The Conversation

The Supreme Court may soon diminish Black political power, undoing generations of gains

Written by Robert D. Bland, Assistant Professor of History and Africana Studies, University of Tennessee

U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, a Democrat who represents portions of central Louisiana in the House, could lose his seat if the Supreme Court invalidates Louisiana's congressional map.AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Back in 2013, the Supreme Court tossed out a key provision of the Voting Rights Act regarding federal oversight of elections. It appears poised to abol...

Climate change threatens the Winter Olympics’ future – and even snowmaking has limits for saving the Games

Written by Steven R. Fassnacht, Professor of Snow Hydrology, Colorado State University

Italy's Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium, which is hosting events for the 2026 Winter Olympics, needed snowmaking machines for the Italian National Championship Open on Dec. 23, 2025.Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images

Watching the Winter Olympics is an adrenaline rush as athletes fly down snow-covered ski slopes, luge tracks and over the ice at breakneck speeds...

Confused by the new dietary guidelines? Focus on these simple, evidence-based shifts to lower your chronic disease risk

Written by Michael I Goran, Professor of Pediatrics and Vice Chair for Research, University of Southern California

Consuming less highly processed foods and sugary drinks and more whole grains can meaningfully improve your health.fizkes/iStock via Getty Images Plus

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans aim to translate the most up-to-date nutrition science into practical advice for the public as well as to guide federal policy for programs such as school...

Federal power meets local resistance in Minneapolis – a case study in how federalism staves off authoritarianism

Written by Nicholas Jacobs, Goldfarb Family Distinguished Chair in American Government, Colby College; Institute for Humane Studies

Protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement march through Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 25, 2026. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

An unusually large majority of Americans agree that the recent scenes of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minneapolis are disturbing.

Federal immigration agents have deployed with weapons...

Data centers told to pitch in as storms and cold weather boost power demand

Written by Nikki Luke, Assistant Professor of Human Geography, University of Tennessee

During winter storms, physical damage to wires and high demand for heating put pressure on the electrical grid.Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

As Winter Storm Fern swept across the United States in late January 2026, bringing ice, snow and freezing temperatures, it left more than a million people without power, mostly in the Southeast.

Scrambling to...

Clergy protests against ICE turned to a classic – and powerful – American playlist

Written by David W. Stowe, Professor of Religious Studies, Michigan State University

Clergy and community leaders demonstrate outside Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Jan. 23, 2026, amid a surge by federal immigration agents.Brandon Bell/Getty Images

On Jan. 28, 2026, Bruce Springsteen released “Streets of Minneapolis,” a hard-hitting protest against the immigration enforcement surge in the city, including t...

NASA’s Artemis II plans to send a crew around the Moon to test equipment and lay the groundwork for a future landing

Written by Margaret Landis, Assistant Professor of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University

A banner signed by NASA employees and contractors outside Launch Complex 39B, where NASA’s Artemis II rocket is visible in the background.NASA/Joel Kowsky, CC BY-NC-ND

Almost as tall as a football field, NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and capsule stack traveled slowly – just under 1 mile per hour – out to the Artemis II...

A human tendency to value expertise, not just sheer power, explains how some social hierarchies form

Written by Thomas Morgan, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University

Leaders can seem to emerge from the group naturally, based on their skill and expertise.Hiraman/E+ via Getty Images

Born on the same day, Bill and Ben both grew up to have high status. But in every other way they were polar opposites.

As children, Bill was well-liked, with many friends, while Ben was a bully, picking on smaller kids. During...

Certain brain injuries may be linked to violent crime – identifying them could help reveal how people make moral choices

Written by Christopher M. Filley, Professor Emeritus of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Neurological evidence is widely used in murder trials, but it’s often unclear how to interpret it. gorodenkoff/iStock via Getty Images Plus

On Oct. 25, 2023, a 40-year old man named Robert Card opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at a bowling alley and nearby bar in Lewiston, Maine, killing 18 people and wounding 13 others. Card was found...

Building with air – how nature’s hole-filled blueprints shape manufacturing

Written by Anne Schmitz, Associate Professor of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Stout

Engineers use structures found in nature – like the honeycomb – to create lightweight, sturdy materials. Matthew T. Rader, CC BY-NC-SA

If you break open a chicken bone, you won’t find a solid mass of white material inside. Instead, you will see a complex, spongelike network of tiny struts and pillars, and a lot of empty space.

It...