The Conversation

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...

Simply elegant, Morse code marks 175 years and counting

Written by Eddie King, Ph.D. Student in Electrical Engineering, University of South Carolina

There's still plenty of reason to know how to use this Morse telegraph key.Jason Salmon/Shutterstock.com

The first message sent by Morse code’s dots and dashes across a long distance traveled from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore on Friday, May 24, 1844 – 175 years ago. It signaled the first time in human history that complex thoughts...

Getting ready for hurricane season: 4 essential reads

Written by Jennifer Weeks, Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation

Debris in a boatyard in Mexico Beach, Fla., on Oct. 11, 2018, after Hurricane Michael heavily damaged the town.AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File

The official Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1, even as many communities are still recovering from a destructive year in 2018. Hurricane Florence swamped much of the Carolinas in September, followed...

Women take a hit for reporting sexual harassment, but #MeToo may be changing that

Written by Chloe Grace Hart, PhD Candidate in Sociology, Stanford University

A cultural shift may be underway that reporting sexual harassment won't necessarily impede a woman's career advancement.fizkes/Shutterstock.com

An unprecedented number of women have come forward to share stories of workplace sexual harassment since the #MeToo movement gained momentum in late 2017.

Yet their allegations are not always well received....

Misreading the story of climate change and the Maya

Written by Kenneth Seligson, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, California State University, Dominguez Hills

Stucco frieze from Placeres, Campeche, Mexico, Early Classic period, c. 250-600 AD.Wolfgang Sauber/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

Carbon dioxide concentrations in Earth’s atmosphere have reached 415 parts per million – a level that last occurred more than three million years ago, long before the evolution of humans. This news adds to growing...

How millennials are affecting the price of your home

Written by Jimmie Lenz, Clinical Assistant Professor of Finance, University of South Carolina

Millennials are less likely to own a home than previous generations were at the same age.Andy Dean Photography/shutterstock.com

It used to be that everyone wanted to buy a home, seeking pleasure and security, as well as the potential for future wealth.

But younger Americans are buying homes far less often than their elders’ generations did,...

What your ability to engage with stories says about your real-life relationships

Written by Nathan Silver, PhD Student in Communication, The Ohio State University

Some have any easier time than others connecting with fictional worlds and characters.zhuda/Shutterstock.com

The best TV shows and films don’t simply distract from the drudgery of everyday life. They’re places to vicariously get to know different people, and learn from their relationships and experiences.

Media scholars like ourselves...

There is more than one religious view on abortion - here's what Jewish texts say

Written by Rachel Mikva, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, Chicago Theological Seminary

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey discusses a bill that would virtually outlaw abortion in the state.AP Photo/Blake Paterson

Alabama’s governor signed a bill this week that criminalizes nearly all abortions, threatening providers with a felony conviction and up to 99 years in prison.

It is one of numerous efforts across the United States to restrict...

New autism research on single neurons suggests signaling problems in brain circuits

Written by Dmitry Velmeshev, Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California, San Francisco

Artist impression of neurons communicating in the brain. whitehoune/Shutterstock.com

Autism affects at least 2% of children in the United States – an estimated 1 in 59. This is challenging for both the patients and their parents or caregivers. What’s worse is that today there is no medical treatment for autism. That is in large part...