The Conversation

Tiny cut marks on animal bone fossils reveal that human ancestors were in Romania 1.95 million years ago

Written by Briana Pobiner, Research Scientist and Museum Educator, Smithsonian Institution

Several fossils with possible cut marks from Grăunceanu, Romania.Briana Pobiner

Looking again through the magnifying lens at the fossil’s surface, one of us, Sabrina Curran, took a deep breath. Illuminated by a strong light positioned nearly parallel to the surface of the bone, the V-shaped lines were clearly there on the fossil. There...

A Roman governor ordered Jesus’ crucifixion – so why did many Christians blame Jews for centuries?

Written by Nathanael Andrade, Professor of History, Binghamton University, State University of New York

'Ecce Homo' (Behold the Man), by 19th-century painter Antonio Ciseri, depicts Pontius Pilate presenting Jesus to a crowd in Jerusalem.Tungsten/Galleria d'Arte Moderna via Wikimedia Commons

It’s a straightforward part of the Easter story: The Roman governor Pontius Pilate had Jesus of Nazareth killed by his soldiers. He imposed a sentence that...

White House plans for Alaskan oil and gas face some hurdles – including from Trump and the petroleum industry

Written by Scott L. Montgomery, Lecturer in International Studies, University of Washington

A pumping station and oil pipeline north of Fairbanks, Alaska, are part of the existing fossil fuel industry in the state.AP Photo/Al Grillo

The second Trump administration has launched the next stage in the half-century-long battle between commerce and conservation over Alaskan oil and gas development. But its moves are delivering a mixed message...

Pornography may be commonplace, but a growing body of research shows it causes lasting harm to the brain and relationships

Written by Danielle Sukenik, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Problematic porn use is defined by having difficulty controlling or limiting use. taviox/iStock via Getty Images Plus

While pornography has been present throughout human history in various forms, such as ancient erotic art to more modernized motion pictures, research shows an increase in use over recent decades given the rise of technology and...

ICE can now enter K-12 schools − here’s what educators should know about student rights and privacy

Written by Brian Boggs, Assistant Professor of Policy and Educational Leadership, University of Michigan

Educators are legally obligated to protect and educate all their students.PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty

United States federal agents tried to enter two Los Angeles elementary schools on April 7, 2025, and were denied entry, according to the Los Angeles Times. The agents were apparently seeking contact with five students who had allegedly...

What the Supreme Court’s ruling on man wrongly deported to El Salvador says about presidential authority and the rule of law

Written by Jean Lantz Reisz, Clinical Associate Professor of Law, Co-Director, USC Immigration Clinic, University of Southern California

People hold signs on April 4, 2025, supporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

The Supreme Court on April 10, 2025, unanimously upheld the lower court order directing the Trump administration to “facilitate” the return of Kilmar Abrego García, a Maryland man who was...

Cancer hijacks your brain and steals your motivation − new research in mice reveals how, offering potential avenues for treatment

Written by Adam Kepecs, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis

Many patients with late-stage cancer slip into a profound apathy as the disease ravages their bodies − and brains.demaerre/iStock via Getty Images Plus

A cruel consequence of advanced cancer is the profound apathy many patients experience as they lose interest in once-cherished activities. This symptom is part of a syndrome called cachexia,...

Tax Day highlights the costs of single living – but demographics are forcing financial change

Written by Peter McGraw, Professor of Marketing and Psychology, University of Colorado Boulder

Tax Day is right around the corner – an annual reminder that without the option to file jointly, singles pay more per dollar earned than married people. Tax advantages are just one of over 1,000 legal and economic benefits married couples enjoy, a disparity worsened by marketplace and employer practices.

Despite its disadvantages, single...

Fill-in-the-blank training primes AI to interpret health data from smartwatches and fitness trackers

Written by Eloy Geenjaar, Ph.D. Student in Electrical Engineering & Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

AI promises to help wearable devices like smart watches better monitor your health.adamkaz/E+ via Getty Images

The human body constantly generates a variety of signals that can be measured from outside the body with wearable devices. These bio-signals – ranging from heart rate to sleep state and blood oxygen levels – can indicate...

Race isn’t a ‘biological reality,’ contrary to recent political claims − here’s how scientific consensus on race developed in the 20th century

Written by John P. Jackson, Jr., Professor of History and Philosophy of Science, Michigan State University

'The Dying Tecumseh,' a marble sculpture at the Smithsonian, depicts the Shawnee leader in a heroic light.Frederick Pettrich, Smithsonian American Art Museum, CC BY

In the recent flurry of executive orders from President Donald Trump, one warned of “a distorted narrative” about race “driven by ideology rather than truth.” It...