The Conversation

How did birds survive while dinosaurs went extinct?

Written by Chris Lituma, Assistant Professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Resources, West Virginia University

It wasn't flying that gave birds the advantage.Corey Ford/Stocktrek Images 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 dinosaurs died, how come there are birds? Caiden S., age 9, Wylie, Texas

Everyone knows what a bird...

Rights of transgender students and their parents are a challenge for schools, courts

Written by Charles J. Russo, Joseph Panzer Chair in Education in the School of Education and Health Sciences and Research Professor of Law, University of Dayton

The rights of transgender people are often in dispute, including in schools.AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

As an increasing number of elementary, middle and high school students in the U.S. have begun to identify as transgender, school leaders have struggled to figure out how to respond, and how – and whether – to communicate about their actions...

The future of flight in a net-zero-carbon world: 9 scenarios, lots of sustainable biofuel

Written by Candelaria Bergero, Ph.D. Student in Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine

Some airlines are already experimenting with sustainable aviation fuel.Michael H/Stone Collection/Getty Images

Several major airlines have pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by midcentury to fight climate change. It’s an ambitious goal that will require an enormous ramp-up in sustainable aviation fuels, but that alone won’t be...

Sports betting apps' notifications and leaderboards encourage more and more wagers – a psychologist who treats gambling addictions explains why some people get hooked

Written by Meredith K. Ginley, Assistant Professor of Psychology, East Tennessee State University

You can keep placing new bets throughout the whole game.svetikd/E+ via Getty Images

Joe is a full-time college student who also works some nights as a security guard. He played basketball all through high school and loves to follow the sport. Tonight one of his favorite teams is playing and he’s placed a US$100 bet for them to win.

As he sits...

More lunar missions means more space junk around the Moon – two scientists are building a catalog to track the trash

Written by Vishnu Reddy, Professor of Planetary Science, University of Arizona

There are more than 100 missions to the Moon planned in the coming years, including the next Artemis missions.NASA

Scientists and government agencies have been worried about the space junk surrounding Earth for decades. But humanity’s starry ambitions are farther reaching than the space just around Earth. Ever since the 1960s with the launch...

Is the gruesome fun in Netflix's 'Wednesday' realistic? What science says about getting eaten by piranhas and poisoned by nightshade

Written by Bill Sullivan, Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University

Piranhas do bite, but can they kill you?Netflix

Editor’s note: This article contains minor spoilers for the Netflix series “Wednesday.”

The popular Netflix series “Wednesday” chronicles the adventures of the Addams family’s teen daughter. After her parents send her to Nevermore Academy, a school for...

The politics of blasphemy: Why Pakistan and some other Muslim countries are passing new blasphemy laws

Written by Ahmet T. Kuru, Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University

People gather around the body of a man who was killed when an enraged mob stoned him to death for allegedly desecrating the Quran, in eastern Pakistan in February 2022.AP Photo/Asim Tanveer

On Jan. 17, 2023, Pakistan’s National Assembly unanimously voted to expand the country’s laws on blasphemy, which carries the death penalty for...

The US and the Philippines' military agreement sends a warning to China – 4 key things to know

Written by Michael A. Allen, Professor of Political Science, Boise State University

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, center, arrives at a military camp in Quezon City, Philippines, on Feb. 2, 2023.Rolex Dela Pena/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

The United States and the Philippines announced on Feb. 2, 2023, that the U.S. is expanding its military presence across more military bases in the Southeast Asian country, giving the U.S. a...

As climate change and overuse shrink Lake Powell, the emergent landscape is coming back to life – and posing new challenges

Written by Daniel Craig McCool, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Utah

The white 'bathtub ring' around Lake Powell, which is roughly 110 feet high, shows the former high water mark.AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

As Western states haggle over reducing water use because of declining flows in the Colorado River Basin, a more hopeful drama is playing out in Glen Canyon.

Lake Powell, the second-largest U.S. reservoir, extends from...

Diversity and moderation over tradition – why Democrats moved South Carolina to the start of the 2024 presidential campaign

Written by Gibbs Knotts, Professor of Political Science and Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Charleston

Caucusgoers stand beneath the sign for the South Carolina delegation at the Democratic National Convention.Bill Clark /CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images

The Democratic National Committee approved a proposal on Feb. 4, 2023, that puts South Carolina first on the party’s presidential nominating calendar, upending 50 years of tradition. For...