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Even before they can read, young children are visualizing letters and other objects with the same strategies adults use

  • Written by Shannon Pruden, Professor of psychology, Florida International University
imageA student looks at different images, as eye-tracking technology monitors how she is visualizing the objects. Chris Necuze/FIU, CC BY

What do puzzles, gymnastics, writing and using maps all have in common?

They all rely on people’s ability to visualize objects as they spin, flip or turn in space, without physically moving them. This is a...

Read more: Even before they can read, young children are visualizing letters and other objects with the same...

Trump’s words aren’t stopping China, Brazil and many other countries from setting higher climate goals, but progress is slow

  • Written by Shannon Gibson, Professor of Environmental Studies, Political Science and International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
imageSea walls now ring much of the Marshall Islands' capital, Majuro, as the ocean rises.Lt. Anna Maria Vaccaro/U.S. Coast Guard

In the Marshall Islands, where the land averages only 7 feet (2 meters) above sea level, people are acutely aware of climate change.

Their ancestors have lived on this string of Pacific islands for thousands of years. But as se...

Read more: Trump’s words aren’t stopping China, Brazil and many other countries from setting higher climate...

Does the full moon make us sleepless? A neurologist explains the science behind sleep, mood and lunar myths

  • Written by Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh
imageHow much does the moon cycle affect sleep? Probably less than your screen time at night. Muhammad Khazin Alhusni/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Have you ever tossed and turned under a full moon and wondered if its glow was keeping you awake? For generations, people have believed that the Moon has the power to stir up sleepless nights and strange...

Read more: Does the full moon make us sleepless? A neurologist explains the science behind sleep, mood and...

Rethinking polygamy – new research upends conventional thinking about the advantages of monogamous marriage

  • Written by David W. Lawson, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara
imageMost polygamous marriages are "polygynous," a union between one husband and multiple wives.HerminUtomo/iStock via Getty Images Plus

In July 2025, Uganda’s courts swiftly dismissed a petition challenging the legality of polygamy, citing the protection of religious and cultural freedom. For most social scientists and policymakers who have long...

Read more: Rethinking polygamy – new research upends conventional thinking about the advantages of monogamous...

Astronauts can get motion sick while splashing back down to Earth – virtual reality headsets could help them stay sharp

  • Written by Taylor Lonner, Ph.D. Candidate in Aerospace Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder
imageBetween adjusting to gravity and floating through choppy waves, returning to Earth from space can be nauseating. Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images

When learning about the effects of spaceflight on human health, you typically will hear about the dangers of radiation, bone density loss and changes in eyesight. While these long-term risks are...

Read more: Astronauts can get motion sick while splashing back down to Earth – virtual reality headsets could...

Flying is safe thanks to data and cooperation – here’s what the AI industry could learn from airlines on safety

  • Written by James Higgins, Professor of Aviation, University of North Dakota
imageFlying is routine and safe. Hard lessons were learned to make it that way.Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Approximately 185,000 people have died in civilian aviation accidents since the advent of powered flight over a century ago. However, over the past five years among the U.S. airlines, the risk of dying was almost zero. In fact, you have a...

Read more: Flying is safe thanks to data and cooperation – here’s what the AI industry could learn from...

When coal smoke choked St. Louis, residents fought back − but it took time and money

  • Written by Robert Wyss, Professor Emeritus of Journalism, University of Connecticut
imageScenes from downtown St. Louis on 'Black Tuesday,' Nov. 28, 1939, show how thick the smoke was even in the middle of the day.Missouri Historical Society

It was a morning unlike anything St. Louis had ever seen. Automobile traffic crawled as drivers struggled to peer through murky air. Buses, streetcars and trains ran an hour behind schedule....

Read more: When coal smoke choked St. Louis, residents fought back − but it took time and money

The Erie Canal: How a ‘big ditch’ transformed America’s economy, culture and even religion

  • Written by Matthew Smith, Visiting Assistant Professor of History, Miami University
imageThe Erie Canal, seen here in Pittsford, N.Y., opened up western regions to trade, immigration and social change.Andre Carrotflower via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Two hundred years ago, on Oct. 26, 1825, New York Gov. DeWitt Clinton boarded a canal boat by the shores of Lake Erie. Amid boisterous festivities, his vessel, the Seneca Chief, embarked...

Read more: The Erie Canal: How a ‘big ditch’ transformed America’s economy, culture and even religion

Why are women’s shoes so pointy? A fashion expert on impractical but stylish footwear

  • Written by Michael Watson, Interim Associate Chair and Instructor of Retailing, University of South Carolina
imageOne thing uniting humans across history is their willingness to suffer for fashion.Victoria Kotlyarchuk/iStock via Getty Images Plus

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.


“Why are ladies’ shoes so pointy? Feet and toes...

