The Conversation

I'm an evolutionary biologist – here's why this ancient fungal fossil discovery is so revealing

Written by Antonis Rokas, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Biological Sciences and Professor of Biological Sciences and Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University

Do fungi like this _Penicillium_ mold, which produces the the antibiotic penicillin, trace their origins to an ancestor that lived a billion years ago?Rattiya Thongdumhyu/Shutterstock.com

Biologists don’t call them “the hidden kingdom” for nothing. With an estimated 5 million species, only a mere 100,000 fungi are known to...

Genetic trigger discovered for common heart problem, mitral valve prolapse

Written by Russell Norris, Associate Professor of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, The Medical University of South Carolina

Mitral valve prolapse is one of the most common heart disorders worldwide.Hriana/Shutterstock.com

Ever been to a large sporting event, such as a football or baseball game with 60,000 screaming fans? What you don’t hear through the screams is a clicking sound in the chests of about 1,500 of these fans who have a heart valve disease. And...

The Catholic Church is tightening rules on reporting sexual abuse – but not swearing off its legal privilege to keep secrets

Written by Christine P. Bartholomew, Associate Professor of Law, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Pope Francis recently made it mandatory for clergy to report sexual abuse to church superiors. AP Photo/Andrew Medichini

Pope Francis recently changed the Catholic Church law, making it mandatory for clergy to report sexual abuse to church superiors. In the past, such reporting was left to the discretion of a priest or nun.

Pope Francis’...

What’s wrong with those anti-vaxxers? They're just like the rest of us

Written by Jennifer Reich, Professor of Sociology, University of Colorado Denver

Terry Roark holds a photo of her son, Thomas, at the state Capitol in Sacramento, California, April 24, 2019, to voice opposition to a bill that would allow state health officials more say in vaccine exemptions.Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo

Whenever I talk about my research on how parents come to decide to reject vaccines for their children, my...

How rural areas like Florida's Panhandle can become more hurricane-ready

Written by Eren Erman Ozguven, Assistant Professor of FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, affiliate of Institute for Successful Longevity, Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy and Center for Advanced Power Systems, Florida State University

Rescue personnel search through debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Florida, on Oct. 11, 2018. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

When Hurricane Michael roared onto northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast in October 2018, its 160 mile-per-hour winds made it the strongest storm ever to hit the region. It was only the fourth Category 5...

The SAT's new 'adversity score' is a poor fix for a problematic test

Written by Leigh Patel, Associate Dean for Equity and Justice, University of Pittsburgh

Students' home and family backgrounds will be factored into their SAT scores.Monkey Business Images/www.shutterstock.com

The College Board recently revealed a new “adversity score” that it plans to use as part of the SAT in order to reflect students’ social and economic background.

The mere fact that the College Board sees a need...

How dogs help keep multiracial neighborhoods socially segregated

Written by Sarah Mayorga-Gallo, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Massachusetts Boston

Dogs can connect neighbors, but in multicultural areas they can also reinforce racial barriers.Shutterstock

Cities in the United States are getting less segregated and, according to a recent national survey, most Americans value the country’s racial diversity.

But the demographic integration of a neighborhood doesn’t necessarily mean...

What China wants: 3 things motivating China's position in trade negotiations with the US

Written by Penelope B. Prime, Clinical Professor of International Business, Georgia State University

Relations between the U.S. and China have deteriorated sharply in recent days after trade negotiations broke down, leading some to suggest we are on the cusp of a new “cold war.”

President Donald Trump blames the resumption of hostilities on China. Specifically, he and his negotiators say their Chinese counterparts backtracked on an...

An outlaw yeast thrives with genetic chaos – and could provide clues for understanding cancer growth

Written by Jacob L. Steenwyk, Graduate Student of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University

Researchers have discovered a lineage of yeast species that ignores the laws of cell growth.Alexander Kirch/Shutterstock.com

“I fought the law,” the 1977 song popularized by the English punk-rock band The Clash, features catchy lyrics about the dire consequences of life as an outlaw. In human affairs, the set of rules codified in our...

Hate heaped on black heroines of the French Resistance would look familiar to AOC and Rashida Tlaib

Written by Annette Joseph-Gabriel, Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies, University of Michigan

When women of color in government work together, it often helps their chances of legislative success. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Women of color who hold public office in Europe and the United States frequently attract intense scrutiny.

In the United States, the outspoken U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar have...