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From defenders to skeptics: The sharp decline in young Americans’ support for free speech

  • Written by Jacob Mchangama, Research Professor of Political Science and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech, Vanderbilt University
imageSupport among young people for allowing controversial or offensive speech has dropped sharply.J Studios/Getty Images

For much of the 20th century, young Americans were seen as free speech’s fiercest defenders. But now, young Americans are growing more skeptical of free speech.

According to a March 2025 report by The Future of Free Speech, a...

Read more: From defenders to skeptics: The sharp decline in young Americans’ support for free speech

If you really want to close the US trade deficit, try boosting innovation in rural manufacturing

  • Written by Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Distinguished Professor, Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics, & Interim Head, Department of Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology

President Donald Trump has long been preoccupied by the trade deficit — the gap between what the U.S. sells to the rest of the world and what it buys from it. He recently declared the issue a national emergency and used trade deficit data to calculate so-called “reciprocal tariffs” targeting nearly 100 countries. Although those...

Read more: If you really want to close the US trade deficit, try boosting innovation in rural manufacturing

Smartwatches promise all kinds of quality-of-life improvements − here are 5 things users should keep in mind

  • Written by James Gilmore, Associate Professor of Media and Technology Studies, Clemson University
imageThat smarts!Photo by Lorena Sopena/Anadolu via Getty Images

Smartwatches and other wearable devices can feel almost magical. Strap on a Fitbit, Apple Watch or Samsung Gear and you’re suddenly presented with a stream of data generated by – and about – your body: step counts, heart rate, blood oxygen level, calories burned and more.

W...

Read more: Smartwatches promise all kinds of quality-of-life improvements − here are 5 things users should...

Calorie counts on menus and food labels may not help consumers choose healthier foods, new research shows

  • Written by Deidre Popovich, Associate Professor of Marketing, Texas Tech University
imageFitness apps make it easy to track the number of calories in a meal.d3sign/Moment via Getty Images

Knowing the calorie content of foods does not help people understand which foods are healthier, according to a study I recently co-authored in the Journal of Retailing. When study participants considered calorie information, they rated unhealthy food...

Read more: Calorie counts on menus and food labels may not help consumers choose healthier foods, new...

Space law doesn’t protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the Moon – a space lawyer describes a framework that could

  • Written by Michelle L.D. Hanlon, Professor of Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi
imageCraters in the lunar surface are visible in this photo taken during the Apollo 11 mission. NASA via AP

April 2025 was a busy month for space.

Pop icon Katy Perry joined five other civilian women on a quick jaunt to the edge of space, making headlines. Meanwhile, another group of people at the United Nations was contemplating a critical issue for the...

Read more: Space law doesn’t protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the Moon – a space...

In death penalty cases, the quest for justice is not America’s highest value

  • Written by Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College
imageBetween 1976 and 2015, 80% of Louisiana's capital sentences were later reversed.Bernd Obermann/Getty Images

Jimmie Christian Duncan learned in April 2025 that a Louisiana judge had dismissed his capital murder conviction and he would no longer face the prospect of execution. In 1998, a jury convicted Duncan of murdering his girlfriend’s...

Read more: In death penalty cases, the quest for justice is not America’s highest value

When does a kid become an adult?

  • Written by Jonathan B. Santo, Professor of Psychology, University of Nebraska Omaha
imageThey might not be grown-ups yet.Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision 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.

When does a kid become an adult? – Avery, age 8, Los Angeles

Not everyone grows up at the same pace, even...

Read more: When does a kid become an adult?

As US doubles down on fossil fuels, communities will have to adapt to the consequences − yet climate adaptation funding is on the chopping block

  • Written by Bethany Bradley, Professor of Biogeography and Spatial Ecology, UMass Amherst
imageSalt marshes protect shorelines, but they're already struggling to survive sea-level rise.John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

It’s no secret that warming temperatures, wildfires and flash floods are increasingly affecting lives across the United States. With the U.S. government now planning to ramp up fossil fuel use, the risks of these...

Read more: As US doubles down on fossil fuels, communities will have to adapt to the consequences − yet...

As US ramps up fossil fuels, communities will have to adapt to the consequences − yet climate adaptation funding is on the chopping block

  • Written by Bethany Bradley, Professor of Biogeography and Spatial Ecology, UMass Amherst
imageSalt marshes protect shorelines, but they're already struggling to survive sea-level rise.John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

It’s no secret that warming temperatures, wildfires and flash floods are increasingly affecting lives across the United States. With the U.S. government now planning to ramp up fossil fuel use, the risks of these...

Read more: As US ramps up fossil fuels, communities will have to adapt to the consequences − yet climate...

India-Pakistan ceasefire shouldn’t disguise fact that norms have changed in South Asia, making future de-escalation much harder

  • Written by Farah N. Jan, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Pennsylvania
imageA member of the Indian Border Security Force stands guard near the India-Pakistan border.Narinder Nanu/AFP via Getty Images

India and Pakistan have seen the scenario play out before: a terror attack in which Indians are killed leads to a succession of escalatory tit-fot-tat measures that put South Asia on the brink of all-out war. And then there is...

