The Conversation

Heart rate variability – what to know about this biometric most fitness trackers measure

Written by Anne R. Crecelius, Associate Professor of Health and Sport Science, University of Dayton

An increase in this particular biometric is a good thing.visualspace/E+ via Getty Images

Your heart beats around 100,000 times every day. Heart rate is a key marker of cardiovascular activity and an important vital sign. But your pulse is not as steady as a precision clock – nor would you want it to be.

As a cardiovascular physiologist, I...

Better sleep for kids starts with better sleep for parents – especially after holiday disruptions to routines

Written by Erika Bocknek, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, Wayne State University

When sleep routines have gone haywire, there are things to keep in mind to help the whole family reset.Catherine Falls/Moment via Getty Images

Everyone knows that sleep is critical for growing children and their mental and physical health. Regular, high-quality sleep habits help children consolidate memory and learn better. A lack of sleep contribut...

Homes that survived the Marshall Fire harbored another disaster inside – here’s what we’ve learned about this insidious urban wildfire risk

Written by Colleen E. Reid, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder

Homes that survived the Marshall Fire didn't come through unscathed.Matthew Jonas/MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images

This article is part of a collaboration with Boulder Reporting Lab, The Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder, KUNC public radio and The Conversation U.S. to explore the impacts...

Homes that survived the Marshall Fire 1 year ago harbored another disaster inside – here’s what we’ve learned about this insidious urban wildfire risk

Written by Colleen E. Reid, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder

Homes that survived the Marshall Fire didn't come through unscathed.Matthew Jonas/MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images

How Putin’s war and small islands are accelerating the global shift to clean energy, and what to watch for in 2023

Written by Rachel Kyte, Dean of the Fletcher School, Tufts University

Workers install solar panels for a floating photovoltaic solar plant in Germany in April 2022.Photo by Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

The year 2022 was a tough one for the growing number of people living in food insecurity and energy poverty around the world, and the beginning of 2023 is looking bleak.

Russia’s war on Ukraine, one of the...

3 reasons local climate activism is more powerful than people realize

Written by Adam Aron, Professor of Psychology, University of California, San Diego

Students rally for fossil fuel-free energy at the University of California, San Diego.Erik Jepsen/UCSD

Global warming has increased the number of extreme weather events around the world by 400% since the 1980s. Countries know how to stop the damage from worsening: stop burning fossil fuels and shift to renewable energy, electrify transportation and...

5 elections to watch in 2023 – what's at stake as millions head to the ballot box around the globe

Written by Blessing-Miles Tendi, Associate Professor in the Politics of Africa, University of Oxford

Votes aplenty in 2023smartboy10 via Getty Images

Predicting the outcome of national elections can be a mug’s game. Polls are often wrong, and second-guessing how people will vote months down the line can leave even the most savvy election specialist with egg on their face.

In short, there are too many unknowns – the state of the economy,...

Sepsis is one of the most expensive medical conditions in the world – new research clarifies how it can lead to cell death

Written by Alexander (Sasha) Poltorak, Professor of Immunology, Tufts University

Bacteria (clusters of light pink, surrounded by larger magenta blood cells) can cause deadly infections, but overreactive immune responses can deliver the lethal blow.Scharvik/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition arising from the body’s overreactive response against an infection, leading it to injure its own...

Calling Deion Sanders a sellout ignores the growing role of clout-chasing in college sports

Written by Jabari M. Evans, Assistant Professor of Race and Media, University of South Carolina

Jackson State Tigers coach Deion Sanders greets right tackle Deontae Graham during the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 17, 2022. Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

For most college football coaches, the move from a mid-major conference to a Power Five conference would be met with widespread praise.

Not so for Deion Sanders.

When the Pro...

Committee report focus is not on demonstrators – 5 essential reads on the symbols they carried on Jan. 6

Written by Jeff Inglis, Freelance Editor, The Conversation US

The congressional investigation into Jan. 6, 2021, focused on one man, not the masses.Al Drago/Pool Photo via AP

As the final report emerges from the congressional committee investigating the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, the focus is on the role of then-President Donald Trump and those close to him. That’s crucial information, but it leaves...