The Conversation

Climate change and wildfires – how do we know if there is a link?

Written by Kevin Trenberth, Distinguished Senior Scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Research

A firefighter runs after trying to save a home in Lakeport, California, suffering its biggest fires ever.AP Photo/Noah Berger

Once again, the summer of 2018 in the Northern Hemisphere has brought us an epidemic of major wildfires.

These burn forests, houses and other structures, displace thousands of people and animals, and cause major disruptions...

From breast implants to ice cube trays: How silicone took over our kitchens

Written by Kiersten Muenchinger, Tim and Mary Boyle Chair in Material Studies and Product Design, University of Oregon

One plastic is particularly well-suited for the kitchen's extreme temperatures.Oksana Shufrych

One of my ice cube trays is a small, yellow novelty tray that, when placed in the freezer, molds water into little duck-shaped pieces of ice.

You’ve probably seen ice cube trays like this in all types of shapes, from airplanes to superhero logos.

Whi...

Flip a switch and shut down seizures? New research suggests how to turn off out-of-control signaling in the brain

Written by Rochelle Hines, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

In an epileptic brain, the neurons fire wildly.Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock.com

The brain is a precision instrument. Its function depends on finely calibrated electrical activity triggering the release of chemical messages between neurons.

But sometimes the brain’s careful balance is knocked out of control, as in epilepsy....

Argentina rejects legal abortion — and not all Catholics are celebrating

Written by Verónica Giménez Béliveau, Religion and Society Professor, Universidad de Buenos Aires

An abortion rights advocate after Argentina's Senate rejected a bill to legalize abortion, 38-31.AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko

Unswayed by the estimated 2 million abortion rights activists gathered outside its doors, Argentina’s conservative-leaning Senate on August 9 rejected a bill that would have made abortion legal up to 14 weeks of...

Heat and Light: Trailer

Written by Maria Balinska, Editor and Co-CEO, The Conversation US

Coming August 28th, The Conversation US presents Heat and Light: Stories from 1968, the year that changed America.

1968 was a year of huge social upheaval for the United States. We go deep into six key but lesser known stories from that year, guided by people who were personally affected by them. So much so that they have devoted their lives to...

5 autores latinos que merecen ser leídos

Written by Laura Lomas, Associate Professor of English, Rutgers University Newark

Muchos autores nacidos en América Latina han producido algunos de sus mejores trabajos viviendo en EE.UU.Alvy Libros/flickr, CC BY-SA

Tal vez les parezca el retrato de los migrantes latinoamericanos en la política norteamericana actual –es decir, como unos invasores amenazantes – exageradamente negativa.

Lo cierto es que...

For universities, making the case for diversity is part of making amends for racist past

Written by Juan Miró, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, David Bruton, Jr. Centennial Professor in Urban Studies, School of Architecture, University of Texas at Austin

Historically, many American universities helped lay the foundation for eugenics, a pseudoscience used to justify racism.Helioscribe/www.shutterstock.com

The Trump administration recently announced plans to scrap Obama-era guidelines that encouraged universities to consider race as a factor to promote diversity on campus, claiming the guidelines...

How the federal government came to control your car's fuel economy

Written by Brian C. Black, Distinguished Professor of History and Environmental Studies, Pennsylvania State University

The bad old days of gas lines in the 1970s and shortages led to the creation of fuel economy rules.AP Photo

The Environmental Protection Agency in August announced a plan to freeze fuel economy standards and revoke the ability of California to set more stringent rules than the national ones, prompting a legal showdown between the state and the...

The case for boosting WNBA player salaries

Written by Nancy Lough, Professor of Educational Psychology & Higher Education, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Through the 2018 WNBA All-Star game on July 28, viewership was up 38 percent compared to the same point last year.AP Photo/Stacy Bengs

As someone who has studied the WNBA for years, I’ve been excited to witness, over the course of this season, continued growth in viewership and attendance, along with sponsorship revenue.

Last year, total...

The world of plastics, in numbers

Written by Eric Beckman, Professor of Chem/Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

Millions of tons of plastic are manufactured every year.Bert Kaufmann/Wikimedia, CC BY

From its early beginnings during and after World War II, the commercial industry for polymers – long chain synthetic molecules of which “plastics” are a common misnomer – has grown rapidly. In 2015, over 320 million tons of polymers,...