The Conversation

Scientists at work: We use environmental DNA to monitor how human activities affect life in rivers and streams

Written by Marie Simonin, Research Scientist, Inrae

Environmental DNA is a promising tool for tracking species in freshwater ecosystems like Oregon's Elkhorn Creek.Greg Shine, BLM/Flickr, CC BY

Rivers, lakes and wetlands cover just 1% of the Earth’s surface but are home to nearly 10% of all species, including fish, mammals, birds, insects and crustaceans. But these rich, diverse ecosystems...

How to make comparing prices of an MRI or colonoscopy as easy as shopping for a new laptop

Written by Morgan Henderson, Senior Data Scientist, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

A new rule is intended to let patients comparison shop for hospital services.Black Lollipop/iStock via Getty Images

Health researchers have long argued that the key to reining in surging health care costs is to tackle the high prices of services, and one potential way to do this is to provide patients with price transparency.

That is, if people...

The fall armyworm invasion is fierce this year – and scientists are researching how to stop its destruction of lawns, football fields and crops

Written by Scott D. Stewart, Professor of Entomology and Director of the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center, University of Tennessee

Fall armyworm devouring a soybean leaf.Scott D. Stewart, Author provided

Across the Northeast, Midwest, South and Southwest United States, homeowners are watching with horror as their lawns turn from green to brown, sometimes in less than 48 hours, and wondering, “What happened this year – and how did it happen so fast?”

The...

Andrew Cuomo’s initial refusal to resign echoes executive harassment dilemmas for employers

Written by Michael Z. Green, Professor of Law and Director, Workplace Law Program, Texas A&M University

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo stubbornly fought sexual harassment charges, as many executives do in business.Scott Heins/Getty Images

President Joe Biden and many other public leaders called for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign after an official report in August concluded that Cuomo had “engaged in conduct constituting sexual harassment...

How many satellites are orbiting Earth?

Written by Supriya Chakrabarti, Professor of Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Thousands of the satellites orbiting Earth are small – like this cubical satellite seen here being released from the International Space Station.NASA, CC BY-NC

CC BY-ND

It seems like every week, another rocket is launched into space carrying rovers to Mars, tourists or, most commonly, satellites. The idea that “space is getting crowded&rd...

Facebook has known for a year and a half that Instagram is bad for teens despite claiming otherwise – here are the harms researchers have been documenting for years

Written by Christia Spears Brown, Professor of Psychology, University of Kentucky

Instagram's emphasis on filtered photos of bodies harms girls' self-image.Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Facebook officials had internal research in March 2020 showing that Instagram – the social media platform most used by adolescents – is harmful to teen girls’ body image and well-being but swept those findings...

What is the Moon Festival? A scholar of Chinese religions explains

Written by Mario Poceski, Professor of Buddhist Studies and Chinese Religions, University of Florida

A popular delicacy eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival is the mooncake.Xvision/Moment via Getty Images

With the arrival of September and hints of cooler temperatures also comes one of most important traditional festivals in the Chinese calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival, or Zhongqiu jie (中秋節), also known as the Moon Festival.

At...

Pandemic prompts more teachers to consider early retirement or new career

Written by Gema Zamarro, Professor of Education and 21st Century Endowed Chair in Teacher Quality, University of Arkansas

Teachers have faced high levels of stress and burnout throughout the pandemic.Kali9/E+ Collection via Getty Images

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

The big idea

The COVID-19 pandemic reduced teachers’ commitment to remain in the classroom, our study on teacher turnover found.

When schools resumed classes in the...

Underneath all the makeup, who was the real Tammy Faye?

Written by John Wigger, Professor of History, University of Missouri-Columbia

When asked how she wanted to be remembered, Tammy Faye replied, "My eyelashes and my walk with the Lord."John Storey/Getty Images

What is it about televangelists Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker that continues to fascinate nearly 35 years after the fall of their evangelical empire?

Jim Bakker still makes headlines selling survival food and miracle cures...

Political orientation predicts science denial – here's what that means for getting Americans vaccinated against COVID-19

Written by Adrian Bardon, Professor of Philosophy, Wake Forest University

Protesters at an anti-vaccine rally in Pennsylvania in August 2021.Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Vaccine refusal is a major reason COVID-19 infections continue to surge in the U.S. Safe and effective vaccines have been available for months, but as of mid-September 2021, only 65% of eligible American adults are fully vaccinated. In...