The Conversation

Researchers dig deep underground in hopes of finally observing dark matter

Written by Hugh Lippincott, Associate Professor of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara

The inside of the LZ outer detector. The LZ is a super sensitive machine that may one day detect a dark matter particle. Matt Kapust, SURF, CC BY-SA

Physicists like me don’t fully understand what makes up about 83% of the matter of the universe — something we call “dark matter.” But with a tank full of xenon buried nearly a...

A brief illustrated guide to 'scissors congruence' − an ancient geometric idea that’s still fueling cutting-edge mathematical research

Written by Maxine Calle, Ph.D. Candidate in Mathematics, University of Pennsylvania

While scissors congruence accurately captures the modern algebraic notion of 2D area, things get more complicated in higher dimensions.Maxine Calle, CC BY-ND

In math class, you probably learned how to compute the area of lots of different shapes by memorizing algebraic formulas. Remember “base x height” for rectangles and...

Women get far more migraines than men – a neurologist explains why, and what brings relief

Written by Danielle Wilhour, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Migraines are more common and intense during a woman's reproductive years. PixelsEffect/iStock via Getty Images Plus

A migraine is far more than just a headache – it’s a debilitating disorder of the nervous system.

People who have migraines experience severe throbbing or pulsating pain, typically on one side of the head. The pain is...

Despite giving students chances to cheat, unsupervised online exams gauge student learning comparably to in-person exams

Written by Jason C.K. Chan, Professor of Psychology, Iowa State University

Research shows that unsupervised online exams can accurately assess student learning.Geber86/iStock via Getty Images

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Students don’t have to be supervised during online exams. That’s because unsupervised online exams can accurately assess student learning,...

Through space and rhyme: How hip-hop uses Afrofuturism to take listeners on journeys of empowerment

Written by Roy Whitaker, Associate Professor of Africana Philosophy of Religions and American Religious Diversity, San Diego State University

The exhibit "Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures" at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., on May 4, 2023.Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images

It is perhaps only natural, as hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary, that people look to the genre’s future. But for some rappers, the...

Donald Trump is right − he is getting special treatment, far better than most other criminal defendants

Written by Christopher Robertson, Professor of Law, Boston University

The former president boards his plane at Reagan National Airport following his Aug. 3, 2023, arraignment in Washington. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump often complains that he is being treated unfairly by the prosecutors charging him with crimes.

Trump is now the subject of three federal and state criminal cases – and it...

Kamala Harris has tied the record for the most tie-breaking votes in Senate history – a brief overview of what vice presidents do

Written by Joshua Holzer, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Westminster College

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to cast a tiebreaking vote in the U.S. Senate.Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

On Jan. 20, 2021, Kamala Harris became the first African American, the first person of South Asian descent and the first woman to serve as vice president of the United States.

More recently, she made history again by casting her 31st...

Yellow jerseys of the fireline: A day fighting wildfires can require as much endurance as riding the Tour de France

Written by Brent C. Ruby, Research Professor, School of Integrative Physiology and Athletic Training, University of Montana

Ruby Mountain hotshots construct a fire line during the Dixie Fire in 2021. Joe Bradshaw/BLM

For three weeks in July, the world’s most elite bike racers climb steep mountains and sprint along historic cobblestones to capture the coveted yellow jersey or the race leader in the Tour de France. It’s a 22-day feat of human endurance that...

Medical exploitation of Black people in America goes far beyond the cells stolen from Henrietta Lacks that produced modern day miracles

Written by Deion Scott Hawkins, Assistant Professor of Argumentation & Advocacy, Emerson College

A photo of Henrietta Lacks sits in the living room of her grandson. Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images

In a case that revealed the exploitation of a Black woman beginning in the 1950s and extending for 70 years, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. settled a lawsuit that the estate of Henrietta Lacks had filed against the biotech firm...

Zebrafish are a scientist's favorite for early-stage research – especially to study human blood disorders

Written by Gabrielle Dubansky, Master's Candidate in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Iowa State University

As an animal model, the zebrafish offers many advantages that save researchers time and money.Uri Manor/NICHD via Flickr, CC BY-SA

Scientists have relied on animal models as an alternative to testing on human tissues and cells for decades. But not just any organism can adequately model how human cells behave. Researchers take into account how...