The Conversation

Comets 101 − everything you need to know about the snow cones of space

Written by Shannon Schmoll, Director of the Abrams Planetarium, Michigan State University

Comet Hale-Bopp was visible from Earth in 1997.E. Kolmhofer, H. Raab; Johannes-Kepler-Observatory, Linz, Austria, CC BY-NC

When you hear the word comet, you might imagine a bright streak moving across the sky. You may have a family member who saw a comet before you were born, or you may have seen one yourself when comet Nishimura passed by Earth in...

What is seawater intrusion? A hydrogeologist explains the shifting balance between fresh and salt water at the coast

Written by Holly Michael, Director, Delaware Environmental Institute, and Professor of Earth Sciences and Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware

In 2022, California built an emergency drought barrier across the West False River near Oakley to protect against saltwater intrusion. AP Photo/Terry Chea

Seawater intrusion is the movement of saline water from the ocean or estuaries into freshwater systems. The seawater that has crept up the Mississippi River in the summer and early fall of 2023...

Listen up, ladies and gentlemen, guys and dudes: Terms of address can be a minefield, especially as their meanings change

Written by Scott F. Kiesling, Professor of Linguistics, University of Pittsburgh

A male colleague could be forgiven for not knowing if using “guys” to refer to female co-workers is acceptable in the modern workplace. But should he address them as “ladies,” he risks a trip to HR, or at the very least being labeled a condescending creep.

So what in the name of Messrs Merriam and Webster is going on with...

Your immune system makes its own antiviral drug − and it's likely one of the most ancient

Written by Neil Marsh, Professor of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan

Blocking viruses from replicating their RNA is one way antivirals work.CROCOTHERY/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Antiviral drugs are generally considered to be a 20th century invention. But recent research has uncovered an unexpected facet to your immune system: It can synthesize its own antiviral molecules in response to viral infections.

My...

Students understand calculus better when the lessons are active

Written by Laird Kramer, Professor of Physics, Florida International University

A new study found that college students better understand complex calculus concepts in active learning classes. Hill Street Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images

College students learn more calculus in an active learning course in which students solve problems during class than in a traditional lecture-based course. That’s according to a peer...

The Gaza Strip − why the history of the densely populated enclave is key to understanding the current conflict

Written by Maha Nassar, Associate Professor in the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies, University of Arizona

Destruction from the latest siege of Gaza.Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The focus on conflict in the Middle East has again returned to the Gaza Strip, with Israel’s defense minister ordering a “complete siege” of the Palestinian enclave.

The military operation, which involves extensive bombing of residences, follows a surpri...

America's farmers are getting older, and young people aren't rushing to join them

Written by David R. Buys, Associate Professor of Health, Mississippi State University

Seeking greenhorns with green thumbs.Steve Smith/Tetra Images via Getty Images

CC BY-ND

On Oct. 12, National Farmers’ Day, Americans honor the hardworking people who keep the world fed and clothed.

But the farming labor force has a problem: It’s aging rapidly.

The average American farmer is 57 and a half years old, according to the most...

Peace in Sudan is elusive for any would-be mediators – but a new window of opportunity has opened for outside intervention

Written by Hyeran Jo, Associate Professor of Political Science, Texas A&M University

The Sudanese military has been at war with the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group since April 2023.AFP via Getty Images

More than five months have passed since intense fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group also known as the RSF. In that time, more than 7,000 people have been killed and n...

Exxon, Apple and other corporate giants will have to disclose all their emissions under California's new climate laws – that will have a global impact

Written by Lily Hsueh, Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Arizona State University

Marathon Petroleum Corporation's Los Angeles refinery, California's largest producer of gasoline. David McNew/Getty Images

Many of the world’s largest public and private companies will soon be required to track and report almost all of their greenhouse gas emissions if they do business in California – including emissions from their...

Supreme Court to hear arguments in key case about gerrymandering

Written by Claire Wofford, Associate Professor of Political Science, College of Charleston

Tourists visit the Supreme Court building on June 23, 2023, in Washington.Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images News via Getty Images

A South Carolina case about gerrymandering – the drawing of legislative district lines to maximize political power – that could affect voting rights around the country will be one of the cases decided by the U.S....