The Conversation

How many people get ‘long COVID’ – and who is most at risk?

Written by Stephanie LaVergne, Research Scientist, Colorado State University

Fatigue, brain fog, breathing problems and many other COVID-19 symptoms can persist for months Kyle Sparks via Getty Images

A few months ago, a young athletic guy came into my clinic where I’m an infectious disease physician and COVID-19 immunology researcher. He felt tired all the time, and, importantly to him, was having difficulty mountain...

How the media may be making the COVID-19 mental health epidemic worse

Written by J. Brian Houston, Associate Professor of Communication and Public Health, University of Missouri-Columbia

Watching too much COVID-19 coverage can make your fear and worry even worse.seb_ra via Getty Images

Since the pandemic began, anxiety rates in the U.S. have tripled; the rate of depression has quadrupled. Now research is suggesting the media is part of the problem. Constantly watching and reading news about COVID-19 may be hazardous for your mental...

Power outages across the Plains: 4 questions answered about weather-driven blackouts

Written by Michael E. Webber, Josey Centennial Professor of Energy Resources, University of Texas at Austin

Icicles on a bush in downtown Houston, Feb. 15, 2021.Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

Editor’s note: Amid record cold temperatures and skyrocketing energy demand, utilities across the central U.S. have ordered rolling blackouts to ration electricity, leaving millions of people without power. Energy expert Michael E. Webber explains why weather...

46,218 news transcripts show ideologically extreme politicians get more airtime

Written by Joshua P. Darr, Assistant Professor of Political Communication, Louisiana State University

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks to the press after the House voted to remove her from committee assignments.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Committee assignments are normally a blessing for new House members. But some of today’s newer members, like freshmen Republican representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Madison Cawthorn, seem to be more...

'Indian Country' is excited about the first Native American secretary of the interior – and the promise she has for addressing issues of importance to all Americans

Written by Traci Morris, PhD, Executive Director, American Indian Policy Institute, Arizona State University

U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland speaks in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Oct. 1, 2018.Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images

President Biden’s nomination of U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico to lead the Department of the Interior is historic on many levels. Haaland, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna, was one of the first Native American women...

How public schools fail to recognize Black prodigies

Written by Donna Ford, Professor of Special Education, The Ohio State University

Black students are underrepresented in gifted education programs. ER Productions Limited via DigitalVision/Getty Images Plus

Editor’s note: Amid numerous articles about how Black students lag behind others in educational achievement, occasionally you may hear about a young Black “prodigy” who got accepted into college at an early...

Private planes, mansions and superyachts: What gives billionaires like Musk and Abramovich such a massive carbon footprint

Written by Richard Wilk, Distinguished Professor and Provost's Professor of Anthropology; Director of the Open Anthropology Institute, Indiana University

Yachts, such as Roman Abramovich's "Eclipse," make up the biggest share of emissions for billionaires who own one.AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau

Tesla’s Elon Musk and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos have been vying for the world’s richest person ranking all year after the former’s wealth soared a staggering US$160 billion in 2020, putting...

Why herd immunity may be impossible without vaccinating children against COVID-19

Written by Rodney E. Rohde, Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science, Texas State University

U.S. Census Bureau, CC BY-ND

It may be summer before children under 16 can be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United States. That’s a problem for reaching herd immunity quickly.

Children are a significant portion of the population – roughly 65 million are under the age of 16, making up 20% of people in the U.S. While children appear...

Indian farmers are a powerful force in Indian politics, and here's why their protests matter

Written by Surupa Gupta, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, University of Mary Washington

A large number of women have joined the protests against new farm laws in India.Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

For over two months, farmers in India have been on a largely peaceful protest over three laws the Indian Parliament passed in September 2020 to liberalize how and to whom farmers can sell their produce.

Men and women,...

Bendable concrete and other CO2-infused cement mixes could dramatically cut global emissions

Written by Lucca Henrion, Research Fellow at the Global CO2 Initiative, University of Michigan

Bendable concrete created at the University of Michigan allows for thinner structures with less need for steel reinforcement. Joseph Xu/University of Michigan College of Engineering

One of the big contributors to climate change is right beneath your feet, and transforming it could be a powerful solution for keeping greenhouse gases out of the...