The Conversation

How the National Security Council typically functions to plan and fully assess risks when presidents consider going to war

Written by Gregory F. Treverton, Professor of Practice in International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, center, acting Commander of U.S. Cyber Command William Hartman and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, right, stand before the Senate Committee on Intelligence on Capitol Hill on March 18, 2026.AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Three weeks into the U.S. war with Iran, it seems increasingly evident that President...

Is it ‘Ih-ran’ or ‘E-ron’? Inside the politics of pronunciation

Written by Valerie M. Fridland, Professor of Linguistics, University of Nevada, Reno

How you pronounce the name of the country the U.S. is at war against may reflect your politics.paitoonpati/iStock via Getty Images Plus

With the war in Iran a topic on everyone’s lips, you might have noticed an inconsistency in the way that nation’s name is said, varying between a more native-like “Ih-ron” pronunciation and...

Workplace relief is coming for employees with symptoms of menstruation, perimenopause and menopause in Philly

Written by Ann Juliano, Professor of Law, Villanova University

Accommodations might include brief, flexible breaks or temperature control to manage hot flashes.Disturbriana Media/E+ Collection via Getty Images

Imagine you’re a server at a busy restaurant that requires you to wear a form-fitting, polyester shirt as part of the uniform. When a hot flash hits, you are a sweaty mess. You really wish your...

The world’s great fish migrations are collapsing – that’s a problem for millions of people

Written by Zeb Hogan, Professor of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno

Mahseer swim in the Ramganga River, a major tributary of the Ganges River in South Asia.Zeb Hogan

Hidden beneath the surface of the world’s rivers, some of Earth’s great animal movements unfold – migrations that rival, in sheer biomass, the famous mass movements of zebra and wildebeest across the Serengeti.

For centuries, fish...

Psychological toll of betrayal trauma may help explain why women kept silent for decades after alleged abuse by civil rights icon Cesar Chavez

Written by Anne P. DePrince, Professor of Psychology, University of Denver

Cesar Chavez became a national hero for his advocacy of farmworkers' rights. Here he gives a talk at Boston University in April 1979.Ted Dully/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Multiple women told The New York Times that Mexican American civil rights hero Cesar Chavez assaulted them decades ago, including when some were just girls, one as young as...

Over 400 million barrels will be added to the oil market soon – what are strategic reserves and what can they do?

Written by Scott L. Montgomery, Lecturer in International Studies, University of Washington

The world is about to open up reserve oil supplies.Photo illustration by PashaIgnatov/iStock/Getty Images Plus

In the second week of the Iran war – with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, cutting off shipping of 20% of the world’s oil supply – the International Energy Agency announced the largest release of strategic oil...

Can you survive inside a tornado? This scientist did by accident – he’s lucky to be alive

Written by Perry Samson, Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Science, University of Michigan

Tornadoes can be erratic and extremely dangerous.Brent Koops/NOAA Weather in Focus Photo Contest 2015, CC BY

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.

Can a person survive inside a tornado? – Sophia, age 14, Greencastle, Indiana

I...

For the nearly 1 in 4 US adults with chronic pain, employers’ expectations of a healthy body can lead to shame

Written by Beth Schinoff, Assistant Professor of Management, University of Delaware

Chronic pain afflicts white-collar and blue-collar workers alike.ilkercelik/E+ via Getty Images

Your back pain gets worse as you sit through a long meeting. Your wrist pain flares when you’re typing furiously to meet a tight deadline. During a busy shift at the grocery store, you feel a migraine coming on.

If that sounds familiar,...

Immigrant kids can attend school regardless of citizenship – some states are challenging this standard

Written by William McCorkle, Associate Professor of Education, College of Charleston

An undocumented mother walks her 6-year-old daughter to school in Danbury, Conn., in October 2025, shortly before the family self-deported. John Moore/Getty Images

All immigrants, regardless of their citizenship status, have the right to attend a public K-12 school in the United States. Schools cannot collect students’ immigration status when...

Trump’s ‘Venezuela solution’ to Cuba would see the island nation returned to a client state

Written by Joseph J. Gonzalez, Associate Professor of Global Studies, Appalachian State University

The U.S. and Cuban governments have been at odds since the conclusion of the Cuban Revolution 67 years ago. Yet despite pressure, embargoes and various CIA plots, the communist government in Havana has resisted the wishes of its very powerful neighbor separated by just 90 miles (145 kilometers) of water.

From my perspective as an expert on...