The Conversation

Why the Persian Gulf has more oil and gas than anywhere else on Earth

Written by Scott L. Montgomery, Lecturer in International Studies, University of Washington

Oil wells in the Persian Gulf region are among the most productive in the world.Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

It has been said that Persian Gulf countries are both blessed and cursed by their vast oil and gas reserves. Geologic forces over millions of years have meant the region is an energy-rich global flash point, as it is now with a...

¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! Speedy Gonzales set to make his triumphant return to the silver screen

Written by Jared Bahir Browsh, Assistant Teaching Professor of Critical Sports Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

The cartoon mouse was taken off the air over concerns about damaging stereotypes, only to be brought back when Hispanic American groups protested.wiredforlego/flickr, CC BY-NC

“¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!”

Meaning “hurry up, let’s go,” the trademark slogan of Speedy Gonzales...

Hosting the NFL draft is less about weekend beer sales and more about long-term brand value

Written by Tim Derdenger, Associate Professor of Marketing, Carnegie Mellon University

By selecting Pittsburgh for the draft, the NFL signals that the city is a premier destination.Justin K. Aller/Getty Images Sport

When the NFL draft arrives in Pittsburgh in April 2026, city officials are sure to tout projected economic impact figures. They will likely point to the US$73 million generated by Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the surrounding...

Israel’s death penalty law has little to do with criminal justice and everything to do with ethno-nationalism

Written by Arie Perliger, Director of Security Studies and Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies, UMass Lowell

A Palestinian protester holds a placard showing a crossed-out noose during a rally in the Beit Jala village near Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

In its nearly 80-year history, the state of Israel has carried out only one court-sanctioned execution: Adolf Eichmann, a principal architect of...

1776’s Declaration of Independence inspired Washington’s troops to fight against the odds – and also helped bring in powerful allies

Written by Christopher Magra, Professor of American History, University of Tennessee

The Declaration of Independence did more than assert the Colonies' independence from Britain.iStock/Getty Images Plus

A crowd gathered along the waterfront in New York City in the summer of 1776. The scene they witnessed was terrifying.

The largest expeditionary force in British history sailed into the American harbor. Over 300 ships brought 32,000...

US refugee policy for white South Africans is part of a century-long effort to keep some English-speaking nations white

Written by John Broich, Associate Professor of History, Case Western Reserve University

Newly arrived South Africans listen to U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau deliver welcome statements in a hangar near Washington Dulles International Airport on May 12, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Whiteness appears to be an official immigration credential in the eyes of the United States government.

The Trump administration...

AI is reengineering drug discovery by speeding up testing and scanning petabytes of data for connections between diseases

Written by Jeffrey Skolnick, Regents' Professor; Mary and Maisie Gibson Chair & GRA Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology

In December, The Conversation hosted a webinar on AI’s revolutionary role in drug discovery and development.

Science and technology editor Eric Smalley interviewed Jeffrey Skolnick, eminent scholar in computational systems biology at Georgia Institute of Technology, and Benjamin P. Brown, assistant professor of pharmacology at Vanderbilt...

Massive eye drop recall reflects ongoing issues with manufacturing and FDA inspection

Written by C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut

Using nonsterile eye drops can cause severe eye infections.Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A California company has recalled more than 3.1 million bottles of lubricating eye drops because it had not properly tested – and thus could not prove – whether the products were sterile.

These products are sold under...

We teach at a Florida university that agreed to cooperate with ICE – and we worry that it is making our students feel less safe

Written by Anindya Kundu, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Florida International University

The University of Florida in Gainesville is one of the universities that signed a memo agreeing to cooperate with ICE. Mireya Acierto

Since March 2025, at least 15 Florida public universities and colleges, including the University of Florida and Florida State College at Jacksonville, have signed memorandums of agreement for their campus police...

How does spider venom damage human cells? Researchers uncover the killer mechanism of recluse spider toxin

Written by Matthew Cordes, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona

While rarely aggressive, the brown recluse is known for the damage its venom can inflict on people.Lisa Zins/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Spiders are among Earth’s most resourceful predators, nabbing prey by any means necessary. Orb weavers spin webs for capture. Wolf spiders ambush on the ground at night. Almost all spiders use venom when they hunt.

But...