Read more: India-Pakistan ceasefire shouldn’t disguise fact that norms have changed in South Asia, making...

More Articles ...

  1. From pulpit to pitch: Pope Francis used sport to get his message to a wider world − that could continue with baseball-loving Leo XIV
  2. Science requires ethical oversight – without federal dollars, society’s health and safety are at risk
  3. I’m a business professor who asked dozens of former students how they define success. Here are their lessons for today’s grads
  4. I watched the Kremlin’s new Putin documentary (so you don’t have to) − here’s what it says about how the Russian leader views himself
  5. Nitrous oxide recreational use is linked to brain damage and sudden death − but ‘laughing gas’ is still sold all over the US
  6. Can Trump strip Harvard of its charitable status? Scholars of nonprofit law and accounting describe the obstacles in his way
  7. How William Howard Taft’s approach to government efficiency differed from Elon Musk’s slash-and-burn tactics
  8. Pope Leo XIV: Why the College of Cardinals chose the Chicago native and Augustinian to lead the church after Francis
  9. How the Take It Down Act tackles nonconsensual deepfake porn − and how it falls short
  10. Missile strikes and drone attacks heighten South Asian crisis - 8 questions answered over the role of Pakistan’s military in responding
  11. Pope Leo XIV faces limits on changing the Catholic Church − but Francis made reforms that set the stage for larger changes
  12. FDR united Democrats under the banner of ‘liberalism’ − but today’s Democratic Party has nothing to put on its hat
  13. Basic research advances science, and can also have broader impacts on modern society
  14. Philadelphians will soon choose their next district attorney − so what do DAs actually do?
  15. How proposed changes to higher education accreditation could impact campus diversity efforts
  16. When doctors don’t believe their patients’ pain – experts explain the all-too-common experience of medical gaslighting
  17. Humans are killing helpful insects in hundreds of ways − simple steps can reduce the harm
  18. Trump speaking poorly of other presidents is uncommon, but not unheard of, in American presidential history
  19. Recycling asphalt pavement can help the environment − now scientists are putting the safety of recycled pavement to the test
  20. Decentralized finance is booming − and so are the security risks. My team surveyed nearly 500 crypto investors and uncovered the most common mistakes
  21. ‘Grit’ and relentless perseverance can take a toll on brain health − particularly for people facing social stresses like racism
  22. No matter who the next pope is, US Catholics stand ‘at a crossroads’ − a sociologist explains
  23. Even with Pope Leo XIV in place, US Catholics stand ‘at a crossroads’
  24. India-Pakistan strikes: 5 essential reads on decades of rivalry and tensions over Kashmir
  25. Was it a stone tool or just a rock? An archaeologist explains how scientists can tell the difference
  26. AI isn’t replacing student writing – but it is reshaping it
  27. Spacecraft can ‘brake’ in space using drag − advancing craft agility, space safety and planetary missions
  28. Contaminated milk from one plant in Illinois sickened thousands with ‘Salmonella’ in 1985 − as outbreaks rise in the US, lessons from this one remain true
  29. North Korean spy drama in China may signal Beijing’s unease over growing Pyongyang-Moscow ties
  30. Measles could again become widespread as cases surge worldwide
  31. Repealing the estate tax could create headaches for the rich – as well as worsen inequality
  32. Indonesia’s ‘thousand friends, zero enemies’ approach sees President Subianto courting China and US
  33. How to manage financial stress in uncertain times
  34. Buddha’s foster mother played a key role in the orphaned prince’s life – and is a model for Buddhists on Mother’s Day
  35. Why ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ by Caravaggio was Pope Francis’ favorite painting − an art historian explains
  36. From the moment he steps onto the balcony, each pope signals his style of leadership – here’s how Pope Leo XIV’s appearance compares with Pope Francis’ first
  37. A new pope’s first appearance on St. Peter’s balcony is rich with symbols − and Francis’ decision to rein in the pomp spoke volumes
  38. How the US can mine its own critical minerals − without digging new holes
  39. Can learning cursive help kids read better? Some policymakers think it’s worth a try
  40. Religious charter schools threaten to shift more money away from traditional public schools – and the Supreme Court is considering this idea
  41. Even judges appointed by Trump are ruling against him
  42. Trump targets NPR and PBS as public and nonprofit media account for a growing share of local news coverage
  43. Peace Corps isn’t just about helping others − it’s a key part of US public diplomacy
  44. Being honest about using AI at work makes people trust you less, research finds
  45. Predictive policing AI is on the rise − making it accountable to the public could curb its harmful effects
  46. Ancient Mars may have had a carbon cycle − a new study suggests the red planet may have once been warmer, wetter and more favorable for life
  47. Running with a stroller: 2 biomechanics researchers on how it affects your form − and risk of injury
  48. Pope Francis encouraged Christian-Muslim dialogue and helped break down stereotypes
  49. Worsening allergies aren’t your imagination − windy days create the perfect pollen storm
  50. National security advisers manage decision-making as advocates or honest brokers