The Conversation

The scariest things in the universe are black holes – and here are 3 reasons

Written by Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona

Falling into a black hole is easily the worst way to die.John M Lund Photography Inc/Getty Images

Halloween is a time to be haunted by ghosts, goblins and ghouls, but nothing in the universe is scarier than a black hole.

Black holes – regions in space where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape – are a hot topic in the news these...

100 years ago, the first commercial radio broadcast announced the results of the 1920 election – politics would never be the same

Written by Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University

When Frank Conrad broadcast the results of the 1920 presidential election, he had no idea that politics would be forever transformed.Bettmann via Getty Images

Only 100 people were listening, but the first broadcast from a licensed radio station occurred at 8 p.m. on Nov. 2, 1920. It was Pittsburgh’s KDKA, and the station was broadcasting the...

Cahokian culture spread across eastern North America 1,000 years ago in an early example of diaspora

Written by Jayur Mehta, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Florida State University

Cahokia's mound-building culture flourished a millennium ago near modern-day St. Louis.JByard/iStock via Getty Images Plus

An expansive city flourished almost a thousand years ago in the bottomlands of the Mississippi River across the water from where St. Louis, Missouri stands today. It was one of the greatest pre-Columbian cities constructed...

How to be a good digital citizen during the election – and its aftermath

Written by Kolina Koltai, Postdoctoral Researcher of Information Studies, University of Washington

You are a key player in efforts to curb misinformation online.John Fedele/The Image Bank via Getty Images

In the runup to the U.S. presidential election there has been an unprecedented amount of misinformation about the voting process and mail-in ballots. It’s almost certain that misinformation and disinformation will increase, including,...

From Trump to Trudeau, the escalator is a favorite symbol of political campaigns

Written by Peter Erickson, Assistant Professor of German, Colorado State University

Donald Trump rides an escalator to announce his candidacy for the U.S. presidency at Trump Tower on June 16, 2015, in New York City.Christopher Gregory/Getty Images

In June 2015 Donald Trump rode an escalator into the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City to announce his candidacy for president – an escalator ride that quickly became famous.

Po...

5 reasons not to underestimate far-right extremists

Written by Alexander Hinton, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology; Director, Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights, Rutgers University - Newark

Members of the Proud Boys right-wing extremist group arrive at a pro-Donald Trump rally in Oregon in September 2020.AP Photo/Andrew Selsky

Far-right extremists have been in the news, with an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor and rallies like the one the Proud Boys held in Portland in September.

With a hotly contested election underway...

Why there's so much legal uncertainty about resolving a disputed presidential election

Written by Richard Pildes, Professor of Constitutional Law, New York University

What will judges do? And when will they do it?Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

As I’ve Zoom-traveled the country speaking about legal issues involving the election, I have found myself, as well as audiences, bewildered and frustrated by one underlying question: Why is there so much legal uncertainty about so many critical questions...

Most surprising thing about a new report showing climate change imperils the US financial system is that the report even exists

Written by Jeffrey Dukes, Director of the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, Purdue University

Burnt orange skies in the middle of the day usually aren't a good sign. AP Photo/Tony Avelar

Burnt orange daytime skies signal that the consequences of climate change are already here. But while we tend to focus on the death and destruction resulting from the growing frequency and severity of wildfires and other disasters, we often pay less heed to...

Studies link COVID-19 deaths to air pollution, raising questions about EPA's 'acceptable risk'

Written by Michael Petroni, PhD Candidate and Research Fellow, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry

By the end of October, more than 228,000 Americans who got COVID-19 had died.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The pandemic is putting America’s air pollution standards to the test as the COVID-19 death toll rises.

The U.S. government sets limits on hazardous air pollutants to try to protect public health, but it can be difficult to determine where to...

Why scientists and public health officials need to address vaccine mistrust instead of dismissing it

Written by Sterling M. McPherson, Associate Professor, Director and Assistant Dean for Research, Washington State University

A lab technician sorts blood samples inside a lab for a COVID-19 vaccine study at the Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Fla., on Aug. 13, 2020.Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Recent polls indicate that more than a third of the country has concerns about a vaccine that in all likelihood will be the only reliable way to end to the...