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How nostalgia led to the invention of the first Christmas card

  • Written by Christopher Ferguson, Associate Professor of History, Auburn University
imageThe first Christmas card with the words 'A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to You." Artist John Callcott Horsley via Wikimedia Commons

It’s a common seasonal refrain: “Christmas just isn’t like it used to be.”

This is not a new complaint. History shows that Christmas traditions are just as subject to change as any...

Read more: How nostalgia led to the invention of the first Christmas card

Retailers that make it harder to return stuff face backlash from their customers

  • Written by Huseyn Abdulla, Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management, University of Tennessee
imageShoppers line up with returns and exchanges at L.L. Bean in Freeport, Maine, on Dec. 26, 2010.Jill Brady/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

In 2018, L.L. Bean ended its century-old “lifetime” return policy, limiting returns to one year after purchase and requiring receipts. The demise of this popular policy sparked backlash, with...

Read more: Retailers that make it harder to return stuff face backlash from their customers

Why does red wine cause headaches? Our research points to a compound found in the grapes’ skin

  • Written by Andrew Waterhouse, Professor of Enology, University of California, Davis
imageSome people get headaches after drinking red wine. Yuliia Kokosha/Moment via Getty Images

Medical accounts of red wine headaches go back to Roman times, but the experience is likely as old as winemaking – something like 10,000 years. As chemistsspecializing in winemaking, we wanted to try to figure out the source of these headaches.

Many...

Read more: Why does red wine cause headaches? Our research points to a compound found in the grapes’ skin

Supporting a grieving loved one on holidays and special occasions: Practical tips from a clinical psychologist

  • Written by J. Kim Penberthy, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia
imageThe holidays can be an especially difficult time for those grieving a loss.Dimensions/E+ via GettyImages

The holiday season, often considered a time of joy and togetherness, can also be one of the most challenging periods for those who are grieving a loss.

Nearly 95% of people who have experienced loss report dealing with at least one symptom of...

Read more: Supporting a grieving loved one on holidays and special occasions: Practical tips from a clinical...

After wildfires, ranchers face 2-year delay to graze cattle on federal land – is it doing more harm than good?

  • Written by Jared L. Talley, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Boise State University
imageCattle can help keep down invasive grasses that are prone to burning.AP Photo/Jeff Barnard

Lightning struck deep in the central Idaho mountains on July 24, 2024, igniting the Wapiti Fire that burned across 129,063 acres around Stanley, Idaho – a place known for its scenic vistas and idyllic rural landscape.

Local communities evacuated, then...

Read more: After wildfires, ranchers face 2-year delay to graze cattle on federal land – is it doing more...

How does the International Space Station orbit Earth without burning up?

  • Written by Kelly Griendling, Lecturer of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
imageThe International Space Station orbits Earth. NASA/Roscosmosimage

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.

How is the International Space Station able to orbit without burning up? – Mateo, age 8, New York, New York

Flying through...

Read more: How does the International Space Station orbit Earth without burning up?

Twins were the norm for our ancient primate ancestors − one baby at a time had evolutionary advantages

  • Written by Tesla Monson, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Western Washington University
imageTwins are uncommon in human history.Tesla Monson

Twins have been rare in human history and for that reason can seem special. Many cultures associate twins with health and vitality, while others see them as a philosophical reminder of the duality of life and death, good and evil. Some famous twins are credited with the birth of nations, others are de...

Read more: Twins were the norm for our ancient primate ancestors − one baby at a time had evolutionary...

How cities are reinventing the public-private partnership − 4 lessons from around the globe

  • Written by Debra Lam, Founding Director of the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology

Cities tackle a vast array of responsibilities – from building transit networks to running schools – and sometimes they can use a little help. That’s why local governments have long teamed up with businesses in so-called public-private partnerships. Historically, these arrangements have helped cities fund big infrastructure...

Read more: How cities are reinventing the public-private partnership − 4 lessons from around the globe

Black adults with long COVID report higher levels of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts − new research

  • Written by Janelle R. Goodwill, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, University of Chicago
imageBlack Americans with long COVID reported more physical ailments than concern over mental illness.fizkes/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Black adults living with long COVID pointed to challenges with their physical health – rather than their mental health – when asked to describe their long-COVID symptoms. That is one key finding from our ne...

Read more: Black adults with long COVID report higher levels of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts − new...

Only 0.16% of all US charitable giving supports LGBTQ+ groups despite recent increases

  • Written by Jacqueline Ackerman, Interim Director of the Women's Philanthropy Institute, Indiana University
imageCynthia Erivo performs during Pride Live's Stonewall Day on June 28, 2024, in New York City.Marleen Moise/Getty ImagesimageCC BY-ND

In an era marked by both significant advancesand setbacks for LGBTQ+ people, charitable giving to LGBTQ+ organizations more than doubled in a recent 10-year period.

