The Conversation

Aztec and Maya civilizations are household names – but it's the Olmecs who are the 'mother culture' of ancient Mesoamerica

Written by Karl Taube, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Riverside

Olmec culture deeply shaped later Mesoamerican civilizations like the Aztecs.Danny Lehman/The Image Bank via Getty Images

An extremely important 1-ton sculpture, sometimes referred to by archaeologists as an “Earth Monster” or Monument 9, was repatriated to Mexico from a private collection in Colorado in May 2023, according to an...

This course studies NGOs aiming to help countries recover from mass atrocities and to prevent future violence

Written by David Campbell, Professor of Public Administration, Binghamton University, State University of New York

A witness cries while giving testimony in a trial against former Guatemalan dictator Gen. José Efraín Ríos Montt in 2013. Johan Ordonez/AFP via Getty Images)

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

Title of course:

“Introduction to...

Peaches are a minor part of Georgia's economy, but they're central to its mythology

Written by William Thomas Okie, Professor of History and History Education, Kennesaw State University

The Peach Drop celebration marks the new year in Atlanta on Jan. 1, 2023.Paras Griffin/Getty Images

The 2023 Georgia peach harvest is looking bad, although the details are sketchy. By some accounts, it’s the worst since 1955. Or maybe since 2017. There are estimates that a mild winter and late spring frost have cost Georgia growers 50% of...

Nearly 20% of the cultural differences between societies boil down to ecological factors – new research

Written by Alexandra Wormley, Ph.D. Student in Social Psychology, Arizona State University

How much of a culture could be due to things like the grain it traditionally grew?Visoot Uthairam/Moment via Getty Images

In some parts of the world, the rules are strict; in others they are far more lax. In some places, people are likely to plan for the future, while in others people are more likely to live in the moment. In some societies people...

Kakhovka dam breach: 3 essential reads on what it means for Ukraine's infrastructure, beleaguered nuclear plant and future war plans

Written by Matt Williams, Senior Breaking News and International Editor

The breach of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine could have lasting ecological and health impacts.Ukrainian Presidential Office via AP

A dam that supplies drinking water to thousands of Ukrainians as well as cooling water for reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station was ruptured on June 6, 2023.

Kyiv blamed the destruction on Moscow, with Presiden...

UK PM Sunak visits Washington to strengthen ties, watch baseball – having already struck out on trade deal

Written by Garret Martin, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Co-Director Transatlantic Policy Center, American University School of International Service

'I don't drink coffee, I take tea' -- the quintessential Englishman in, well, D.C.Paul Faith/WPA Pool/Getty Images

Alongside meetings with President Joe Biden, U.S. business leaders and members of Congress, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will take in a baseball game during a Washington trip that starts June 7, 2023. He may be given the honor of thr...

US, Chinese warships' near miss in Taiwan Strait hints at ongoing troubled diplomatic waters, despite chatter about talks

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

The USS Chung-Hoon observes a Chinese navy ship cross into its path.Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Andre T. Richard/U.S. Navy via AP

An encounter in which a Chinese naval ship cut across the path of a U.S. destroyer in the Taiwan Strait on June 3, 2023, has both Beijing and Washington pointing fingers at each other.

It was the second near...

Changing wild animals' behavior could help save them – but is it ethical?

Written by Daniel T. Blumstein, Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles

Cane toads: very large, very invasive and very poisonous.reptiles4all/iStock via Getty Images Plus

When large and warty cane toads were first brought to Australia nearly 100 years ago, they had a simple mission: to gobble up beetles and other pests in the sugarcane fields.

Today, though, the toads have become an infamous example of a global problem:...

Political compromises – like the debt-limit deal – have never been substitutes for lasting solutions

Written by Maurizio Valsania, Professor of American History, Università di Torino

Will the debt ceiling bill negotiated by President Joe Biden, left, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy be a lasting solution?AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The compromise to avoid default on the U.S. debt passed muster, eventually. President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy pulled it off.

The nation can breathe, at least for the next...

Scientists' political donations reflect polarization in academia – with implications for the public's trust in science

Written by Alexander Kaurov, Research Associate in History of Science, Harvard University

Under 10% of political donations from academic scholars go to Republican causes.Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images Plus

People who lean left politically reported an increase in trust in scientists during the COVID-19 pandemic, while those who lean right politically reported much lower levels of trust in scientists. This polarization around...