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Pope Francis filled the College of Cardinals with a diverse group of men – and they’ll be picking his successor

  • Written by Joanne M. Pierce, Professor Emerita of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
imageThe Catholic Church's 115 cardinal-electors take part in a mass in St. Peter's Basilica on March 12, 2013, ahead of entering the conclave for a papal election.Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images

Following the death of 88-year-old Pope Francis on Easter Monday, several cardinals who were already in Rome, or who traveled only short...

Read more: Pope Francis filled the College of Cardinals with a diverse group of men – and they’ll be picking...

Granular systems, such as sandpiles or rockslides, are all around you − new research will help scientists describe how they work

  • Written by Jacqueline Reber, Associate Professor of Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate, Iowa State University
imageSand is one type of granular system – hundreds of grains act collectively. Nenov/Moment via Getty Images

Did you eat cereal this morning? Or have you walked on a gravel path? Maybe you had a headache and had to take a pill? If you answered any of these questions with a yes, you interacted with a granular system today.

Scientists classify any...

Read more: Granular systems, such as sandpiles or rockslides, are all around you − new research will help...

Cancer research in the US is world class because of its broad base of funding − with the government pulling out, its future is uncertain

  • Written by Jeffrey MacKeigan, Professor of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University
imageWithout federal support, the lights will turn off in many labs across the country.Thomas Barwick/Stone via Getty Images

Cancer research in the U.S. doesn’t rely on a single institution or funding stream − it’s a complex ecosystem made up of interdependent parts: academia, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology startups, federal...

Read more: Cancer research in the US is world class because of its broad base of funding − with the...

Detroit’s lack of affordable housing pushes families to the edge - and children sometime pay the price

  • Written by Meghan Wilson, Assistant Professor of American Politics and Public Policy, Michigan State University
imageSome of Detroit's unhoused population take refuge in abandoned buildings, cars and parks. Adam J. Dewey/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

As outside temperatures dropped to the low- to mid-teens Fahrenheit on Feb. 10, 2025, two children died of carbon monoxide toxicity in a family van parked in a Detroit casino parking garage.

We are political...

Read more: Detroit’s lack of affordable housing pushes families to the edge - and children sometime pay the...

How does soap keep you clean? A chemist explains the science of soap

  • Written by Paul E. Richardson, Professor of Biochemistry, Coastal Carolina University
imageBe sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.Mladen Zivkovic/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.

How does soap clean our bodies? – Charlie H., age 8, Stamford, Connecticut

Thousands of...

Read more: How does soap keep you clean? A chemist explains the science of soap

Tensions over Kashmir and a warming planet have placed the Indus Waters Treaty on life support

  • Written by Fazlul Haq, Postdoctoral Scholar at the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, The Ohio State University
imageThe Indus River Valley in the cold desert of Ladakh, India.Pallava Bagla/Getty Images

In 1995, World Bank Vice President Ismail Serageldin warned that whereas the conflicts of the previous 100 years had been over oil, “the wars of the next century will be fought over water.”

Thirty years on, that prediction is being tested in one of the...

Read more: Tensions over Kashmir and a warming planet have placed the Indus Waters Treaty on life support

In talking with Tehran, Trump is reversing course on Iran – could a new nuclear deal be next?

  • Written by Jeffrey Fields, Associate Professor of the Practice of International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
imageA mural on the outer walls of the former US embassy in Tehran depicts two men in negotiation.Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

Negotiators from Iran and the United States are set to meet again in Oman on April 26, prompting hopes the two countries might be moving, albeit tentatively, toward a new nuclear accord.

The scheduled talks follow the two previous...

Read more: In talking with Tehran, Trump is reversing course on Iran – could a new nuclear deal be next?

Colors are objective, according to two philosophers − even though the blue you see doesn’t match what I see

  • Written by Elay Shech, Professor of Philosophy, Auburn University
imageWhat appear to be blue and green spirals are actually the same color.Akiyoshi Kitaoka

Is your green my green? Probably not. What appears as pure green to me will likely look a bit yellowish or blueish to you. This is because visual systems vary from person to person. Moreover, an object’s color may appear differently against different...

Read more: Colors are objective, according to two philosophers − even though the blue you see doesn’t match...

Florida, once considered a swing state, is firmly Republican – a social anthropologist explains what caused this shift

  • Written by Alexander Lowie, Postdoctoral associate in Classical and Civic Education, University of Florida
imageFlorida has attracted new residents since the pandemic, as well as a growth in conservative politics. iStock / Getty Images Plus

Florida has undergone a dramatic political transformation over the past decade from a swing state to Republican stronghold.

Florida’s recent congressional special election on April 1, 2025, showcased the...

Read more: Florida, once considered a swing state, is firmly Republican – a social anthropologist explains...

