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From delta to omicron, here's how scientists know which coronavirus variants are circulating in the US

  • Written by Alexander Sundermann, Clinical Research Coordinator & DrPH Candidate in Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences
imageA positive COVID-19 test is the first step in the process.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The omicron variant quickly took over the global coronavirus landscape after it was first reported in South Africa in late November, 2021. The U.S. became the 24th country to report a case of omicron infection when health officials...

Read more: From delta to omicron, here's how scientists know which coronavirus variants are circulating in...

Why kids shouldn't eat added sugar before they turn 2, according to a nutritional epidemiologist

  • Written by Lisa Bodnar, Professor of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences
imageAvoiding or reducing added sugar in your child's diet can be tricky.Andrii Zorii/iStock via Getty Images Plus

I remember a decade ago sitting in front of my 9-month-old daughter, who was in her high chair, and trying to spoon-feed her a pureed green vegetable. It didn’t matter if it was peas, green beans or something else, because the outcome...

Read more: Why kids shouldn't eat added sugar before they turn 2, according to a nutritional epidemiologist

Regret can be all-consuming – a neurobehavioral scientist explains how people can overcome it

  • Written by J. Kim Penberthy, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia
imageRegret can increase stress and negatively affect one's physical health.JGI/Tom Grill via Getty Images

A friend of mine – we will call him “Jay” – was working for IBM in New York City in the early ‘90s. He was a computer programmer and made a good salary. Occasionally, competitors and startups approached Jay to join...

Read more: Regret can be all-consuming – a neurobehavioral scientist explains how people can overcome it

The metaverse offers a future full of potential – for terrorists and extremists, too

  • Written by Joel S. Elson, Assistant Professor of IT Innovation, University of Nebraska Omaha
imageViolent extremists could find the metaverse a useful recruiting and organizing tool – and a target-rich environment.D-Keine/E+ via Getty Images

The metaverse is coming. Like all technological innovation, it brings new opportunities and new risks.

The metaverse is an immersive virtual reality version of the internet where people can interact...

Read more: The metaverse offers a future full of potential – for terrorists and extremists, too

Women are finding new ways to influence male-led faiths

  • Written by Emily Costello, Managing Editor, The Conversation US
imageThe number of women religious leaders is growing, but the 2018-2019 National Congregations Study, which surveyed 5,300 U.S. religious communities, found that only 56.4% of these communities would allow a woman to “be head clergy person or primary religious leader.”AP Photo/Young Kwak

In some religions, women are barred from serving as...

Read more: Women are finding new ways to influence male-led faiths

School closure debates put teachers unions front and center

  • Written by Katharine O. Strunk, Professor of Education Policy and Economics, Michigan State University
imageSchools in Chicago have suffered days of disruption.Scott Olson/Getty Images

Classes in Chicago were canceled for a third day on Jan. 7, 2022, amid a bitter standoff between the teachers union and public school leaders over in-person instruction during a spike in COVID-19 infections.

The dispute echoes those that occurred earlier in the pandemic when...

Read more: School closure debates put teachers unions front and center

Biden urges America to see the truth of Jan. 6 – and understand its place in history

  • Written by John M. Murphy, Professor of Communication, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
imageDelivered under the eyes of history.Jabin Botsford//The Washington Post via AP

President Joe Biden closed his speech commemorating and deploring the events of Jan. 6, 2021, by asking God to “bless those who stand watch over democracy.”

To “stand watch” is to stand guard, but as a metaphor, it runs deeper. To stand watch on a...

Read more: Biden urges America to see the truth of Jan. 6 – and understand its place in history

How democracy gets eroded – lessons from a Nixon expert

  • Written by Ken Hughes, Research Specialist, the Miller Center, University of Virginia
imageSecurity fences stand near the U.S. Capitol on January 5, 2022. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Now that a full year has passed since the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, the 2020 election and the republic, it’s evident that the attack never really ended. Instead, it spread out to other, less visible, more vulnerable targets.

Donald Trump had...

Read more: How democracy gets eroded – lessons from a Nixon expert

Can a Christian flag fly at city hall? The Supreme Court will have to decide

  • Written by Mark Satta, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Wayne State University
imageOrganizations can apply to have their flag temporarily replace the Boston city flag, shown on far right, in front of City Hall.gregobagel/iStock via Getty Images Plus

There are three flagpoles outside Boston City Hall. One flies the United States flag. Another flies the Massachusetts state flag. What can – and can’t – fly from the...

Read more: Can a Christian flag fly at city hall? The Supreme Court will have to decide

The 'China shock' of trade in the 2000s reverberates in US politics and economics – and warns of the dangers for fossil fuel workers

  • Written by Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics, Rochester Institute of Technology
imageContainers are seen stacked at a port in Qingdao in China's eastern Shandong province on Jan. 14, 2020. STR/AFP via Getty Images

In December 1978, the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping introduced economic reforms that dramatically altered China’s economy by strengthening trade and cultural ties with the West.

