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Lionel Messi's black cloak: a brief history of the bisht, given to the superstar after his World Cup triumph

  • Written by Pardis Mahdavi, Provost and Executive Vice President, The University of Montana
imageArgentina's Lionel Messi is honored with a cloak prior to receiving the World Cup trophy at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, on Dec. 18, 2022. AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

Shortly before Lionel Messi took to the stage to lift up the World Cup trophy, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani put a black cloak, called a “bisht,” over...

Read more: Lionel Messi's black cloak: a brief history of the bisht, given to the superstar after his World...

Celine Dion's diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome brought a rare neurological diagnosis into the public eye – two neurologists explain the science behind it

  • Written by Bhavana Patel, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Florida
imageCeline Dion, performing in London on July 5, 2019. Since her diagnosis, she has rescheduled her tour dates.Brian Rasic/WireImage via Getty Images

The announcement by celebrated singer Celine Dion in early December 2022 that she has stiff-person syndrome – a rare neurological disorder – stunned the world and led to an outpouring of...

Read more: Celine Dion's diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome brought a rare neurological diagnosis into the...

Reindeer eyes change color, putting Rudolph's red nose in the shade – new research podcast

  • Written by Daniel Merino, Associate Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation
imageReindeer have adapted to the dim, blue light of the Arctic winter.Alice/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Reindeer noses may not glow red, but these creatures of cold climes have evolved the ability to change the color of their eyes to help them thrive in dark, northern winters. In this Discovery episode, we speak with Glen Jeffery, a professor of...

Read more: Reindeer eyes change color, putting Rudolph's red nose in the shade – new research podcast

When fishing boats go dark at sea, they're often committing crimes – we mapped where it happens

  • Written by Heather Welch, Researcher in Ecosystem Dynamics, University of California, Santa Cruz
imageWorkers flood a Vietnamese-flagged boat caught operating illegally off West Kalimantan, Indonesia on May 4, 2019 in order to sink it.AP Photos/William Pasaribu

In January 2019, the Korean-flagged fishing vessel Oyang 77 sailed south toward international waters off Argentina. The vessel had a known history of nefarious activities, including...

Read more: When fishing boats go dark at sea, they're often committing crimes – we mapped where it happens

FTX's collapse mirrors an infamous 18th century British financial scandal

  • Written by Amy Froide, Professor of History, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
imageSam Bankman-Fried, once considered a star in the freewheeling world of cryptocurrency, has been charged with conspiracy, fraud and money laundering.Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Enron. Bernie Madoff. FTX.

In modern capitalism, it seems as if stories of companies and managers who engage in fraud and swindle their investors occur like the...

Read more: FTX's collapse mirrors an infamous 18th century British financial scandal

Christmas isn't always holly jolly – even some of its best-loved songs are bittersweet

  • Written by David W. Stowe, Professor of Religious Studies, Michigan State University
image'Joy to the World' may be one of the most famous hymns, but the Yuletide season isn't always cheery.Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images

In American culture, Christmas is supposed to be synonymous with joy. The familiar carols proclaim this message, with “Joy to the World” resounding in thousands of churches, while its secular...

Read more: Christmas isn't always holly jolly – even some of its best-loved songs are bittersweet

Teddy Roosevelt's failed Bull Moose campaign may portend the future of the GOP and Donald Trump

  • Written by Jerald Podair, Professor of History, Lawrence University
imageA bold and brash Teddy Roosevelt during a visit to the Badlands in 1885. MPI/Getty Images

What happens when a former president decides he wants his old job back, regardless of what stands in his way?

As Donald Trump launches his third run for the White House, it is useful to look back at another ex-president, Theodore Roosevelt, whose campaign to...

Read more: Teddy Roosevelt's failed Bull Moose campaign may portend the future of the GOP and Donald Trump

How female Iranian activists use powerful images to protest oppressive policies

  • Written by Parichehr Kazemi, PhD Candidate, University of Oregon
imageWomen have been at the forefront of protests in Iran.Hawar News Agency via AP via AP

Images of unveiled Iranian women and adolescent girls standing atop police cars or flipping off the ayatollah’s picture have become signature demonstrations of dissent in the past few months of protest in Iran.

In fact, among the Iranian protest photos...

Read more: How female Iranian activists use powerful images to protest oppressive policies

Twitter in 2022: 5 essential reads about the consequences of Elon Musk's takeover of the microblogging platform

  • Written by Eric Smalley, Science + Technology Editor
imageIt's safe to say that Elon Musk has transformed Twitter.Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images

You would be forgiven for growing numb to the almost daily assault of headlines proclaiming the latest stunning development involving Elon Musk’s tenure as owner and manager of Twitter. The microblogging platform has seen a rise in hate speech and...

Read more: Twitter in 2022: 5 essential reads about the consequences of Elon Musk's takeover of the...

