The Conversation

Assassination is always unlawful − regardless of who is killed and on whose orders

Written by Mary Ellen O'Connell, Professor of Law and International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

A protest against the assassinations of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur.Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images

Assassination is a particular form of murder. Regardless of who carries out the act, on whose orders or why, it is always unlawful.

This is the reason Vadim Krasikov was languishing behind bars in Germany prior...

Brain implants to restore sight, like Neuralink’s Blindsight, face a fundamental problem − more pixels don’t ensure better vision

Written by Ione Fine, Professor of Psychology, University of Washington

Human vision can't be fully reproduced with ones and zeros.seamartini/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Elon Musk recently pronounced that the next Neuralink project will be a “Blindsight” cortical implant to restore vision: “Resolution will be low at first, like early Nintendo graphics, but ultimately may exceed normal human...

Kamala Harris’ identity as a biracial woman is either a strength or a weakness, depending on whom you ask

Written by Jennifer Ho, Professor of Asian American Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks to supporters during a campaign rally in West Allis, Wis., on July 23, 2024. Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

Who is Kamala Harris?

Though Harris has had a very public life in politics for decades, speculation about who exactly she is and what she stands for has circulated across social media...

Grassroots efforts to increase voting are gaining momentum in these states, even as other states make voting harder

Written by Tova Wang, Senior Researcher in Democratic Practice, Harvard Kennedy School

Groundbreaking advances in the right to vote have been made over the past two years in the U.S.LPETTET/Getty Images

Many people justifiably believe that democracy is under attack in the U.S. and the country’s election system is at risk.

But some good news gets lost in the many reports of doom. Many states in recent years have made significant...

Attention, jittery investors: Stop panicking … this is what a soft landing should look like

Written by Christopher Decker, Professor of Economics, University of Nebraska Omaha

Dark skies ahead?Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

What a difference a job report makes. Earlier in the summer, people were worried that the economy was too hot. But now – in response mainly to weaker-than-expected employment data released on Aug. 2, 2024 – stocks are plunging. Some analysts even worry that a recession could be on the horizon...

Ancient poppy seeds and willow wood offer clues to the Greenland ice sheet’s last meltdown and a glimpse into a warmer future

Written by Paul Bierman, Fellow of the Gund Institute for Environment, Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Vermont

Under a microscope, a tiny elongate poppy seed, small tan spikemoss megaspores and black soil fungus spheres found in soil recovered from under 2 miles of Greenland's ice.Halley Mastro/University of Vermont, CC BY-ND

As we focused our microscope on the soil sample for the first time, bits of organic material came into view: a tiny poppy seed, the...

Love for cats lures students into this course, which uses feline research to teach science

Written by Jonathan Losos, William H. Danforth Distinguished University Professor, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

Cats are on the syllabus, not in the classroom, for this course.Stephanie_Zieber/iStock via Getty Images Plus

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

Title of course:

“The Science of Cats”

What prompted the idea for the course?

I’m an evolutionary biologist...

Stuck bridges, buckling roads − extreme heat is wreaking havoc on America’s aging infrastructure

Written by Suyun Paul Ham, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington

When highways buckle, the damage can happen quickly, putting drivers in danger and tying up traffic.AP Photo/David Goldman

Summer 2024’s record heat is creating problems for transportation infrastructure, from roads to rails.

New York’s Third Avenue Bridge, which swings open for ship traffic on the Harlem River, was stuck for hours after...

How can there be ice on the Moon?

Written by Thomas Orlando, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology

The Moon is about one-fourth the size of Earth. Jackal Pan/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.

I have a question about ice on the Moon. How is this possible? – Olaf, age 9, Hillsborough, North...

Why are migraines worse during your period? Research in mice points to a hormone called progesterone, offering a new treatment target

Written by Suchitra Joshi, Research Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Virginia

Targeting progesterone receptors in the brain may be a route to migraine relief for some people.We Are/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Migraines are throbbing headaches often accompanied by nausea and increased sensitivity to light, sound and touch. Nearly 30 million Americans suffer from migraines, and almost 1 in 4 of them have at least four...