The Conversation

What ancient farmers can really teach us about adapting to climate change – and how political power influences success or failure

Written by Chelsea Fisher, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of South Carolina

A farmer paddles to his fields on an artificial island among canals, part of an ancient Aztec system known as chinampas, in 2021. AP Photo /Marco Ugarte

In dozens of archaeological discoveries around the world, from the once-successful reservoirs and canals of Angkor Wat in Cambodia to the deserted Viking colonies of Greenland, new evidence paints...

Anti-immigrant pastors may be drawing attention – but faith leaders, including some evangelicals, are central to the movement to protect migrant rights

Written by Brad Christerson, Professor of Sociology, Biola University

A 2010 protest in Phoenix by faith groups against Arizona's new immigration law.AP Photo/Matt York, File

A convoy of far-right Christian nationalists calling themselves “God’s Army” have been staging rallies on the southern U.S. border against migrants.

Under the banner “Take Our Border Back,” rally participants are...

How is snow made? An atmospheric scientist describes the journey of frozen ice crystals from clouds to the ground

Written by Alexandria Johnson, Professor of Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University

Some parts of the U.S. see well over 100 inches (2.5 meters) of snow per year.Edoardo Frola/Moment Open 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.

How is snow made? – Tenley, age 7, Rockford, Michigan

The thought...

‘Swarm of one’ robot is a single machine made up of independent modules

Written by Yu Gu, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University

This robot mimics simple life forms.Trevor Smith, CC BY-ND

My colleagues and I have built a robot composed of many building blocks like the cells of a multicellular organism. Without a “brain” or a central controller in the system, our robot, dubbed Loopy, relies on the collective behavior of all of its cells to interact with the world....

NRA loses New York corruption trial over squandered funds – retired longtime leader Wayne LaPierre must repay millions of dollars

Written by Sarah Webber, Associate Professor of Accounting, University of Dayton

Former NRA leader Wayne LaPierre addresses the group's members in 2022.AP Photo/Michael Wyke

A New York jury found on Feb. 23, 2024, that the National Rifle Association and three of its current and former officials had broken the state’s laws by misusing charitable assets. It also determined that two of the officials should repay the gun...

The South Carolina primary is likely to reveal the eventual Republican presidential nominee - 3 points to understand

Written by Kendra Stewart, Professor of political science and public administration, College of Charleston

Supporters listen to Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley speak at a campaign event in Beaufort, S.C., on Feb. 21, 2024.Julia Nikhinson /AFP via Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump is set to face off against former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in her home state in the Republican primary on Feb. 24, 2024.

While Trump...

Early COVID-19 research is riddled with poor methods and low-quality results − a problem for science the pandemic worsened but didn’t create

Written by Dennis M. Gorman, Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M University

The pandemic spurred an increase in COVID-19 research, much of it with methodological holes.Andriy Onufriyenko/Moment via Getty Images

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers flooded journals with studies about the then-novel coronavirus. Many publications streamlined the peer-review process for COVID-19 papers while keeping acceptance rates...

Making the moral of the story stick − a media psychologist explains the research behind ‘Sesame Street,’ ‘Arthur’ and other children’s TV

Written by Drew Cingel, Associate Professor of Communication, University of California, Davis

Children's TV shows are typically designed to improve their viewers' cognitive, social and moral development.U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Scott Saldukas/Released via Flickr

To adult viewers, educational media content for children, such as “Sesame Street” or “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” may seem rather...

The Russia-Ukraine War has caused a staggering amount of cultural destruction – both seen and unseen

Written by Ian Kuijt, Professor of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame

The ruins of a church in Bohorodychne, Donetsk district, Ukraine, on Jan. 27, 2024.Ignacio Marin/Anadolu via Getty Images

War doesn’t just destroy lives. It also tears at the fabric of culture.

And in the case of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now about to enter its third year, the remarkable destruction of Ukrainian history...

Louisiana governor makes it easier for companies to receive lucrative tax breaks that take money away from cash-strapped schools

Written by Christine Wen, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning, Texas A&M University

ExxonMobil has been granted nearly $580 million in tax abatements in Louisiana since 2000.Barry Lewis/Getty Images

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order on Feb. 21, 2024, removing school boards’ veto power over corporate property tax breaks that take money away from schools. It also did away with a requirement that projects...