The Conversation

Earth isn't the only planet with seasons, but they can look wildly different on other worlds

Written by Gongjie Li, Assistant Professor of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Nearby planets can affect how one planet 'wobbles' on its spin axis, which contributes to seasons. Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Spring, summer, fall and winter – the seasons on Earth change every few months, around the same time every year. It’s easy to take this cycle for granted here on Earth, but not every...

A beginner's guide to sound baths − what they are, how to choose a good one and what the research shows

Written by Elisa J. Sobo, Professor of Anthropology & Director for Undergraduate Research, College of Arts and Letters, San Diego State University

Sound therapy, which uses bells and singing bowls for healing, has gained popularity in recent years.PeopleImages/iStock via Getty Images plus

In recent years, sound bathing, a therapy in which sound is used for healing, has been marketed as one of many “self-care” practices, such as journal-keeping or candle-burning, in support of...

Why don't fruit bats get diabetes? New understanding of how they've adapted to a high-sugar diet could lead to treatments for people

Written by Wei Gordon, Assistant Professor of Biology, Menlo College

Fruit bats have honed their sweet tooth through adaptive evolution.Keith Rose/iStock via Getty Images Plus

People around the world eat too much sugar. When the body is unable to process sugar effectively, leading to excess glucose in the blood, this can result in diabetes. According to the World Health Organization, diabetes became the ninth...

2023's billion-dollar disasters list shattered the US record with 28 big weather and climate disasters amid Earth's hottest year on record

Written by Shuang-Ye Wu, Professor of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, University of Dayton

Flood water filled streets in downtown Montpelier, Vt., on July 11, 2023.Kylie Cooper/Getty Images

National weather analysts released their 2023 “billion-dollar disasters list” on Jan. 9, just as 2024 was getting off to a ferocious start. A blizzard was sweeping across across the Plains and Midwest, and the South and East faced flood...

Why both Israel and Hezbollah are eager to avoid tit-for-tat attacks escalating into full-blown war

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

Hezbollah commander Wissam al-Tawil, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.Hezbollah Military Media, via AP

The killing of a Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon on Jan. 8, 2024, has raised concern that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could escalate into a regional war.

Wissam al-Tawil, the head of a unit that operates on Lebanon’s...

Taiwanese election may determine whether Beijing opts to force the issue of reunification

Written by Meredith Oyen, Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Posters of presidential candidate William Lai and his running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim.Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images)

When the votes are being tallied in Taiwan’s presidential election, it won’t be only the 23.6 million inhabitants of the island eagerly awaiting a result – in Beijing and Washington, too, there will be some...

Plagiarism is not always easy to define or detect

Written by Roger J. Kreuz, Associate Dean and Professor of Psychology, University of Memphis

Quite a few high-profile careers in higher education have been upended as of late amid questions of academic integrity. Marc Tessier-Lavigne, who had served as president of Stanford University for seven years, stepped down in 2023 after it was determined that he had falsified information for a dozen academic papers. The latest casualty is Claudine...

LGBTQ+ workers want more than just pride flags in June

Written by Dorian Rhea Debussy, Lecturer of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, The Ohio State University

Recognition helps. Benefits may help more.Kosamtu/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Every year, more and more companies seem to recognize Pride Month. But a recent analysis shows that LGBTQ+ workers expect more than this once-a-year acknowledgment from their employers. In fact, some employees actually criticize such behavior as mere pinkwashing.

So, what do...

Take laughter, add tears − the secret recipe for the most-liked Super Bowl ads

Written by Niusha Jones, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Boise State University

Emotions often run high during the Super Bowl -- and that includes during the commercial breaks.Nathan Howard/Associated Press

Viewers gravitate toward Super Bowl commercials that incorporate both happiness and sadness, our 2023 study shows.

On the other hand, advertisements that blend happiness and fear turn people off.

And people are indifferent...

Voters don't always have final say -- state legislatures and governors are increasingly undermining ballot measures that win

Written by Anne Whitesell, Assistant Professor, Political Science, Miami University

Supporters of Issue 1, which would codify reproductive rights, including abortion, in the Ohio Constitution, cheer election results on Nov. 7, 2023.Andrew Spear/Getty Images

Less than half of Americans trust elected officials to act in the public’s interest.

When voters want something done on an issue and their elected officials fail to act,...