Despite that swift growth, those donations still amount to...

Read more: Only 0.16% of all US charitable giving supports LGBTQ+ groups despite recent increases

More Articles ...

  1. How humanities classes benefit students in the workplace and combat loneliness
  2. Marco Rubio is no friend of Havana − but does Trump’s pick for secretary of state mean Cuba policy is set?
  3. FBI director guides the agency in confronting complex international threats, investigating federal crimes and running 55 field offices
  4. Ferns’ ability to evolve ‘backward’ offers insights into the meandering path of evolution
  5. Response to CEO killing reveals antipathy toward health insurers − but entire patchwork system is to blame for ill feeling
  6. Why ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ almost didn’t air − and why it endures
  7. Brain inflammation may be the reason behind muscle fatigue after infection and injury
  8. We developed a way to use light to dismantle PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ – long-lasting environmental pollutants
  9. Stop and think: An undervalued approach in a world that short-circuits thoughtful political judgment
  10. Why Quincy Jones should be prominently featured in US music education − his absence reflects how racial segregation still shapes American classrooms
  11. Santa, maybe? Why we have different names for who ‘hurries down the chimney’ on Christmas
  12. South Korea shook a presidential power grab – failure to impeach now risks damaging democracy
  13. NASA’s crew capsule had heat shield issues during Artemis I − an aerospace expert on these critical spacecraft components
  14. Vaccines and values: When you’re having a tough conversation about medicine, don’t just pile on evidence − listen to someone’s ‘moral foundations’
  15. Why winter makes you more vulnerable to colds – a public health nurse explains the science behind the season
  16. 15% of global population lives within a few miles of a coast − and the number is growing rapidly
  17. ‘Administrative law’ sounds dry but likely will be key to success or failure of Trump’s plans for government reform
  18. Why the religious beliefs of Trump defense pick Pete Hegseth matter
  19. We interviewed 30 Black public school teachers in Philadelphia to understand why so many are leaving the profession
  20. US role in Syria is unclear in wake of Assad’s fall from power
  21. What the US Supreme Court will consider when it rules on gender-affirming care for trans children
  22. What’s next for Albertsons after calling off its $25B grocery merger with Kroger: More lawsuits
  23. Assad’s fall in Syria will further weaken Hezbollah and curtails Tehran’s ‘Iranization’ of region
  24. Blood tests are currently one-size-fits-all − machine learning can pinpoint what’s truly ‘normal’ for each patient
  25. High rises made out of wood? What matters in whether ‘mass timber’ buildings are sustainable
  26. Trump wants to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants – but the 18th-century law has been invoked only during times of war
  27. Why being forced to precisely follow a curriculum harms teachers and students
  28. US secretary of education helps set national priorities in a system primarily funded and guided by local governments
  29. Infectious diseases killed Victorian children at alarming rates — their novels highlight the fragility of public health today
  30. Hamas – hemmed in and isolated – finds itself with few options for the day after the Gaza war
  31. The chilling crime spree of The Order – and its lasting effect on today’s white supremacists
  32. Syrians rejoice in a new beginning, after 54 years of tyranny
  33. Syrians, in a triumph of hope, turn the page on the horrors of Assad
  34. Arctic has changed dramatically in just a couple of decades – 2024 report card shows worrying trends in snow, ice, wildfire and more
  35. Pearl Young, the first woman to work in a technical role at NASA, overcame barriers and ‘raised hell’ − her legacy continues today
  36. Stadiums don’t have to be a drain on taxpayer dollars − 4 lessons from St. Louis
  37. Polarization, brain rot and brat – the 2024 words of the year point to the power, perils and ephemeral nature of digital life
  38. New set of human rights principles aims to end displacement and abuse of Indigenous people through ‘fortress conservation’
  39. Hypnosis is not just a parlor trick or TV act − science shows it helps with anxiety, depression, pain, PTSD and sleep disorders
  40. I’m a scholar of white supremacy who’s visiting all 113 places where Confederate statues were removed in recent years − here’s why Richmond gets it right
  41. Links between gender stereotypes and American patriotism date from the Cold War − but weren’t true then either
  42. When AI goes shopping: AI agents promise to lighten your purchasing load − if they can earn your trust
  43. Abu Mohammed al-Golani may become the face of post-Assad Syria – but who is he and why does he have $10M US bounty on his head?
  44. Why does Colorado have so many ballot measures?
  45. In 2024, independent voters grew their share of the vote, split their tickets and expanded their influence
  46. How utilities are working to meet AI data centers’ voracious appetite for electricity
  47. How to combat toxic bosses: Social media and flexible work can save careers, new research shows
  48. Meditation can reduce stress – but the pressure to overwork remains
  49. Trump’s plans for tougher border enforcement won’t necessarily stop migrants from coming to US − but their journeys could become more costly and dangerous
  50. What is the universe expanding into if it’s already infinite?