen...

Reducing American antisemitism requires more than condemning opposition to Israel and targeting elite universities

Written by David Mednicoff, Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Public Policy, UMass Amherst

Law enforcement officials dress in protective gear to investigate after an attack on a march in Boulder, Colo., on June 1, 2025, calling for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Violent antisemitism in the U.S. isn’t limited to the far right wing of the political spectrum. This was tragically obvious in two...

Even if Putin and Zelenskyy do go face-to-face, don’t expect wonders − their one meeting in 2019 ended in failure

Written by Anna Batta, Associate Professor of International Security Studies, Air University

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrive at the Elysee Palace in Paris in 2019.Ian Langsdon/Pool Photo via AP

Delegations from Ukraine and Russia met for a second time in Istanbul in a month on June 2, 2025. Missing, again, were the country’s two leaders.

For a fleeting moment ahead of the first...

California plan to ban most plants within 5 feet of homes for wildfire safety overlooks some important truths about flammability

Written by Max Moritz, Wildfire Specialist, University of California Cooperative Extension; Adjunct Professor at the Bren School, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of California, Santa Barbara

Photos after the Los Angeles fires in January 2025 show many yards where vegetation didn't burn while neighboring houses did.AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

One of the most striking patterns in the aftermath of many urban fires is how much unburned green vegetation remains amid the wreckage of burned neighborhoods.

In some cases, a row of shrubs may be all...

New model helps to figure out which distant planets may host life

Written by Daniel Apai, Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona

Some 'water worlds' like Jupiter's moon Europa could potentially be habitable for life.NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute

The search for life beyond Earth is a key driver of modern astronomy and planetary science. The U.S. is building multiple major telescopes and planetary probes to advance this search. However, the signs of life – called...

Debunking 5 myths about when your devices get wet

Written by Rachel Plotnick, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies, Indiana University

Consumer technologies get wet as a regular part of everyday life.Shuvro Mojumder/Unsplash , CC BY-SA

Nearly everyone has encountered the unthinkable: Your smartphone landed in the toilet. Or you forgot to take off your smartwatch before jumping into the pool. Or maybe you meant to take those earbuds out of your pocket before running the laundry....