The Conversation

HBO's 'House of the Dragon' was inspired by a real medieval dynastic struggle over a female ruler

Written by David Routt, Adjunct Professor of History, University of Richmond

In Westeros, Rhaenyra finds herself in a power struggle akin to that of the real-life Empress Matilda, who lived from 1102 to 1167.HBO

In three decades of teaching medieval European history, I’ve noticed my students are especially curious about the intersection of the stories told in class and the depictions of the Middle Ages they see in...

AI is changing scientists' understanding of language learning – and raising questions about an innate grammar

Written by Morten H. Christiansen, Professor of Psychology, Cornell University

Is living in a language-rich world enough to teach a child grammatical language?kate_sept2004/E+ via Getty Images

Unlike the carefully scripted dialogue found in most books and movies, the language of everyday interaction tends to be messy and incomplete, full of false starts, interruptions and people talking over each other. From casual...

'Nobody said anything because they feared being benched' – how abuse is baked into American sports

Written by Rick Eckstein, Professor of Sociology, Villanova University

Too many coaches seem to believe that physical and emotional abuse creates better athletes.imbarney22/E+ via Getty Images

As someone who has been researching, writing and teaching about women’s and girls sports for the past 15 years, I wasn’t surprised by the recent revelations of sexual and verbal abuse by National Women’s Soccer...

Experts grade Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube on readiness to handle midterm election misinformation

Written by Dam Hee Kim, Assistant Professor of Communication, University of Arizona

The process of conducting elections has become a focal point for misinformation.AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

The 2016 U.S. election was a wake-up call about the dangers of political misinformation on social media. With two more election cycles rife with misinformation under their belts, social media companies have experience identifying and countering...

How Bob Dylan used the ancient practice of 'imitatio' to craft some of the most original songs of his time

Written by Raphael Falco, Professor of English, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Dylan’s complex creative process is unique among contemporary singer-songwriters.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Over the course of six decades, Bob Dylan steadily brought together popular music and poetic excellence. Yet the guardians of literary culture have only rarely accepted Dylan’s legitimacy.

His 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature...

Anxiety detection and treatment in early childhood can lower risk for long-term mental health issues – an expert panel now recommends screening starting at age 8

Written by Elana Bernstein, Assistant Professor of School Psychology, University of Dayton

People who experience anxiety in childhood are more likely to deal with it in adulthood too.fizkes/iStock via Getty Images Plus

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention, issued a final recommendation on Oct. 11, 2022, published in the journal JAMA, stating that all children and...

Getting to 'net-zero' emissions: How energy leaders envision countering climate change in the future

Written by Seth Blumsack, Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics and International Affairs, Penn State

Many energy leaders see fossil fuel use continuing.Volker Hartmann/Getty Images

With the federal government promising over US$360 billion in clean energy incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act, energy companies are already lining up investments. It’s a huge opportunity, and analysts project that it could help slash U.S. greenhouse gas...

How the costs of disasters like Hurricane Ian are calculated – and why it takes so long to add them up

Written by Adam Rose, Professor of Public Policy, University of Southern California

Ian leveled hundreds of buildings in Fort Myers, Fla.Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. experienced 15 disasters in the first nine months of 2022 that each caused at least US$1 billion in damage. Hurricane Ian is taking the largest toll of these disasters by far – but the extent of the damage could take years to calculate with any...

Crippling civilian infrastructure has long been part of Russian generals' playbook – Putin is merely expanding that approach

Written by Benjamin Jensen, Professor of Strategic Studies, Marine Corps University; Scholar-in-Residence, American University, American University School of International Service

Ukrainian firefighters battling flames at a power station hit by Russian missiles.Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

In response to massive battlefield setbacks, Russia has increased its attacks in Ukraine on everything from power plants and dams to railways, pipelines and ports.

These attacks against civilian infrastructure are...

Soaring inflation prompts biggest Social Security cost-of-living boost since 1981 – 6 questions answered

Written by John W. Diamond, Director of the Center for Public Finance at the Baker Institute, Rice University

Social Security benefits have lost their purchasing power as inflation has soared in 2022.Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Social Security is set to boost the benefits it provides retirees by 8.7%, the biggest cost-of-living adjustment since 1981. It comes as sky-high inflation continues to eat into incomes and savings.

The changes are...