The Conversation

How the Unabomber's unique linguistic fingerprints led to his capture

Written by Roger J. Kreuz, Associate Dean and Professor of Psychology, University of Memphis

Ted Kaczynski was arrested after the longest and most expensive investigation in the FBI's history.Rich Pedroncelli/AFP via Getty Images

Can the language someone uses be as unique as their fingerprints?

As I describe in my forthcoming book, “Linguistic Fingerprints: How Language Creates and Reveals Identity,” that was true in the case of...

96.4% of Americans had COVID-19 antibodies in their blood by fall 2022

Written by Matt Hitchings, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, University of Florida

Infection and vaccination both leave their mark in your blood.Yulia Reznikov/Moment via Getty Images

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Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, were present in the blood of 96.4% of Americans over the age of 16 by September 2022. That’s according to a serosurvey – an analysis testing for the presence of these...

When homes flood, who retreats and to where? We mapped thousands of FEMA buyouts and found distance and race play a role

Written by James R. Elliott, Professor of Sociology, Rice University

After Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans in 2021, Kirt Talamo, a fourth-generation Louisianan, decided it was time to go. He sold his flooded home, purchased his grandmother’s former house on New Orleans’ west bank, which hadn’t flooded, and moved in. It felt good to be back within its familiar walls, but his mind was on the future.

&ld...

EU files antitrust charges against Google – here's how the ad tech at the heart of the case works

Written by Eric Zeng, Postdoctoral Researcher in Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University

European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager discusses the EU's antitrust case against Google.AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

The European Union filed an antitrust case against Google on June 14, 2023, charging that the company abused its power in the online advertising market to disadvantage its competition. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a s...

Why the Federal Reserve's epic fight against inflation might be over

Written by Ryan Herzog, Associate Professor of Economics, Gonzaga University

Time to press the stop button?iStock/Getty Images

The Federal Reserve’s decision to hold rates steady signals that central bankers believe it is time to hit pause, at least temporarily, on their aggressive campaign to tame runaway inflation.

The latest data, not to mention several other factors, however, suggests it’s time for a full...

Seeing dead fruit flies is bad for the health of fruit flies – and neuroscientists have identified the exact brain cells responsible

Written by Christi Gendron, Research Assistant Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan

For _Drosophila melanogaster_, their senses have a significant effect on how quickly they age.nico_blue/E+ via Getty Images

All living organisms age. People have long sought ways to slow, halt or reverse this process, which is commonly associated with declining mental and physical health. One area researchers are probing is the role that sensory...

Silvio Berlusconi had a complex relationship with US presidents: Friend to one, shunned by another

Written by Jason Davidson, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, University of Mary Washington

Things looking up for the Bush-Berlusconi relationship.Philippe Desmazes/AFP via Getty Images)

When the administration of Geroge W. Bush needed an ally to help sell its proposed invasion of Iraq to a skeptical European audience, Silvio Berlusconi stepped forward.

It wasn’t that the Italian prime minister was particularly concerned over the...

In the year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ruled states should decide the legality of abortion, voters at the state level have been doing just that: 4 essential reads

Written by Lorna Grisby, Senior Politics & Society Editor

Abortion-rights demonstrators protest in front of the Supreme Court building on June 25, 2022, a day after the announcement of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling. Brandon Bell/Getty Images News via Getty Images

When the Supreme Court ruled on June 24, 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that states...

Linguists have identified a new English dialect that's emerging in South Florida

Written by Phillip M. Carter, Associate Professor of Linguistics, Florida International University

Travel to Miami, and you might hear people say 'get down from the car' instead of 'get out of the car.'Miami Herald/Getty Images

“We got down from the car and went inside.”

“I made the line to pay for groceries.”

“He made a party to celebrate his son’s birthday.”

These phrases might sound off to the ears of...

If humans went extinct, what would the Earth look like one year later?

Written by Carlton Basmajian, Associate Professor of Community and Regional Planning, Urban Design, Iowa State University

A glimpse of a post-apocalyptic world.Bulgar/E+ via Getty Images

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.

If humans went extinct, what would the Earth look like one year later? – Essie, age 11, Michigan

Have you ever wondered...