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Wildfire smoke is back – fires burning across Canada are already triggering US air quality alerts in the Midwest and Plains

  • Written by Charles O. Stanier, Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Iowa

Dozens of wildfires are burning across Canada in May 2024 and sending unhealthy smoke blowing into the northern U.S. again. At the same time, the southeastern U.S. is getting smoke from Mexico, where drought conditions have been fueling fires.

Last year, Canada’s record 2023 wildfire season introduced millions of Americans across the Midwest...

Read more: Wildfire smoke is back – fires burning across Canada are already triggering US air quality alerts...

Confusion over how pregnancy dates are measured is widespread – and makes for uninformed debate over abortion limits

  • Written by Laurel Elder, Professor of Political Science, Hartwick College
imageThe exam room of a women's health clinic, which provides abortions, in Jacksonville, Fla., is seen in April 2024. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Most Americans don’t know two key facts about pregnancy, including how they are dated and how long a trimester is – and this could matter, as a growing number of states place restrictions on...

Read more: Confusion over how pregnancy dates are measured is widespread – and makes for uninformed debate...

Haitians looking to escape violence and chaos face hostility in neighboring Dominican Republic

  • Written by Edlin Veras, Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology and Black studies, Swarthmore College
imageHaitians deported from the Dominican Republic head back across the border.Steven Aristil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince has been under siege for several months, with reports suggesting about 200 gangs have seized control of more than 80% of the city.

The surge of violence has left residents with few options...

Read more: Haitians looking to escape violence and chaos face hostility in neighboring Dominican Republic

‘Noise’ in the machine: Human differences in judgment lead to problems for AI

  • Written by Mayank Kejriwal, Research Assistant Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Southern California
imageBias isn't the only human imperfection turning up in AI.Emrah Turudu/Photodisc via Getty Images

Many people understand the concept of bias at some intuitive level. In society, and in artificial intelligence systems, racial and gender biases are well documented.

If society could somehow remove bias, would all problems go away? The late Nobel...

Read more: ‘Noise’ in the machine: Human differences in judgment lead to problems for AI

Asian Jewish Americans have a double reason to celebrate their heritage in May

  • Written by Samira Mehta, Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies & Jewish Studies, University of Colorado Boulder
imageMay is a reminder of how diverse two American communities are.Cavan Images via Getty Images

May is both Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month. Two entirely separate commemorations for two entirely separate communities, right?

Think again. Not only do Asian American Jews exist, but we...

Read more: Asian Jewish Americans have a double reason to celebrate their heritage in May

Why do religious teens engage in less risky behavior? A psychologist explains

  • Written by James A. Shepperd, Professor of Psychology, University of Florida
imageReligious teens have lower rates of smoking, drinking and marijuana use.pastorscott/E+ via Getty images

Researchers have long known that religious teens are less likely to engage in risky behavior. My team’s research explains why.

We surveyed multiple times the religious beliefs and risk behavior of over 1,400 teens from Florida between 2010...

Read more: Why do religious teens engage in less risky behavior? A psychologist explains

Iron fuels immune cells – and it could make asthma worse

  • Written by Benjamin Hurrell, Assistant Professor of Research in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Southern California
imageIron carries oxygen throughout the body, but ironically, it can also make it harder to breathe for people with asthma.Hiroshi Watanabe/Stone via Getty Images

You’ve likely heard that you can get iron from eating spinach and steak. You might also know that it’s an essential trace element that is a major component of hemoglobin, a protein...

Read more: Iron fuels immune cells – and it could make asthma worse

Vatican conference on ‘climate resilience’ is the latest in a long line of environment initiatives by Pope Francis and the Catholic Church – 5 essential reads

  • Written by Molly Jackson, Religion and Ethics Editor
imageA march for climate action in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican in June 2015. Pope Francis praised the participants, who included Christians, Muslims, Jews and Hindus.AP Photo/Andrew Medichini

From May 15-17, 2024, American leaders including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy will be attending a global conference on...

Read more: Vatican conference on ‘climate resilience’ is the latest in a long line of environment initiatives...

By not lip-syncing Amy Winehouse’s songs, actress Marisa Abela confronts impossible expectations in ‘Back to Black’

  • Written by Katherine Meizel, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, Bowling Green State University
imageActress Marisa Abela and actor Eddie Marsan film a scene for the Amy Winehouse biopic 'Back to Black' in London.Neil Mockford/GC Images via Getty Images

Like Amy Winehouse, “Back to Black,” the new biopic about the late British singer, has been no stranger to controversy.

In the case of the film, opinion has been fiercely split about...

Read more: By not lip-syncing Amy Winehouse’s songs, actress Marisa Abela confronts impossible expectations...

