The Conversation

The Catholic Church's views on exorcism have changed – a religious studies scholar explains why

Written by Joseph P. Laycock, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Texas State University

A 19th-century engraving shows a cleric doing an exorcism against an evil spirit.Ipsumpix/Corbis via Getty Images

In September 2021, a 3-year-old was killed during an exorcism in a small Pentecostal church in San Jose, California. The child’s throat was allegedly squeezed and her head held down during the ceremony, which likely asphyxiated...

The big exodus of Ukrainian refugees isn't an accident – it's part of Putin's plan to destabilize Europe

Written by Mark A. Grey, Professor of Anthropology, University of Northern Iowa

Ukrainians fleeing the war walk toward a train in Krakow to bring them to Berlin on March 15, 2022. Omar Marques/Getty Images

More than 6.3 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia first invaded in late February 2022.

The European Union has welcomed Ukrainian refugees, allowing them to enter its 27 member countries without visas and...

Yorkicystis, the 500 million-year-old relative of starfish that lost its skeleton

Written by Samuel Zamora, Científico Titular (Paleontólogo), Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME - CSIC)

Reconstruction of the prehistoric *Yorkicystis haefneri* adapted from fossil evidence, created by Hugo Salais (Metazoa Studio).Samuel Zamora, CC BY-ND

After four years of digging for fossils in a churchyard in York, Pennsylvania, amateur paleontologist Chris Haefner made an intriguing find. “I knew it was worth keeping,” he said. He...

Nuclear isomers were discovered 100 years ago, and physicists are still unraveling their mysteries

Written by Artemis Spyrou, Professor of Nuclear Physics, Michigan State University

Protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus can be arranged in different configurations, creating nuclear isomers. KTSdesign/SciencePhotoLibrary via Getty Images

Nobel laureate Otto Hahn is credited with the discovery of nuclear fission. Fission is one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century, yet Hahn considered something else to be his...

How many bots are on Twitter? The question is difficult to answer and misses the point

Written by Kai-Cheng Yang, Doctoral Student in Informatics, Indiana University

Yes, worry about Twitter, but don't worry whether there are hordes of spambots running rampant there.gremlin/E+ via Getty Images

Twitter reports that fewer than 5% of accounts are fakes or spammers, commonly referred to as “bots.” Since his offer to buy Twitter was accepted, Elon Musk has repeatedly questioned these estimates, even...

The Heard v. Depp trial is not just a media spectacle – it is an opportunity to discuss the nuances of intimate partner violence

Written by Kellie Lynch, Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, The University of Texas at San Antonio

The Depp v. Heard trial provides a chance to shine a light on intimate partner violence.Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Strip away the celebrity intrigue and media frenzy, and the high-profile court battle between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard involves issues painfully familiar to many women and men across America.

The civil defamation...

Conflicts over language stretch far beyond Russia and Ukraine

Written by Stanley Dubinsky, Professor of Linguistics, University of South Carolina

In Canada, the French and English languages generally peacefully coexist.Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

One key element of the war between Russia and Ukraine is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that the two countries share not just history, but also a common language. Both are attempts to diminish Ukrainian...

Putin's key mistake? Not understanding Ukraine's blossoming national identity - even in the Russian-friendly southeast

Written by Lowell Barrington, Associate Professor of Political Science , Marquette University

Vladimir Putin has written and spoken about how Ukrainians and Russians are 'one people.'Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022 has, thus far, produced the opposite of what he expected.

Rather than deepening political fissures in the West, Putin’s invasion has united the leaders and...

Where was the world's first zoo?

Written by Michael J. Renner, Professor of Biology, Psychology, and Environmental Science & Sustainability, Director Zoo & Conservation Science, Drake University

Interior view of Polito's Royal Menagerie, Exeter Change, Strand, Westminster, London, 1812.Heritage Images/Hulton Archives 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.

Who made the first zoo? – Veronica, age 11,...

Skin grafts for burns injuries can lead to crippling scars – a drug that blocks the skin's ability to respond to physical stimuli could promote healing, new research in pigs finds

Written by Kellen Chen, Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Arizona

Burn injuries can lead to disfiguring and sometimes crippling scars.Staras/iStock via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Reducing a skin graft’s responsiveness to its physical environment could help improve healing and reduce scarring from large injuries like burns or blast wounds,...