The Conversation

Why church conflict in Ukraine reflects historic Russian-Ukrainian tensions

Written by J. Eugene Clay, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, Arizona State University

An Orthodox priest takes part in a rally in protest against an official visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople to Kyiv in August 2021.Anna Marchenko\TASS via Getty Images

As Russia amasses troops on the Ukrainian border in preparation for a potential invasion, tensions between the two countries are also playing out through a...

What is earwax?

Written by Henry Ou, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, University of Washington

Step away from the cotton swabs!Crazytang/iStock via Getty Images Plus

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.

What is earwax? – Helen E., age 8, Somerville, Massachusetts

Imagine you’re watching TV. Suddenly, your ear...

Russia has been at war with Ukraine for years – in cyberspace

Written by Maggie Smith, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, United States Military Academy West Point

Russian President Vladimir Putin walks through a hall in the building housing Russia's GRU military intelligence service.Dmitry Astakhov, Sputnik, Government Pool Photo via AP

The build up of Russian forces along Belarus’ 665-mile border with Ukraine is a physical manifestation of Russia’s intense interest in the region. Russia annexed...

The high-speed physics of how bobsled, luge and skeleton send humans hurtling faster than a car on the highway

Written by John Eric Goff, Professor of Physics, University of Lynchburg

Bobsled, luge and skeleton athletes descend twisting, steep tracks at speeds upward of 80 mph (130 kmh).AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev

Speed alone may be the factor that draws many sports fans to the bobsled, luge and skeleton events at this year’s Beijing Winter Olympics. But beneath the thrilling descents of the winding, ice-covered track, a...

Americans are returning to the labor force at a quickening rate – do they just really need the work?

Written by Christopher Decker, Professor of Economics, University of Nebraska Omaha

Plenty of places hiring, and more people looking for jobs.AP Photo/Nam Y. Hu

The U.S. economy surprised analysts by adding 467,000 jobs in January, overcoming omicron concerns and continuing a long streak of gains, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Feb. 4, 2022.

Yet at the same time, the unemployment rate ticked up a notch, from 3.9% to 4%....

Want to master Wordle? Here's the best strategy for your first guess

Written by Derek Horstmeyer, Professor of Finance, George Mason University

There are 2,315 five-letter words in Wordle's dictionary.Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

As Wordle has skyrocketed in popularity, multiple media outlets have published articles that explore the best word to use as your initial guess.

Often the authors of these pieces theorize that the word ought to be one that uses as many vowels as...

Not everyone is male or female – the growing controversy over sex designation

Written by Carl Streed Jr, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University

Although the medical establishment is now recognizing that sex is not binary, society as a whole has been slow to embrace the concept.Vera Livchak/Moment via Getty Images

Check out your birth certificate and surely you’ll see a designation for sex. When you were born, a doctor or clinician assigned you the “male” or...

Cryptocurrency-funded groups called DAOs are becoming charities – here are some issues to watch

Written by Sean Stein Smith, Assistant Professor of Economics and Business, Lehman College, CUNY

Kimbal Musk, Elon's brother, has launched one of these new kinds of nonprofits.Michael Kovac/Getty Images for 'The Game Changers'

Cryptocurrency is becoming a more familiar way to pay for things.

One option is as part of a crowd, through a decentralized autonomous organization. In this relatively new kind of group, also called a DAO, decisions and...

New forms of advertising raise questions about journalism integrity

Written by Michelle A. Amazeen, Associate Professor of Mass Communication, Boston University

Is this a paid ad or a news story? Can you tell?Screenshot from washingtonpost.com, CC BY-ND

Mainstream news media outlets have, in recent years, begun to create advertisements that look like news articles on their websites and on social media. My research raises questions about whether this modern form of advertising might influence those...

Afghan women face increasing violence and repression under the Taliban after international spotlight fades

Written by Mia Bloom, Professor and Fellow at Evidence Based Cyber Security Program, Georgia State University

The Taliban reportedly captured 40 people in Mazar-e-Sharif, a medium-sized city in Afghanistan, at the end of January 2022. Taliban members then allegedly gang-raped eight of the women.

The women who survived the gang rape were subsequently killed by their families. The fact that the women had been raped violated a societal honor code called Pasht...