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How 'mechanical trees' pull carbon dioxide from the air and lock it away – an inventor of direct air capture tech explains

  • Written by Klaus Lackner, Professor of Engineering and Director of the Center for Negative Carbon Emissions, Arizona State University
imageOne 'mechanical tree' is about 1,000 times faster at removing carbon dioxide from air than a natural tree. The first is to start operating in Arizona in 2022.Illustration via Arizona State University

Two centuries of burning fossil fuels has put more carbon dioxide, a powerful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere than nature can remove. As that CO2...

Read more: How 'mechanical trees' pull carbon dioxide from the air and lock it away – an inventor of direct...

Why do plants grow straight?

  • Written by Beronda L. Montgomery, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology & Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and Assistant Vice President of Research & Innovation, Michigan State University
image_Allium schoenoprasum_, better known as chives.Andreas Rockstein/Flickr, CC BY-SAimage

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.

Why do plants grow straight? – Sara H., age 5, New Paltz, New York

Have you ever been at a sporting event...

Read more: Why do plants grow straight?

Building machines that work for everyone – how diversity of test subjects is a technology blind spot, and what to do about it

  • Written by Tahira Reid, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
imageWithout a diverse range of test subjects, some new technologies could fail to work as intended for many people.John Paul Van Wert/Rank Studios/Flickr, CC BY-SA

People interact with machines in countless ways every day. In some cases, they actively control a device, like driving a car or using an app on a smartphone. Sometimes people passively...

Read more: Building machines that work for everyone – how diversity of test subjects is a technology blind...

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.: 5 things I've learned curating the MLK Collection at Morehouse College

  • Written by Vicki Crawford, Professor of Africana Studies, Morehouse College
imageMartin Luther King Jr. waves with his children, Yolanda and Martin Luther III, from the 1964 World's Fair in New York City. Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images

For the past 11 years, civil rights historian Vicki Crawford has worked as the director of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection, where she oversees the archive consisting...

Read more: Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.: 5 things I've learned curating the MLK Collection at Morehouse...

What Supreme Court's block of vaccine mandate for large businesses will mean for public health: 4 questions answered

  • Written by Debbie Kaminer, Professor of Law, Baruch College, CUNY
imageNew York City's vaccine mandates are unaffected by the court ruling.AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 13, 2022, blocked the Biden administration’s vaccine-or-test mandate, which applied to virtually all private companies with 100 of more employees. But it left in place a narrower mandate that requires health care workers...

Read more: What Supreme Court's block of vaccine mandate for large businesses will mean for public health: 4...

Colleges accused of conspiring to make low-income students pay more

  • Written by Robert Massa, Adjunct Professor, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California
imageA lawsuit claims that 16 elite U.S. universities give preference to children of donors over other applicants in their admissions. Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Sixteen universities – including six in the Ivy League – are accused in a lawsuit of having engaged in price fixing and unfairly limiting financial aid by using a shared...

Read more: Colleges accused of conspiring to make low-income students pay more

The #BettyWhiteChallenge highlights the growth of animal philanthropy and the role of rescues

  • Written by Melissa L. Caldwell, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz
imageBetty White had three dogs in 1954, including 'Stormy,' a Saint Bernard.Bettmann/Getty Images

Betty White’s death on Dec. 31, 2021, inspired countless remembrances and celebrations of her life and her brilliant comedic work on television.

The actress also had a lifelong love of animals, especially dogs. She treasured animals as companions and...

Read more: The #BettyWhiteChallenge highlights the growth of animal philanthropy and the role of rescues

What made Bob Saget's Danny Tanner so different from other sitcom dads

  • Written by Jessica Troilo, Associate Professor of Child Development and Family Studies, West Virginia University
imageBob Saget, top left, was affectionately called 'America's Dad' for his role as Danny Tanner in the sitcom 'Full House.'Lorimar Television/Fotos International via Getty Images

Bob Saget, who died on Jan. 9, 2022, is probably best remembered for his role as Danny Tanner on the popular sitcom “Full House,” which aired from 1987 to 1995.

I...

Read more: What made Bob Saget's Danny Tanner so different from other sitcom dads

Seditious conspiracy charge against Oath Keepers founder and others in Jan. 6 riot faces First Amendment hurdle

  • Written by Timothy Zick, Professor of Law, William & Mary Law School
imageStewart Rhodes faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted of seditious conspiracy.AP Photo/Susan Walsh

The seditious conspiracy charges filed against Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers militia, along with 10 other defendants, opens a new and significant chapter in the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

Many observers have noted the absence of...

Read more: Seditious conspiracy charge against Oath Keepers founder and others in Jan. 6 riot faces First...