Beginning in the 1990s, these reforms...

Read more: The 'China shock' of trade in the 2000s reverberates in US politics and economics – and warns of...

More Articles ...

  1. College students with young kids – especially mothers – find themselves in a time crunch
  2. Real shooting stars exist, but they aren't the streaks you see in a clear night sky
  3. When endangered species recover, humans may need to make room for them – and it's not always easy
  4. A taste for sweet – an anthropologist explains the evolutionary origins of why you're programmed to love sugar
  5. Online tools put will-writing in reach for most people – but they're not the end of the line for producing a legally binding document
  6. After Afghanistan, US military presence abroad faces domestic and foreign opposition in 2022
  7. 'Don’t Look Up': Hollywood's primer on climate denial illustrates 5 myths that fuel rejection of science
  8. How cybercriminals turn paper checks stolen from mailboxes into bitcoin
  9. When researchers don't have the proteins they need, they can get AI to 'hallucinate' new structures
  10. What's the difference between sugar, other natural sweeteners and artificial sweeteners? A food chemist explains sweet science
  11. The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials
  12. Why does experiencing 'flow' feel so good? A communication scientist explains
  13. What is pay-as-you-throw? A waste expert explains
  14. Future engineers need to understand their work's human impact – here's how my classes prepare students to tackle problems like climate change
  15. Zoos and aquariums shift to a new standard of 'animal welfare' that depends on deeper understanding of animals' lives
  16. 'Dataraising' – when you're asked to chip in with data instead of money
  17. How changing parental beliefs can build stronger vocabulary and math skills for young children
  18. American support for conspiracy theories and armed rebellion isn't new – we just didn't believe it before the Capitol insurrection
  19. The 'sore loser effect': Rejecting election results can destabilize democracy and drive terrorism
  20. Not all polarization is bad, but the US could be in trouble
  21. Why can’t we throw all our trash into a volcano and burn it up?
  22. Rifts between older mothers and their adult children usually endure – even through divorce, illness and death
  23. Philanthropists seeking to fix big problems must tread carefully – here's how they can make their efforts more compatible with democracy
  24. Inflation, workforce participation and real wages: 3 key indicators for monitoring the economy in 2022
  25. Ghislaine Maxwell guilty in Epstein sex trafficking trial: What the case revealed about female sex offenders
  26. E.O. Wilson's lifelong passion for ants helped him teach humans about how to live sustainably with nature
  27. 4 New Year's resolutions for a healthier environment in 2022
  28. Not all calories are equal – a dietitian explains the different ways the kinds of foods you eat matter to your body
  29. What will 2022 bring in the way of misinformation on social media? 3 experts weigh in
  30. How common is the 'Common Era?' How A.D. and C.E. took over counting years
  31. Manchin takes aim at Build Back Better, but his real focus is on West Virginia
  32. Medical technologies have been central to US pandemic response – but social behaviors matter just as much
  33. Biden to expand access to at-home COVID kits: 4 essential reads on the critical role of rapid tests
  34. During a COVID-19 surge, ‘crisis standards of care’ involve excruciating choices and impossible ethical decisions for hospital staff
  35. 2021: a year physicists asked, 'What lies beyond the Standard Model?'
  36. What is Log4j? A cybersecurity expert explains the latest internet vulnerability, how bad it is and what's at stake
  37. Stress is contagious in relationships – here's what you can do to support your partner and boost your own health during the holidays and beyond
  38. As spiritualism's popularity grows, photographer Shannon Taggart takes viewers inside the world of séances, mediums and orbs
  39. Sports card explosion holds promise for keeping kids engaged in math
  40. The Massachusetts flag glorifies the violence committed by colonizers – Native Americans want it changed
  41. Why Putin has such a hard time accepting Ukrainian sovereignty
  42. Nickel oxide is a material that can 'learn' like animals and could help further artificial intelligence research
  43. Millions more Americans now have the right to vote in non-English languages
  44. Home for the holidays and worried about an older relative? Make observations, not assumptions
  45. 2021’s climate disasters revealed an east-west weather divide, with one side of the country too wet, the other dangerously dry
  46. Devastating Colorado fires cap a year of climate disasters in 2021, with one side of the country too wet, the other dangerously dry
  47. Mechanical forces in a beating heart affect its cells' DNA, with implications for development and disease
  48. How do fireworks work? A pyrotechnics chemist explains the science behind the brilliant colors and sounds
  49. The best way to follow through on your New Year's resolution? Make an 'old year's resolution'
  50. Manchin killed Build Back Better over inflation concerns – an economist explains why the $2 trillion bill would be unlikely to drive up prices