The Conversation

Whales are recovering from near extinction, but industrial fishing around Antarctica competes for their sole food source

Written by Matthew Savoca, Research scientist, Stanford University

A humpback whale surfaces near two trawlers. All are pursuing Antarctic krill. Youenn Kerdavid/Sea Shepherd Global, CC BY-ND

The Southern Ocean encircling Antarctica is the world’s largest feeding ground for baleen whales – species like humpbacks that filter tiny organisms from seawater for food. In the 20th century, whalers killed...

I’ve visited the same Rocky Mountain subalpine meadow weekly for a decade of summers looking at plant-pollinator interactions – here’s what I learned

Written by Julian Resasco, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder

A white-shouldered bumblebee, _Bombus appositus_ visits the flowers of a goldenbanner. Julian Resasco, CC BY-ND

Imagine a bee crawling into a bright yellow flower.

This simple interaction is something you may have witnessed many times. It is also a crucial sign of the health of our environment – and one I’ve devoted hundreds of hours of...

Is weight loss as simple as calories in, calories out? In the end, it’s your gut microbes and leftovers that make your calories count

Written by Christopher Damman, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington

Two foods may have the same number of calories, but other food factors and your microbes influence which calories your body uses more of.Martin Barraud/OJO Images via Getty Images

Is the adage “calories in, calories out” true? The short answer is yes, but the full story is more nuanced.

From the moment food touches your tongue to the...

How we discovered that people who are colorblind are less likely to be picky eaters

Written by Isabel Gauthier, David K. Wilson Professor of Psychology, Vanderbilt University

Watching Julia Child in color or black and white could influence how appetizing the food looks to some audience members.AP Photo

The seventh season of Julia Child’s “The French Chef,” the first of the television series to air in color, revealed how color can change the experience of food. While Child had charmed audiences in...

A college course that’s a history of the future

Written by Adam Jortner, Goodwin Philpott Eminent Professor of Religion, Auburn University

Sources of culture and thought can be found in literature and art that was considered lowbrow.Forrest J. Ackerman Collection/Corbis via Getty Images

Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

Title of course:

Science Fiction as Intellectual History

What prompted the idea for...

Medieval theology has an old take on a new problem − AI responsibility

Written by David Danks, Professor of Data Science, Philosophy, & Policy, University of California, San Diego

Ethicists wrestling with AI's responsibility for its actions, vis-a-vis its creators' responsibility, could learn a few things from theology.'The Creation of Adam' from the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo/Wikimedia Commons

A self-driving taxi has no passengers, so it parks itself in a lot to reduce congestion and air pollution. After being hailed,...

Elon Musk’s feud with Brazilian judge is much more than a personal spat − it’s about national sovereignty, freedom of speech and the rule of law

Written by Yasmin Curzi de Mendonça, Research associate, University of Virginia

Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes faces off against X's Elon Musk.Ton Molina/NurPhoto via Getty Images / AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

It is easy to get distracted by the barbs, swipes and bluster of the ongoing and very public spat between the world’s richest man and a fierce justice on Brazil’s highest court. Elon...

Bobbleheads, Magic 8 Balls, chairs and other artifacts in the Smithsonian reveal the historical significance of presidential debates

Written by Claire Jerry, Political History Curator, Smithsonian Institution

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will face off in their first presidential debate on Sept. 10, 2024.AP Photo

Even though debates have been some of the most eagerly anticipated events in presidential campaigns, audiences and candidates have long wondered whether they matter.

The political history collections at the National Museum of American History,...

Politicians often warn of American decline – and voters often buy it

Written by Jonathan Schulman, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania

While Donald Trump regularly discusses the risk of the U.S. losing its powerful standing in the world, Kamala Harris has taken a different approach that also hinges on emotion. altmodern/Getty Images

Presidential candidates talk about national decline while campaigning. A lot. This was front and center during the June 2024 debate between former...

How Democrats are making a mistake in rural America – by not showing up

Written by Jeff Bloodworth, Professor of History, Gannon University

Voting signs are seen in Jackson, Miss., during the 2023 governor's race. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Rickey Cole, 58, is a farmer and the former two-term chair of Mississippi’s Democratic Party. If anyone understands rural Mississippi voters – and their shift from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party – it’s Cole.

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