The Conversation

6 of 8 Ivy Leagues will soon have women as presidents — an expert explains why this matters

Written by Felecia Commodore, Assistant Professor of Higher Education, Old Dominion University

Claudine Gay will become Harvard's second female president and first Black president in July 2023. Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

For the first time, a majority of Ivy League schools will soon be led by women.

Starting July 1, 2023, Claudine Gay will assume the role of president at Harvard University, Nemat “Minouche” Shafik...

Buildings left standing in Turkey offer design guidance for future earthquake-resilient construction

Written by Osman Ozbulut, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia

Turkey's Adana Hospital survived February 2023 earthquakes with no damage because of its seismic isolation system. Earthquake Protection Systems, Inc., CC BY-ND

The Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes in Turkey and Syria damaged over 100,000 buildings, caused more than 10,000 collapses and killed more than 50,000 people. These earthquakes also put to the...

Food forests are bringing shade and sustenance to US cities, one parcel of land at a time

Written by Karen A. Spiller, Thomas W. Haas Professor in Sustainable Food Systems, University of New Hampshire

The Uphams Corner Food Forest in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood was built on a vacant lot.Boston Food Forest Coalition, CC BY-ND

More than half of all people on Earth live in cities, and that share could reach 70% by 2050. But except for public parks, there aren’t many models for nature conservation that focus on caring for nature in urban...

How much is the world's most productive river worth? Here's how experts estimate the value of nature

Written by Stefan Lovgren, Research scientist College of Science, University of Nevada, Reno

Establishing the financial worth of a river's fish is complicated when many people don't sell the fish they catch.Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP via Getty Images

Southeast Asia’s Mekong may be the most important river in the world. Known as the “mother of waters,” it is home to the world’s largest inland fishery, and the huge amounts...

Liebres sagradas, brujas de invierno desterradas y culto pagano: las tradiciones del conejo de Pascua tienen raíces antiguas

Written by Tok Thompson, Professor of Anthropology, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Niños celebrando la Pascua, con conejitos y huevos de Pascua.Sanja Radin/Collection E+ via Getty Images

El conejo de Pascua es un personaje central en las celebraciones de Pascua estadounidenses. En el domingo de Pascua, los niños buscan regalos escondidos, que a menudo son huevos de chocolate, que el conejo de Pascua pudo haber...

Regulating AI: 3 experts explain why it's difficult to do and important to get right

Written by S. Shyam Sundar, James P. Jimirro Professor of Media Effects, Co-Director, Media Effects Research Laboratory, & Director, Center for Socially Responsible AI, Penn State

The new generation of AI tools makes it a lot easier to produce convincing misinformation.Photo by Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

From fake photos of Donald Trump being arrested by New York City police officers to a chatbot describing a very-much-alive computer scientist as having died tragically, the ability of the new generation of...

Why are snails and slugs so slow?

Written by John F. Tooker, Professor of Entomology and Extension Specialist, Penn State

One distinction between a snail and a slug: The snail has a shell.maxphotography/Moment via Getty Images

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

Why are snails and slugs so slow? – Sarah, age 11, Wichita Falls, Texas

Wander...

Sabertooth cat skull newly discovered in Iowa reveals details about this Ice Age predator

Written by Matthew G. Hill, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Iowa State University

Heavier than a modern lion, these big cats were fearsome predators.Daniel Eskridge/Stocktrek Images via Getty Images

The sabertooth cat is an Ice Age icon and emblem of strength, tenacity and intelligence. These animals shared the North American landscape with other large carnivores, including short-faced bears, dire wolves and the American lion,...

Heteronormativity in health care is harmful for LGBTQ+ patients – and a source of tension for queer and trans doctors

Written by William Robertson, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Memphis

Expectations of prejudice and discrimination can lead LGBTQ+ patients to avoid seeking health care.Nadzeya Haroshka/iStock via Getty Images

Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community have long experienced prejudice in medical settings. This can range from microaggressions, such as comments that a patient doesn’t...

Companies that frack for oil and gas can keep a lot of information secret – but what they disclose shows widespread use of hazardous chemicals

Written by Vivian R. Underhill, Postdoctoral Researcher in social Science and Environmental Health, Northeastern University

A deep injection well used for disposal of fracking wastewater in Kern County, Calif.Citizens of the Planet/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

From rural Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, more than 17 million Americans live within a mile of at least one oil or gas well. Since 2014, most new oil and gas wells have been fracked.

Frack...