The Conversation

Sandcastle engineering – a geotechnical engineer explains how water, air and sand create solid structures

Written by Joseph Scalia, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University

There's a lot of science behind the natural forces that let this guy work his magic at the beach.Victoria Pickering/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

If you want to understand why some sandcastles are tall and have intricate structures while others are nearly shapeless lumps of sand, it helps to have a background in geotechnical engineering.

As a geotechnical...

With 'bravery' as its new brand, Ukraine is turning advertising into a weapon of war

Written by Nadia Kaneva, Associate Professor, University of Denver

A woman walks by large signs that read 'Bravery is Ukrainian brand' in Kyiv. Oleksii Chumachenko/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

When a preview of Vogue’s October 2022 cover story on Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska hit Twitter on July 26, 2022, reactions on social media were swift and polarized. Some critics said that a photo...

Big new incentives for clean energy aren't enough – the Inflation Reduction Act was just the first step, now the hard work begins

Written by Daniel Cohan, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University

More wind turbines can increase renewable energy, but transmission lines are crucial, too.Frank Bienewald/LightRocket via Getty Images

The new Inflation Reduction Act is stuffed with subsidies for everything from electric vehicles to heat pumps, and incentives for just about every form of clean energy. But pouring money into technology is just one...

How to destroy a 'forever chemical' – scientists are discovering ways to eliminate PFAS, but this growing global health problem isn't going away soon

Written by A. Daniel Jones, Professor of Biochemistry, Michigan State University

How long do we really need chemicals to last?Sura Nualpradid/EyeEm via Getty Images

PFAS chemicals seemed like a good idea at first. As Teflon, they made pots easier to clean starting in the 1940s. They made jackets waterproof and carpets stain-resistant. Food wrappers, firefighting foam, even makeup seemed better with perfluoroalkyl and...

Will the Inflation Reduction Act actually reduce inflation? How will the corporate minimum tax work? An economist has answers

Written by Nirupama Rao, Assistant Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, University of Michigan

Don't expect the Inflation Reduction Act to bring down prices all that much.AP Photo/David Zalubowski

The U.S. is about to spend US$490 billion over 10 years on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving health care and reducing the federal deficit. Where’s all that money coming from?

We asked University of Michigan economist Nirupama Rao to...

Poland's warm welcome to about 2 million Ukrainian refugees draws global praise, but it might not be sustainable

Written by Patrice McMahon, Professor of Political Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Polish volunteers give Ukrainian refugees food in May 2022.NurPhoto/Getty Images

As Russia’s attack on Ukraine neared its six-month mark on Aug. 24, 2022, The Conversation asked Patrice McMahon to share her observations about how Poland is responding to the arrival of around 2 million Ukrainian refugees. McMahon, a political scientist at the...

Conditions in prisons during heat waves pose deadly threats to incarcerated people and prison staff

Written by J. Carlee Purdum, Research Assistant Professor, Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, Texas A&M University

Prisons in more than a dozen U.S. states are not fully air-conditioned. Leo Patrizi/Getty Images

Extreme heat is taking an increasing toll across the U.S. in summertime. People who are incarcerated are among society’s most vulnerable groups and have been especially affected.

More than a dozen states do not have air conditioning in all of their...

How gay rodeos upend assumptions about life in rural America

Written by Rebecca Scofield, Associate Professor of History; Chair of the Department of History, University of Idaho

The misguided assumption that rural America is hopelessly backward and bigoted erases centuries of same-sex relationships in rural communities. It tells young queer people that they must flee their rural hometowns to far-flung cities in order to find safety and acceptance.

That’s why we see so much value in the work of photographer Luke...

Fake research can be harmful to your health – a new study offers a tool for rooting it out

Written by Lisa Bero, Research Professor Public Health and Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Although most medical research is reliable, studies that are flawed or fake can lead to patients undergoing treatments that might cause harm.skynesher/E+ via Getty Images

If you are suffering with chronic pain, diabetes, heart problems or any other condition, you want to be confident that your doctor will offer you an effective treatment. You...

A dog has caught monkeypox from one of its owners, highlighting risk of the virus infecting pets and wild animals

Written by Amy Macneill, Associate Professor of Veterinary medicine and Virology, Colorado State University

A dog in Paris has become the first case of a pet contracting monkeypox from its owners.Cavan Images via Getty Images

A dog in Paris has caught monkeypox from one of its owners, both of whom were infected with the virus, according to a scientific paper published on Aug. 10, 2022. This is the first case of a dog contracting the monkeypox virus...