NewsPronto

 
Men's Weekly

.

The Conversation

What's going on when the Virgin Mary appears and statues weep? The answers aren't just about science or the supernatural

  • Written by Mathew Schmalz, Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
imageMary is often depicted weeping, a reminder of the 'Seven Sorrows' the Bible recounts her suffering.pratan ounpitipong/Moment via Getty Images

Claims of appearances of the Virgin Mary and weeping statues have been common in Catholicism. And now they’re going to get a closer look – but on a worldwide scale.

The Pontificia Academia Mariana...

Read more: What's going on when the Virgin Mary appears and statues weep? The answers aren't just about...

Keeping NBA players on the court is no small 'feet'

  • Written by Philip Anloague, Associate Provost; Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, University of Dayton
imageBoston Celtics center Robert Williams III falls to the court after suffering a toe injury during a playoff game in May 2021.Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images

The NBA playoffs provide a stage for some of the biggest and tallest athletes in the world. With an average height of 6 feet, 7 inches and an average weight of 225 pounds, players have a lot of...

Read more: Keeping NBA players on the court is no small 'feet'

Raw materials, or sacred beings? Lithium extraction puts two worldviews into tension

  • Written by Mario Orospe Hernández, Ph.D. Candidate in Religious Studies, Arizona State University
imageA salt pyramid in Uyuni, Bolivia. The rainy season produces a mirror effect in the salt flat.Mario Orospe Hernandez, CC BY-NC-ND

Located in the heart of South America, Bolivia contains the largest lithium deposits in the world – an enviable position, in many countries’ eyes, as the market for electric vehicles takes off. Though EVs emit...

Read more: Raw materials, or sacred beings? Lithium extraction puts two worldviews into tension

Fire danger in the high mountains is intensifying: That’s bad news for humans, treacherous for the environment

  • Written by Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, Postdoctoral Researcher in Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
imageFires are increasing in high mountain areas that rarely burned in the past.John McColgan, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service

As wildfire risk rises in the West, wildland firefighters and officials are keeping a closer eye on the high mountains – regions once considered too wet to burn.

The growing fire risk in these areas became...

Read more: Fire danger in the high mountains is intensifying: That’s bad news for humans, treacherous for the...

Emergency contraception is often confused with abortion pills – here's how Plan B and other generic versions work to prevent pregnancy

  • Written by Amie Ashcraft, Service Assistant Professor in Family Medicine, West Virginia University
imageMorning-after pills are most effective when taken within three days after sex.Ian Hooton/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022 and the end of constitutional protection for abortion, emergency contraception has become more difficult to obtain and – more than ever – shrouded in...

Read more: Emergency contraception is often confused with abortion pills – here's how Plan B and other...

The US is about to blow up a fake warship in the South China Sea – but naval rivalry with Beijing is very real and growing

  • Written by Krista Wiegand, Professor of Political Science, University of Tennessee
imageA Marine amphibious assault vehicle takes part in a 2019 joint U.S.-Philippines exercise.Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images

As part of a joint military exercise with the Philippines, the U.S. Navy is slated to sink a mock warship on April 26, 2023, in the South China Sea.

The live-fire drill is not a response to increased tensions with China over...

Read more: The US is about to blow up a fake warship in the South China Sea – but naval rivalry with Beijing...

US giving to Israeli nonprofits – how much Jews and Christians donate and where the money goes

  • Written by Jamie Levine Daniel, Associate Professor, Paul H. O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University
imageIsraeli political conflicts could change the giving patterns of U.S. Jews. Matan Golan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judiciary overhauls and the continued erosion of Palestinian human rights for months.

It’s possible that...

Read more: US giving to Israeli nonprofits – how much Jews and Christians donate and where the money goes

Sudan crisis explained: What's behind the latest fighting and how it fits nation's troubled past

  • Written by Christopher Tounsel, Associate Professor of History, University of Washington
imageSudan army soldiers are fighting a rival paramilitary group.AFP via Getty Images

Days of violence in Sudan have resulted in the deaths of at least 180 people, with many more left wounded.

The fighting represents the latest crisis in the North African nation, which has contended with numerous coups and periods of civil strife since becoming...

Read more: Sudan crisis explained: What's behind the latest fighting and how it fits nation's troubled past

The complex relationship between Black gamers and Hogwarts Legacy

  • Written by Steven Dashiell, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Sociology, American University
imageThe bestselling title is already a serious contender for the Game Awards' Game of the Year.Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images

When the computer game Hogwarts Legacy was released in February 2023, some critics wondered whether the controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling – whose Harry Potter franchise inspired the game – would hurt sales....

