The Conversation

Trees aren't a climate change cure-all – 2 new studies on the life and death of trees in a warming world show why

Written by William R.L. Anderegg, Associate Professor of Ecology, School Of Biological Sciences, University of Utah

When trees burn, all the carbon they have stored goes back into the atmosphere.Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

When people talk about ways to slow climate change, they often mention trees, and for good reason. Forests take up a large amount of the planet-warming carbon dioxide that people put into the atmosphere when they burn fossil fuels....

Adult ADHD: What it is, how to treat it and why medicine ignored it for so long – podcast

Written by Daniel Merino, Assistant Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

Thanks to a recent surge in interest in adult ADHD, researchers are learning more about how ADHD affects the lives of those who have it – and how to treat it.Heide Benser/ The Image Bank via Getty Images

Parents and doctors have known about childhood ADHD – attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder – for decades, but it is only...

What's behind the US baby formula shortage – and how to make sure it doesn't happen again

Written by Steven A. Abrams, Professorof Pediatrics, University of Texas at Austin

No easy formula.Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

A baby formula shortage has added to the woes of American parents already confronted with the pressures of raising an infant during a pandemic in a country ranked low for family-friendly policies.

Media reports have highlighted the plight of mothers, fathers and caregivers across the U.S. who...

These strategies and life hacks can help anyone with ADHD, as well as those who struggle with attention problems but don't have a diagnosis

Written by Rob Rosenthal, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Many people with ADHD find it difficult to focus, suffer from anxiety and have low self-esteem.Bulat Silvia/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Imagine that it’s 4:59 p.m., only one minute before your deadline. You swore you’d never put yourself in this position again, and yet you have. This isn’t your best work, and you’ll be...

For some people, religious leaders might be most effective at communicating the importance of COVID-19 vaccination

Written by Filip Viskupič, Assistant Professor of Political Science, South Dakota State University

The Washington National Cathedral hosted a public vaccination event in March 2021 to help demonstrate trust by faith leaders of all denominations in the COVID-19 vaccines.Alex Wong/Getty Images

Vaccinating a substantial portion of society has been found to be the best way to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control, but the pace of vaccination has...

What is dead pool? A water expert explains

Written by Robert Glennon, Regents Professor and Morris K. Udall Professor of Law & Public Policy, University of Arizona

The white 'bathtub ring' around Lake Mead, shown on Jan. 11, 2022, is roughly 160 feet high and reflects falling water levels.George Rose/Getty Images

Journalists reporting on the status and future of the Colorado River are increasingly using the phrase “dead pool.” It sounds ominous. And it is.

Dead pool occurs when water in a reservoir...

Tucker Carlson pulls from an old playbook as he stokes anxiety about a masculinity crisis

Written by Conor Heffernan, Assistant Professor of Physical Culture and Sport Studies, University of Texas at Austin

Bodybuilder Charles Atlas sought to turn Americans from 'Chump to Champ.'Lee Lockwood/Getty Images

Promotions for “The End of Men,” Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s forthcoming documentary, lament “The total collapse of testosterone levels in American men.”

Carlson’s central premise is that modern society has...

Ukraine's information war is winning hearts and minds in the West

Written by Michael Butler, Associate Professor of Political Science, Clark University

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is introduced to the US Congress by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on March 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. J. Scott Applewhite-Pool/Getty Images

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dominated headlines since late February 2022. The war struck a nerve among Western audiences, evoking a high degree of support...

Using ‘science’ to market cookies and other products meant for pleasure backfires with consumers

Written by Rebecca Walker Reczek, Berry Chair of New Technologies in Marketing and Professor of Marketing, The Ohio State University

Science makes pleasure. Billy Burdette/EyeEm via Getty Images

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

The big idea

When companies say a product meant for pleasure was developed using science, consumers are less likely to buy it. That’s what we found in our peer-reviewed research.

Marketers often describe how a...

Why the world has a lot to learn about conservation – and trust – from Indigenous societies

Written by John Ziker, Professor of Anthropology, Boise State University

A family in northern Siberia watches -- but decides not to hunt -- a musk ox that wandered into the area where they live.John Ziker, Author provided

Twenty-five years ago, when I was a young anthropologist working in northern Siberia, the Indigenous hunters, fishers and trappers I lived with would often stop and solemnly offer something to the...