Read more: Why are women’s shoes so pointy? A fashion expert on impractical but stylish footwear

Space exploration in the backyard, on a budget – how NASA simulates conditions in space without blasting off

  • Written by Jordan Bretzfelder, Postdoctoral Fellow, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology
imageAnalog missions, like those conducted at NASA's CHAPEA facility at the Johnson Space Center, help scientists study human spaceflight without leaving Earth. Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images

Humanity’s drive to explore has taken us across the solar system, with astronaut boots, various landers and rovers’ wheels exploring the...

Read more: Space exploration in the backyard, on a budget – how NASA simulates conditions in space without...

More Articles ...

  1. How mobsters’ own words brought down Philly’s mafia − a veteran crime reporter has the story behind the end of the ‘Mob War’
  2. Pharaohs in Dixieland – how 19th-century America reimagined Egypt to justify racism and slavery
  3. Why is Halloween starting so much earlier each year? A business professor explains
  4. Gunboat diplomacy: How classic naval coercion has evolved into hybrid warfare on the water
  5. How AI can improve storm surge forecasts to help save lives
  6. OpenAI slipped shopping into 800 million ChatGPT users’ chats − here’s why that matters
  7. 10 effective things citizens can do to make change in addition to attending a protest
  8. Pennsylvania’s budget crisis drags on as fed shutdown adds to residents’ hardships — a political scientist explains
  9. Pennsylvania’s budget crisis drags on as fed shutdown adds to residents’ hardships
  10. How new foreign worker visa fees might worsen doctor shortages in rural America
  11. Protein powders and shakes contain high amounts of lead, new report says – a pharmacologist explains the data
  12. Baseball returns to a Japanese American detention camp after a historic ball field was restored
  13. Antioxidants help stave off a host of health problems – but figuring out how much you’re getting can be tricky
  14. AI-generated lesson plans fall short on inspiring students and promoting critical thinking
  15. Trump administration’s layoffs would gut department overseeing special education, eliminating parents’ last resort
  16. New Pentagon policy is an unprecedented attempt to undermine press freedom
  17. Madagascar’s military power grab shows Africa’s coup problem isn’t restricted to the Sahel region
  18. Why and how does personality emerge? Studying the evolution of individuality using thousands of fruit flies
  19. Why countries struggle to quit fossil fuels, despite higher costs and 30 years of climate talks and treaties
  20. Banning abortion is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes
  21. Denver study shows removing parking requirements results in more affordable housing being built
  22. The real reason conservatives are furious about Bad Bunny’s forthcoming Super Bowl performance
  23. Stethoscope, meet AI – helping doctors hear hidden sounds to better diagnose disease
  24. HIV rates are highest in the American South, despite effective treatments – a clash between culture and public health
  25. Zombies, jiangshi, draugrs, revenants − monster lore is filled with metaphors for public health
  26. FEMA buyouts vs. risky real estate: New maps reveal post-flood migration patterns across the US
  27. When government websites become campaign tools: Blaming the shutdown on Democrats has legal and political risks
  28. Erie Canal’s 200th anniversary: How a technological marvel for trade changed the environment forever
  29. Winning with misinformation: New research identifies link between endorsing easily disproven claims and prioritizing symbolic strength
  30. Why higher tariffs on Canadian lumber may not be enough to stimulate long-term investments in US forestry
  31. Detroit parents face fines if their children break curfew − research shows the policy could do more harm than good
  32. Our team of physicists inadvertently generated the shortest X-ray pulses ever observed
  33. Focused sound energy holds promise for treating cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases
  34. Concerns about AI-written police reports spur states to regulate the emerging practice
  35. Yes, ADHD diagnoses are rising, but that doesn’t mean it’s overdiagnosed
  36. Jean-Jacques Dessalines: Reassessing the Haitian revolutionary leader’s legacy
  37. Flamingos are making a home in Florida again after 100 years – an ecologist explains why they may be returning for good
  38. Typhoon leaves flooded Alaska villages facing a storm recovery far tougher than most Americans will ever experience
  39. What the First Amendment doesn’t protect when it comes to professors speaking out on politics
  40. The limits of free speech protections in American broadcasting
  41. Industrial facilities owned by profitable companies release more of their toxic waste into the environment
  42. Starbucks wants you to stay awhile – but shuttering its mobile-only pickup locations could be a risky move
  43. In defense of ‘surveillance pricing’: Why personalized prices could be an unexpected force for equity
  44. New student loan limits could change who gets to become a professor, doctor or lawyer
  45. Supreme Court redistricting ruling could upend decades of voting rights law – and tilt the balance of power in Washington
  46. ‘Space tornadoes’ could cause geomagnetic storms – but these phenomena, spun off ejections from the Sun, aren’t easy to study
  47. Far fewer Americans support political violence than recent polls suggest
  48. Why are elements like radium dangerous? A chemist explains radioactivity and its health effects
  49. 3-legged lizards can thrive against all odds, challenging assumptions about how evolution works in the wild
  50. Climate tipping points sound scary, especially for ice sheets and oceans – here’s why there’s still room for optimism