The Conversation

Who will win in Arizona in November? It’s a toss-up − like it has been for years

Written by David R. Berman, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Arizona State University

Arizona, long considered a swing state, is again a toss-up in the 2024 election.Allard Schager

Arizona is considered a crucial swing state that could help propel either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris to the White House in November 2024.

With the exception of Democrat Bill Clinton’s win there in 1996, Arizona has voted Republican in every...

Students gain confidence in US democracy by participating in elections and campaigns for their homework

Written by Mark C. Hand, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Texas at Arlington

Few college students volunteer as campaign or election workers.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images

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

Title of course:

Campaigns and Elections, in Theory and Practice

What prompted the idea for the course?

I noticed many of...

Inside the dark world of dognapping

Written by Ben Stickle, Professor of Criminal Justice Administration, Middle Tennessee State University

Security footage of a young man whisking away a puppy from a New Jersey pet store in 2022.NJ.com/YouTube

It’s late at night, and a stranger walking down an alley sees your family dog sleeping on the porch inside your fenced yard. The stranger softly calls the dog over and begins to pet him. While checking to see if anyone is watching, he...

Wildfires can create their own weather, including tornado-like fire whirls − an atmospheric scientist explains how

Written by Kyle Hilburn, Research Scientist in Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University

A huge pyrocumulus cloud rises over the Park Fire near Chico, Calif., on July 26, 2024. David McNew/Getty Images

Wildfire blowups, fire whirls, towering thunderstorms: When fires get large and hot enough, they can actually create their own weather.

In these extreme fire situations, firefighters’ ordinary methods to directly control the fire...

Menopause increases your risk of STIs due to how aging changes your body

Written by Thomas L. Cherpes, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, The Ohio State University

The health risks that come with intimacy don't necessarily wane with age.MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Diagnoses for sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, are increasing in older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the number of people older than 65 diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis in...

Robocars promise to improve traffic even when most of the cars around them are driven by people, study finds

Written by Weizi Li, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of Tennessee

Robotaxis have caused problems, but they have the potential to improve traffic conditions.Mario Tama/Getty Images

Robotic vehicles can optimize the flow of traffic in cities even when mixed in with vehicles driven by humans, thereby improving traffic efficiency, safety and energy consumption, my colleagues and I found.

Robot vehicles are no longer a...

A new ‘guest star’ will appear in the sky in 2024 − a space scientist explains how nova events work and where to look

Written by Vahe Peroomian, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

The stars aren’t fixed and unchanging, unlike what many ancient people thought. Once in a while, a star appears where there wasn’t one before, and then it fades away in a matter of days or weeks.

The earliest record of such a “guest star,” named so by ancient Chinese astronomers, is a star that suddenly appeared in skies...

Massive protests erupt again over disputed Venezuelan elections – but they look different this time

Written by Rebecca Hanson, Assistant Professor of Latin American Studies, Sociology and Criminology, University of Florida

Demonstrators protest against Nicolás Maduro's government in Caracas on July 29, 2024.Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images

Post-election protests are far from uncommon in Venezuela. In 2018, people took to the streets to contest President Nicolás Maduro’s reelection; they did so again in 2019 when the Venezuelan opposition...

With Hezbollah and Hamas assassinations, Netanyahu shows willingness to risk regional war for political survival

Written by Asher Kaufman, Professor of History and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

Israel’s apparent assassinations of Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah’s top military leader, in Beirut, and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, have raised again the specter of a regional war involving regional adversaries – one that could potentially drag the United States into the fray.

By targeting these two leaders, the...

Iceland’s recent volcanic eruptions driven by pooling magma are set to last centuries into the future

Written by James Day, Professor of Geosciences, University of California, San Diego

The April 2024 Sundhnúkur vent in Iceland.Geoff Cook/SIO, CC BY

To experience a volcanic eruption is to witness nature’s raw power. If you would like to see one for yourself, Iceland is a great location for it. Since 2021, seven eruptions have taken place along the Reykjanes Peninsula, close to Reykjavík.

These recent Icelandic...