‘Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence’ − an astronomer explains how much evidence scientists need to claim discoveries like extraterrestrial life

  • Written by Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona
imageThe universe is filled with countless galaxies, stars and planets. Astronomers may find life one day, but they will need extraordinary proof. ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi

The detection of life beyond Earth would be one of the most profound discoveries in the history of...

Read more: ‘Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence’ − an astronomer explains how much evidence...

More Articles ...

  1. Trump’s ‘Garden of American Heroes’ is a monument to celebrity and achievement – paid for with humanities funding that benefits everyday Americans
  2. Hotter and drier climate in Colorado’s San Luis Valley contributes to kidney disease in agriculture workers, new study shows
  3. Japanese women have long sacrificed their surnames in marriage − politics and demographics might change that
  4. ‘I were but little happy, if I could say how much’: Shakespeare’s insights on happiness have held up for more than 400 years
  5. Why predicting battery performance is like forecasting traffic − and how researchers are making progress
  6. These 4 tips can make screen time good for your kids and even help them learn to talk
  7. Trump’s aggressive actions against free speech speak a lot louder than his words defending it
  8. Memes and conflict: Study shows surge of imagery and fakes can precede international and political violence
  9. Pope Francis’ death right after Easter sounds miraculous – but patients and caregivers often work together to delay dying
  10. US colleges and universities have billions stashed away in endowments − a higher ed finance expert explains what they are
  11. Gratitude comes with benefits − a social psychologist explains how to practice it when times are stressful
  12. Alaska, rich in petroleum, faces an energy shortage
  13. How do children learn to read? This literacy expert says ‘there are as many ways as there are students’
  14. The hidden history of Philadelphia’s window-box gardens and their role in urban reform
  15. Is China the new cool? How Beijing is using pop culture to win the soft power war
  16. From Doing Business to B-READY: World Bank’s new rankings represent a rebrand, not a revamp
  17. Justice Department lawyers work for justice and the Constitution – not the White House
  18. Trump is stripping protections from marine protected areas – why that’s a problem for fishing’s future, and for whales, corals and other ocean life
  19. US universities lose millions of dollars chasing patents, research shows
  20. From help to harm: How the government is quietly repurposing everyone’s data for surveillance
  21. Trump administration pauses new mine safety regulation − here’s how those rules benefit companies as well as workers
  22. Controlled burns reduce wildfire risk, but they require trained staff and funding − this could be a rough year
  23. Stripping federal protection for clean water harms just about everyone, especially already vulnerable communities
  24. I study local government and Hurricane Helene forced me from my home − here’s how rural towns and counties in North Carolina and beyond cooperate to rebuild
  25. A warning for Democrats from the Gilded Age and the 1896 election
  26. Habeas corpus: A thousand-year-old legal principle for defending rights that’s getting a workout under the Trump administration
  27. Reducing diversity, equity and inclusion to a catchphrase undermines its true purpose
  28. Perfect brownies baked at high altitude are possible thanks to Colorado’s home economics pioneer Inga Allison
  29. Some politicians who share harmful information are rewarded with more clicks, study finds
  30. Make Russia Medieval Again! How Putin is seeking to remold society, with a little help from Ivan the Terrible
  31. Francis, a pope of many firsts: 5 essential reads
  32. Lawful permanent residents like Mahmoud Khalil have a right to freedom of speech – but does that protect them from deportation?
  33. Federal laws don’t ban rollbacks of environmental protection, but they don’t make it easy
  34. Why don’t humans have hair all over their bodies? A biologist explains our lack of fur
  35. Endowments aren’t blank checks – but universities can rely on them more heavily in turbulent times
  36. Exposure to perceptible temperature rise increases concern about climate change, higher education adds to understanding
  37. What will happen at the funeral of Pope Francis
  38. How the next pope will be elected – what goes on at the conclave
  39. Scientists found a potential sign of life on a distant planet – an astronomer explains why many are still skeptical
  40. ‘I never issued a criminal contempt citation in 19 ½ years on the bench’ – a former federal judge looks at the ‘relentless bad behavior’ of the Trump administration in court
  41. As views on spanking shift worldwide, most US adults support it, and 19 states allow physical punishment in schools
  42. Crime is nonpartisan and the blame game on crime in cities is wrong – on both sides
  43. With federal funding in question, artists can navigate a perilous future by looking to the past
  44. Lawsuits seeking to address climate change have promise but face uncertain future
  45. All models are wrong − a computational modeling expert explains how engineers make them useful
  46. Trump’s attacks on central bank threaten its independence − and that isn’t good news for sound economic stewardship (or battling inflation)
  47. Claims of ‘anti-Christian bias’ sound to some voters like a message about race, not just religion
  48. How does your brain create new memories? Neuroscientists discover ‘rules’ for how neurons encode new information
  49. Patriots’ Day: How far-right groups hijack history and patriotic symbols to advance their cause, according to an expert on extremism
  50. International students infuse tens of millions of dollars into local economies across the US. What happens if they stay home?