The Conversation

Paleontologists uncover a new ‘Spinosaurus’ species by following a clue from a decades-old book into the Sahara Desert

Written by Paul C. Sereno, Professor of Paleontology, University of Chicago

In this illustration, _Spinosaurus mirabilis_ fight over a carcass some 95 million years ago in what is now the Sahara Desert in Niger. Dani Navarro

My fixation on a small, desolate locale in the heart of the Sahara Desert started with a single line buried in a 630-page tome in French about the rocks of the central Sahara: “Dent de Carcharodon...

What was the very first plant in the world?

Written by Erin Potter, Lecturer in Geography and Ph.D. student in Earth Sciences, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Once plants really got a foothold, they transformed our planet.Albert Fertl/Moment via Getty Images

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.

What was the very first plant in the world? – Ivy, age 6, Phoenix

Long before dinosaurs...

The long history of silent meditation retreats and the individuals who helped shape them

Written by Daniel M. Stuart, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of South Carolina

The meditation pagoda at the International Meditation Centre in Rangoon, Burma, in 1961.Pariyatti

Silent retreats have become increasingly common in the United States in recent years.

To calm down and reset their nervous systems, people relinquish their phones and reading materials and commit to speaking at a bare minimum to learn practices of...

A writing professor’s new task in the age of AI: Teaching students when to struggle

Written by Kristi Girdharry, Associate Teaching Professor of Arts and Humanities, Babson College

If you aren't working at it, you're not learning it − something college students need to understand as AI makes producing work easier.Sam Edwards via Getty Images

I was early to the generative AI wave in higher education: I was among the first professors who teach writing to publish in an academic journal about generative AI and critical...

Anxiety and ADHD can overlap – here’s how to untangle these widespread mental health disorders

Written by Deldhy Nicolás Moya Sánchez, Psychiatrist and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

Untreated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder can cause performance problems at school or work, leading to depression and financial stress.Pheelings Media/iStock via Getty Images

For decades, one of the greatest challenges to treating neurological disorders like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is that its symptoms often resemble...

Controversy over Reese’s ingredients reveals standard food industry practices most consumers never notice

Written by Jonathan Deutsch, Professor of Food and Hospitality Management, Drexel University

A 'triangle test' involves mixing up two of the original products with one of the new reformulation -- or vice versa -- to see whether taste testers notice the difference.Garrett Aitken/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

Springtime in Pennsylvania is peanut butter egg season. This year some consumers may taste the eggs a bit more critically...

A pet-friendly homeless shelter pilot reduced the rate of homelessness among the people it helped in California

Written by Benjamin F. Henwood, Professor of Social Policy and Health, University of Southern California

A homeless woman in Los Angeles holds her dog after a free veterinary visit in 2024.Mario Tama/Getty Images

When homeless shelters allow people to stay with their dogs and other pets, more unhoused people become more willing to stay in a shelter.

That’s what my team at the University of Southern California’s Homelessness Policy Research...

What ‘gooning’ reveals about intimacy in a world cordoned off by screens

Written by Jennifer Pollitt, Assistant Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, Temple University

Gooning usually involves streaming online pornography across multiple screens and browsers for hours at a time.Tero Vesalainen/iStock via Getty Images

Four years ago, I started a class at Temple University titled, “Social Perspectives of Digital Pornography: The Other Sex Ed,” centered on porn literacy, or what young people learn...

Iran war and other tough topics give K-12 teachers chance to teach students how, not what, to think

Written by Boaz Dvir, Associate Professor of Journalism, Penn State

Many teachers are missing the opportunity to use events like the Iran war as teachable moments. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images

It’s a scene that’s played out in K-12 schools around the country in recent years. Unprompted, a student expresses her thoughts or feelings about a difficult issue, such as the Iran war. A murmur spreads...

How the Emerald Isle shaped the Steel City – Pittsburgh’s rich Irish history

Written by Paula Kane, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Pittsburgh

Tens of thousands of locals will line Grant Street in downtown Pittsburgh for the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 14, 2026.AP Photo/Erin Hooley

Downtown Pittsburgh will turn green on Saturday, March 14. Tens of thousands will line Grant Street for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of the largest celebrations of its kind in the...