The Conversation

Your local storm forecast is likely based on weather miles away – we’re trying to bring it closer to home

Written by Chris Vagasky, Meteorologist and Research Program Manager, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Weather apps might see that a storm is coming, but mesonets capture what's happening as it arrives with local real-time data.Patrick Emerson/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Whether you’re planning a weekend hike, deciding what to wear to work or preparing your home for severe storms, the weather forecast is essential. You might instinctively grab your...

Why is water wet?

Written by Yunyao Li, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas at Arlington

Evaporating water is essential to helping your body cool down.Imgorthand/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.

Why is water wet? – Philip S., age 12, Northville, Michigan

Spring is often a rainy season. If...

Potential signs of life on distant planets sound exciting – but confirmation can take years

Written by Olivia Harper Wilkins, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Dickinson College

The Taurus molecular cloud is a relatively close star-forming region at 450 light-years away. It has been the site of many astromolecule discoveries.European Southern Observatory

Astronomers can use telescopes to find specific molecules in the atmospheres of neighboring planets, in nebulae – clouds of interstellar dust and gas –...

Perseverance doesn’t always pay off for companies – sometimes it’s better to ‘fail fast’

Written by Scott Friend, Professor and Schaefer Endowed Chair in Marketing, University of Dayton

Slack's embrace of a ‘fail fast’ approach helped it become the world's dominant intra-office messaging app. AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato

Across the business world, companies often double down on struggling ideas, retreating only after clear evidence shows they won’t work.

A recent spectacular example was Meta’s metaverse push....

Texas proposes Bible readings for K-12 students, reigniting century-old legal battle over their place in public schools

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

A proposed list of required reading for Texan public schools includes several stories from the Bible.plherrera/E+ via Getty Images

In 2023, Texas passed a law aimed at improving K-12 students’ reading. In part, it called for a required reading list to spell out “at least one literary work to be taught in each grade level.”

An...

Donkeys are a symbol of endurance for Palestinians – they are also a target of settler violence and care

Written by Irus Braverman, Professor of Law, Adjunct Professor of Geography, and, Research Professor at the Department of Research and Sustainability, University at Buffalo

A young Palestinian rides a donkey in the occupied West Bank on Sept. 30, 2025. John Wessels/AFP via Getty Images

Donkeys tend to symbolize humility and redemption; in Jewish tradition, the Messiah will arrive on a white donkey.

But in today’s “land of the Bible,” donkeys have become victims of the war in Gaza and, increasingly,...

America’s founding promise of religious freedom has long coexisted with prejudice, even as many Christians have worked to confront it

Written by David Mislin, Assistant Professor of Intellectual Heritage, Temple University

Student artwork on display at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2019, marks the one-year anniversary of the attack.AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence, old questions have returned about who belongs and whose religious practices are truly protected in the country.

At the...

Older Americans who vote live longer than those who don’t – new research

Written by Sara Konrath, Associate Professor of Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University

A study found that voting, like good nutrition and exercise, could extend your lifespan.Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

Most people know the basics of healthy living that become more important as you grow older: Eat plenty of vegetables, exercise regularly, sleep well, have a social life, limit your alcohol consumption and don’t smoke.

As an economi...

Sora’s downfall signals broader problems with AI’s creative utility

Written by Ahmed Elgammal, Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Art & AI Lab, Rutgers University

In March 2026, OpenAI announced the closure of Sora, its video generation software, to redirect the company's computing resources to other projects.Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images

OpenAI officially discontinued its video generation tool, Sora, on April 26, 2026.

I’m a computer scientist who’s been developing AI tools and studying...

Latest attack threatening President Trump reflects rising political violence in US

Written by James Piazza, Liberal Arts Professor of Political Science, Penn State

President Donald Trump speaks at the White House on April 25, 2026, after the cancellation of the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner.Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)

For the third time in three years, Donald Trump has come under threat by an attacker. Many facts remain unclear after a gunman stormed the Washington Hilton on April 25,...