Unusual, long-lasting gamma-ray burst challenges theories about these powerful cosmic explosions that make gold, uranium and other heavy metals

  • Written by Eleonora Troja, Associate Professor of Astrophysics, University of Rome Tor Vergata
imageWhen two neutron stars merge and create a black hole, they produce a powerful blast of gamma rays. A. Simonnet (Sonoma State Univ.) and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, CC BY-ND

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

A bright flash of gamma rays from the constellation Boötes that lasted nearly...

Read more: Unusual, long-lasting gamma-ray burst challenges theories about these powerful cosmic explosions...

More Articles ...

  1. Who is at the manger? Nativity sets around the world show each culture's take on the Christmas story
  2. Deja de usar “latinx” si realmente quieres ser inclusivo
  3. Did He Jiankui 'Make People Better'? Documentary spurs a new look at the case of the first gene-edited babies
  4. Americans’ personal savings rate is near an all-time low – an economist explains what it means as a potential recession looms
  5. This course teaches students how to connect with older adults to forge intergenerational bonds and help alleviate loneliness and isolation
  6. Why winter solstice matters around the world: 4 essential reads
  7. How an American magazine helped launch one of Britain’s favorite Christmas carols
  8. Disney's Black mermaid is no breakthrough – just look at the literary subgenre of Black mermaid fiction
  9. Chickenpox and shingles virus lying dormant in your neurons can reactivate and increase your risk of stroke – new research identified a potential culprit
  10. The Jan. 6 committee makes its case against Trump, his allies and their conspiracy to commit an insurrection: Five essential reads
  11. 2022's US climate disasters, from storms and floods to heat waves and droughts
  12. China's lucrative orchid industry is a test for the nation's commitment to conservation
  13. A recipe for trustworthy journalism
  14. What the criminal referral of Trump means – a constitutional law expert explains the Jan. 6 committee action
  15. Even if Jan. 6 referrals turn into criminal charges – or convictions – Trump will still be able to run in 2024 and serve as president if elected
  16. 5 wintry books to read during long nights
  17. The lenses of fishes' eyes record their lifetime exposure to toxic mercury, new research finds
  18. What's program-related investment? A management scholar explains one way that foundations support charities without giving money away for good
  19. Why is astronomy a science but astrology is not?
  20. Inflation, unemployment, the housing crisis and a possible recession: Two economists forecast what's ahead in 2023
  21. What are mud volcanoes?
  22. A hat trick of essential reads to accompany the World Cup final
  23. Holiday foods can be toxic to pets – a veterinarian explains which, and what to do if Rover or Kitty eats them
  24. 'Vaccinating' frogs may or may not protect them against a pandemic – but it does provide another option for conservation
  25. 'Untraditional' Hanukkah celebrations are often full of traditions for Jews of color
  26. Wealthy individuals are giving billions to solve the climate crisis – is it working?
  27. Video of college student arrest raises questions about use of police on campus
  28. Over the holidays, try talking to your relatives like an anthropologist
  29. 1918 flu pandemic upended long-standing social inequalities – at least for a time, new study finds
  30. Why Istanbul's mayor was sentenced to jail – and what it means for Turkey's 2023 presidential race
  31. Anti-cancer CAR-T therapy reengineers T cells to kill tumors – and researchers are expanding the limited types of cancer it can target
  32. A Trump-era law used to restrict immigration is nearing its end despite GOP warnings of a looming crisis at the Southern border
  33. How the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a surprisingly bright, complex and element-filled early universe – Podcast
  34. Why early Christians wouldn't have found the Christmas story's virgin birth so surprising
  35. The Christmas tree is a tradition older than Christmas
  36. What social media regulation could look like: Think of pipelines, not utilities
  37. Record low water levels on the Mississippi River in 2022 show how climate change is altering large rivers
  38. Special counsels, like the one leading the Department of Justice's investigation of Trump, are intended to be independent – but they aren't entirely
  39. A tortured and deadly legacy: Kissinger and realpolitik in US foreign policy
  40. Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work
  41. Social media always remembers – which makes moving on from a breakup that much harder
  42. Mpox, AIDS and COVID-19 show the challenges of targeting public health messaging to specific groups without causing stigma
  43. As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe
  44. The Catholic view on indulgences and how they work today
  45. Why fusion ignition is being hailed as a major breakthrough in fusion – a nuclear physicist explains
  46. Federal Reserve just hiked interest rates for the 7th time this year – so why are mortgage rates coming down?
  47. Arctic Report Card 2022: The Arctic is getting rainier and seasons are shifting, with broad disturbances for people, ecosystems and wildlife
  48. Are snow days about to get buried by remote learning? Not quite -- but it depends on where you live
  49. Timing matters for medications – your circadian rhythm influences how well treatments work and how much they might harm you
  50. That annoying ringing, buzzing and hissing in the ear – a hearing specialist offers tips to turn down the tinnitus