Read more: The complex relationship between Black gamers and Hogwarts Legacy

Plans for religious charter school, though rejected for now, are already pushing church-state debates into new territory

  • Written by Charles J. Russo, Joseph Panzer Chair in Education in the School of Education and Health Sciences and Research Professor of Law, University of Dayton
imageWould religious charter schools be constitutional? More advocates are pushing to find out.FatCamera/E+ via Getty Images

U.S. courts have long wrestled with the extent to which government funding can be used at private religious schools. School-choice advocates have won key cases at the Supreme Court in recent years, opening up more ways for public...

Read more: Plans for religious charter school, though rejected for now, are already pushing church-state...

More Articles ...

  1. Anti-mifepristone court decisions rely on medical misinformation about abortion and questionable legal reasoning
  2. 'Effective altruism' has caught on with billionaire donors – but is the world's most headline-making one on board?
  3. Low-cost, high-quality public transportation will serve the public better than free rides
  4. Parents tend to choose their children's schools based on their own educational experience
  5. Social Security may be failing well over a million people with disabilities – and COVID-19 is making the problem worse
  6. Why is Tax Day on April 18 this year? And how did early spring become tax season, anyhow?
  7. Wooded grasslands flourished in Africa 21 million years ago – new research forces a rethink of ape evolution
  8. What is 'algospeak'? Inside the newest version of linguistic subterfuge
  9. Boosting EV market share to 67% of US car sales is a huge leap – but automakers can meet EPA's tough new standards
  10. Arab Americans are a much more diverse group than many of their neighbors mistakenly assume
  11. Through role play and simulation, this course teaches strategic ways to strike business deals that do more than just make money
  12. Israel's judicial reform efforts could complicate its relationship with US – but the countries have faced other bumps along the road
  13. 4 ways that AI can help students
  14. Why more and more Americans are painting their lawns
  15. What causes motion sickness? Here's how to reconcile the mismatch in what your senses are telling your brain
  16. Anyone can claim to be a journalist or a news organization, and publish lies with almost total impunity
  17. Defying the Holocaust didn't just mean uprising and revolt: Remembering Jews' everyday resistance on Yom HaShoah and year-round
  18. Looming behind antibiotic resistance is another bacterial threat – antibiotic tolerance
  19. Jupiter's moons hide giant subsurface oceans – two missions are sending spacecraft to see if these moons could support life
  20. Hangry bacteria in your gut microbiome are linked to chronic disease – feeding them what they need could lead to happier cells and a healthier body
  21. For Black social workers, anxiety and depression are on the rise
  22. Ditching a friend who is not like you can deepen social inequality
  23. How direct admission is changing the process of applying for college
  24. A new femininity is starting to emerge in China
  25. How do trees die?
  26. I tried to pay my taxes in cash – here's what happened, and why the IRS should make it easier to do so
  27. Jobs report hints that Fed policy is paying off – and that a 'growth recession' awaits
  28. Efforts to ban critical race theory have been put forth in all but one state – and many threaten schools with a loss of funds
  29. Misuse of Adderall promotes stigma and mistrust for patients who need it – a neuroscientist explains the science behind the controversial ADHD drug
  30. The FDA's rule change requiring providers to inform women about breast density could lead to a flurry of questions
  31. Don't bet with ChatGPT – study shows language AIs often make irrational decisions
  32. MLB home run counts are rising – and global warming is playing a role
  33. Do glitzy awards like the Earthshot Prize actually help solve problems of climate change? – podcast
  34. Deadly fungus Candida auris is spreading across US hospitals - a physician answers 5 questions about rising fungal infections
  35. Macaque monkeys shrink their social networks as they age – new research suggests evolutionary roots of a pattern seen in elderly people, too
  36. Student reporters fill crucial gap in state government coverage
  37. Finland, NATO and the evolving new world order – what small nations know
  38. One way to speed up clinical trials: Skip right to the data with electronic medical records
  39. 'Swarm' is a dark, satirical look at how the absence of meaningful relationships can spawn a serial killer
  40. How white privilege plays into the first lady’s idea to invite runner-up Iowa to the White House
  41. Racist and sexist depictions of human evolution still permeate science, education and popular culture today
  42. Each generation in Northern Ireland has reflected on the 'troubles' in its own way – right up to 'Derry Girls'
  43. Lo que usted come puede reprogramar sus genes: un experto explica la ciencia emergente de la nutrigenómica
  44. How the indictment of Donald Trump is a 'strange and different' event for America, according to political scientists
  45. You can't hide side hustles from the IRS anymore – here's what taxpayers need to know about reporting online payments for gig work
  46. 6 of 8 Ivy Leagues will soon have women as presidents — an expert explains why this matters
  47. Buildings left standing in Turkey offer design guidance for future earthquake-resilient construction
  48. Food forests are bringing shade and sustenance to US cities, one parcel of land at a time
  49. How much is the world's most productive river worth? Here's how experts estimate the value of nature
  50. Liebres sagradas, brujas de invierno desterradas y culto pagano: las tradiciones del conejo de Pascua tienen raíces antiguas