Civil war in the US is unlikely because grievance doesn't necessarily translate directly into violence

  • Written by Ore Koren, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Indiana University
imageWill the U.S. be torn apart by civil war?Paul Sancya/AP photos

The potential for violent extremism in America to erupt into full-fledged conflict across the country is a common topic of discussion nowadays.

A recent FBI report highlights an increasing risk of violence against government institutions, private organizations and individuals. The...

Read more: Civil war in the US is unlikely because grievance doesn't necessarily translate directly into...

More Articles ...

  1. Sugar detox? Cutting carbs? A doctor explains why you should keep fruit on the menu
  2. The metaverse is money and crypto is king – why you'll be on a blockchain when you're virtual-world hopping
  3. With fewer animals to spread their seeds, plants could have trouble adapting to climate change
  4. Ocean temperatures are at record levels, with major consequences
  5. Ocean heat is at record levels, with major consequences
  6. Racial and ethnic diversity is lacking among nonprofit leaders – but there are ways to change that
  7. Inflation inequality: Poorest Americans are hit hardest by soaring prices on necessities
  8. Tackling 2022 with hope: 5 essential reads
  9. When meeting someone new, try skirting the small talk and digging a little deeper
  10. Beyond social mobility, college students value giving back to society
  11. Making sugar, making 'coolies': Chinese laborers toiled alongside Black workers on 19th-century Louisiana plantations
  12. How the Vietnam War pushed MLK to embrace global justice, not only civil rights at home
  13. A 21st-century reinvention of the electric grid is crucial for solving the climate change crisis
  14. 'Southern hospitality' doesn't always apply to Black people, as revealed in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery
  15. Ethical US consumers struggled to pressure the sugar industry to abandon slavery with less success than their British counterparts
  16. Radicalization pipelines: How targeted advertising on social media drives people to extremes
  17. What is wishcycling? Two waste experts explain
  18. The COVID-19 pandemic has inspired new health habits for these 4 scholars – here's what they put into practice and why
  19. The battles over voting rights, preventing fraud and access to ballots – 5 essential reads
  20. Why the US cares about what happens in Kazakhstan – 5 questions answered by former ambassador
  21. Confused by what your doctor tells you? A new study discovers how communication gaps between doctors and patients can be cured
  22. The Great Resignation: Historical data and a deeper analysis show it’s not as great as screaming headlines suggest
  23. How does excess sugar affect the developing brain throughout childhood and adolescence? A neuroscientist who studies nutrition explains
  24. Prosecuting Trump would inevitably be political -- and other countries have had mixed success in holding ex-presidents accountable
  25. Who benefits from a break on federal student loan payments? An economist answers 3 questions
  26. Por qué la blasfemia es un delito capital en algunos países musulmanes
  27. Where are memories stored in the brain? New research suggests they may be in the connections between your brain cells
  28. 2021’s biggest climate and weather disasters cost the U.S. $145 billion – here's what climate science says about them in 5 essential reads
  29. Watch for these conflicts over education in 2022
  30. What is 5G? An electrical engineer explains
  31. End-of-life conversations can be hard, but your loved ones will thank you
  32. How the Earth's tilt creates short, cold January days
  33. How much candy do Americans eat in a whole year?
  34. Supreme Court considers derailing federal vaccine mandates – appears inclined to keep for health workers, but not wider workforce
  35. Sidney Poitier -- Hollywood's first Black leading man reflected the civil rights movement on screen
  36. Ahmaud Arbery murderers sentenced to life in prison: 4 essential reads on the case
  37. In Kazakhstan, Russia follows a playbook it developed in Ukraine
  38. Lurking behind lackluster jobs gain are a stagnating labor market and the threat of omicron
  39. From delta to omicron, here's how scientists know which coronavirus variants are circulating in the US
  40. Why kids shouldn't eat added sugar before they turn 2, according to a nutritional epidemiologist
  41. Regret can be all-consuming – a neurobehavioral scientist explains how people can overcome it
  42. The metaverse offers a future full of potential – for terrorists and extremists, too
  43. Women are finding new ways to influence male-led faiths
  44. School closure debates put teachers unions front and center
  45. Biden urges America to see the truth of Jan. 6 – and understand its place in history
  46. How democracy gets eroded – lessons from a Nixon expert
  47. Can a Christian flag fly at city hall? The Supreme Court will have to decide
  48. The 'China shock' of trade in the 2000s reverberates in US politics and economics – and warns of the dangers for fossil fuel workers
  49. College students with young kids – especially mothers – find themselves in a time crunch
  50. Real shooting stars exist, but they aren't the streaks you see in a clear night sky