The Conversation

I tried to pay my taxes in cash – here's what happened, and why the IRS should make it easier to do so

Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Clinical Associate Professor, Boston University

It turns out paying taxes in cash ain't easy. nikom khotjan/Moment via Getty Images

About two-thirds of all U.S. residents who file federal income taxes typically get a refund. Unfortunately, this year I am among the other third who owe the Internal Revenue Service money.

So I tried something I’ve never done before and few people do: I wanted...

Jobs report hints that Fed policy is paying off – and that a 'growth recession' awaits

Written by Christopher Decker, Professor of Economics, University of Nebraska Omaha

Inching toward a recession .. but what kind?Eskay Lim/EyeEm via Getty Images

The latest jobs report is in, and the good news is Federal Reserve policy on inflation appears to be working. The bad news is Fed policy on inflation appears to be working.

The March 2023 jobs report reveals that the U.S. economy added 236,000 jobs during the month –...

Efforts to ban critical race theory have been put forth in all but one state – and many threaten schools with a loss of funds

Written by Taifha Natalee Alexander, CRT Forward Project Director, University of California, Los Angeles

Bans on critical race theory target teachers and curriculums.Kobus Louw via Getty Images

Few topics in education have dominated the news over the past few years as much as efforts to ban critical race theory from the nation’s schools. The topic is so pervasive that researchers at the UCLA School of Law Critical Race Studies Program have...

Misuse of Adderall promotes stigma and mistrust for patients who need it – a neuroscientist explains the science behind the controversial ADHD drug

Written by Habibeh Khoshbouei, Professor of Neuroscience, University of Florida

Many people with ADHD are finding it difficult to get their Adderall prescriptions filled amid the shortage.AP Photo/Jenny Kane

The nationwide shortages of Adderall that began in fall 2022 have brought renewed attention to the beleaguered drug, which is used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy.

Adderall became a go-to...

The FDA's rule change requiring providers to inform women about breast density could lead to a flurry of questions

Written by Wendie A. Berg, Professor of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh

Breast density is one of the factors that can influence whether people should pursue supplemental screening. andresr/E+ via Getty Images

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized a regulation in early March 2023 that updates mammography reporting requirements. The new regulation goes into effect on Sept. 10, 2024, and will require that all...

Don't bet with ChatGPT – study shows language AIs often make irrational decisions

Written by Mayank Kejriwal, Research Assistant Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Southern California

Language AI's have trouble weighing potential gains and losses.Andrea Pistolesi/Stone via Getty Images

The past few years have seen an explosion of progress in large language model artificial intelligence systems that can do things like write poetry, conduct humanlike conversations and pass medical school exams. This progress has yielded models...

MLB home run counts are rising – and global warming is playing a role

Written by Christopher W. Callahan, Ph.D. Student in Climate Science, Dartmouth College

Another homer off the bat of Aaron Judge.AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Home runs are exhilarating – those lofting moments when everyone looks skyward, baseball players and fans alike, anxiously awaiting the outcome: run or out, win or loss, elation or despair.

Over the past several Major League Baseball seasons, home run numbers have climbed...

Do glitzy awards like the Earthshot Prize actually help solve problems of climate change? – podcast

Written by Daniel Merino, Associate Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

Prince William presented the Earthshot Prize in 2022. Chris Jackson/Staff via Getty Images

Every year, tens of billions of dollars are spent by universities, research institutes and private companies to develop solutions for climate change. Yet when a government decides to fund research for a piece of technology or branch of science, it rarely...

Deadly fungus Candida auris is spreading across US hospitals - a physician answers 5 questions about rising fungal infections

Written by Arif R. Sarwari, Professor of Infectious Diseases, West Virginia University

Candida auris is a fungal yeast that can infect humans.Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

In late March 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted the threat posed by a rapidly spreading fungus called Candida auris that is causing infections and deaths among hospital patients across the country. The...

Macaque monkeys shrink their social networks as they age – new research suggests evolutionary roots of a pattern seen in elderly people, too

Written by Erin Siracusa, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter

Older monkeys still hang out, just with a smaller circle of intimates.Lauren Brent, CC BY-ND

There are many changes that can come with old age – hair turns gray, eyesight isn’t quite what it used to be, mobility often becomes limited. But beyond these physiological changes, people also experience changes to their social world. As we...