Rap ‘beef’ as public spectacle is a dangerous game that artists rarely win

  • Written by A.D. Carson, Associate Professor of Hip-Hop, University of Virginia
imageCanadian police and television reporters gather outside the rapper Drake's Toronto mansion after a shooting there in May 2024.(Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star via Getty Images

The shooting of a security guard near the Toronto home of Drake is the latest chapter in the ongoing beef between the Canadian rapper and Pulitizer Prize-winning rival Ken...

Read more: Rap ‘beef’ as public spectacle is a dangerous game that artists rarely win

More Articles ...

  1. Wars cause widespread pollution and environmental damage − here’s how to address it in peace accords
  2. ‘Dancing’ raisins − a simple kitchen experiment reveals how objects can extract energy from their environment and come to life
  3. Mary McLeod Bethune, known as the ‘First Lady of Negro America,’ also sought to unify the African diaspora
  4. Binge drinking is a growing public health crisis − a neurobiologist explains how research on alcohol use disorder has shifted
  5. Why do people hate people?
  6. The price of rebuilding Ukraine goes up each day − but shirking the bill will cost even more
  7. Thirsty in paradise: Water crises are a growing problem across the Caribbean islands
  8. I’ve spent decades overseeing relief operations around the world, and here’s what’s going wrong in Gaza
  9. A jacket, a coin, a letter − relics of Omaha Beach battle tell the story of D-Day 80 years later
  10. How Jason Kelce built his personal brand and became a Philly legend
  11. Sudan’s descent into chaos sets stage for al-Qaida to make a return to historic stronghold
  12. How cannabis and psilocybin might help some of the 50 million Americans who are experiencing chronic pain
  13. Algorithms help people see and correct their biases, study shows
  14. Engineering mini human hearts to study pregnancy complications and birth defects
  15. Sports gambling creates a windfall, but raises questions of integrity – here are three lessons from historic sports-betting scandals
  16. Bird flu detected in Colorado dairy cattle − a vet explains the risks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
  17. Medicine doesn’t just have ‘conscientious objectors’ − there are ‘conscientious providers,’ too
  18. What are roads made of? A pavement materials engineer explains the science behind the asphalt you drive on
  19. A sex scandal that’s boring the public − and a judge forced to keep Trump focused
  20. Divesting university endowments: Easier demanded than done
  21. Polarization may phase out of American politics as younger generations shift into power
  22. La Niña is coming, raising the chances of a dangerous Atlantic hurricane season – an atmospheric scientist explains this climate phenomenon
  23. Why some people receiving federal benefits don’t consider themselves poor − even though poverty rates have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic
  24. Why US offshore wind power is struggling – the good, the bad and the opportunity
  25. Brain study identifies a cost of caregiving for new fathers
  26. I interviewed moms with 5 or more kids − here’s what I learned about the women who are quietly going against the grain
  27. Commencement isn’t just about awarding degrees – and cancellations leave students disconnected and disillusioned
  28. 5 books to help you better understand today’s campus protests
  29. Pet-owners: watch out for foxtail seed pods that can harm your dog or cat this summer
  30. Section 702 foreign surveillance law lives on, but privacy fight continues
  31. Playing with the kids is important work for chimpanzee mothers
  32. Arizona’s now-repealed abortion ban serves as a cautionary tale for reproductive health care across the US
  33. Justice Sotomayor’s health isn’t the real problem for Democrats − winning elections is
  34. What early 2024 polls are revealing about voters of color and the GOP − and it’s not all about Donald Trump
  35. Exoplanet WASP-69b has a cometlike tail – this unique feature is helping scientists like me learn more about how planets evolve
  36. Everyday life and its variability influenced human evolution at least as much as rare activities like big-game hunting
  37. How 19th-century Spiritualists ‘canceled’ the idea of hell to address social and political concerns
  38. US drone warfare faces questions of legitimacy, study of military chaplains shows
  39. Florida’s school safety dashboard helps parents and teachers address root causes of bullying, fighting and other misbehavior
  40. What America’s first board game can teach us about the aspirations of a young nation
  41. Could Biden stop Netanyahu’s plans? A national security expert looks at Israel’s attack on Rafah
  42. War games risk stirring up troubled waters as Philippines − emboldened by US − squares up to Beijing at sea
  43. As climate change amplifies urban flooding, here’s how communities can become ‘sponge cities’
  44. How to tell if a conspiracy theory is probably false
  45. Future pandemics will have the same human causes as ancient outbreaks − lessons from anthropology can help prevent them
  46. Lung cancer is the deadliest of all cancers, and screening could save many lives − if more people could access it
  47. Voting in unconstitutional districts: US Supreme Court upended decades of precedent in 2022 by allowing voters to vote with gerrymandered maps instead of fixing the congressional districts first
  48. Homeschooled kids face unique college challenges − here are 3 ways they can be overcome
  49. Artists created images of Christ that focused not on historical accuracy but on reflecting different communities − a scholar of religious history explains
  50. 3 reasons the UAW is having success in organizing Southern workers – with two Mercedes plants in Alabama the next face-off