The Conversation

Sea level rise is killing trees along the Atlantic coast, creating 'ghost forests' that are visible from space

Written by Emily Ury, Ph.D. Candidate, Duke University

Ghost forest panorama in coastal North Carolina.Emily Ury, CC BY-ND

Trekking out to my research sites near North Carolina’s Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, I slog through knee-deep water on a section of trail that is completely submerged. Permanent flooding has become commonplace on this low-lying peninsula, nestled behind North...

Sports remain hostile territory for LGBTQ Americans

Written by Rachel Allison, Associate Professor of Sociology, Mississippi State University

While professional sports franchises have become more socially conscious, LGBTQ fans and players aren't exactly embraced with open arms.Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

CC BY-ND

For all of the gains LGBTQ people have made over the past few decades, sports remain a highly visible reminder that homophobia and transphobia persist.

In recent years, more...

The US is worried about its critical minerals supply chains – essential for electric vehicles, wind power and the nation's defense

Written by Jordy Lee, Payne Institute Program Manager, Colorado School of Mines

Wind turbines and fighter jets both rely on imported critical minerals.U.S. Air Force; Dennis Schroeder/NREL

When U.S. companies build military weapons systems, electric vehicle batteries, satellites and wind turbines, they rely heavily on a few dozen “critical minerals” – many of which are mined and refined almost entirely by...

The 17th-century cloth merchant who discovered the vast realm of tiny microbes – an appreciation of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

Written by Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University

Leeuwenhoek refined the magnifying glass, creating the world's first microscope.Tetra Images via Getty Images

Imagine trying to cope with a pandemic like COVID-19 in a world where microscopic life was unknown. Prior to the 17th century, people were limited by what they could see with their own two eyes. But then a Dutch cloth merchant changed...

An interactive visual database for American Sign Language reveals how signs are organized in the mind

Written by Zed Sevcikova Sehyr, Language and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Scientist, San Diego State University

Rhyming means something different in ASL than it does in spoken languageZed Sevcikova Sehyr, CC BY-ND

“Desire” and “still” don’t rhyme in English, but they do rhyme in American Sign Language. Just as poets can evoke emotions and meaning by choosing words that echo one another in English, actress and Tony nominee Lauren...

Myanmar's brutal military was once a force for freedom – but it's been waging civil war for decades

Written by Tharaphi Than, Associate Professor, Department of World Cultures and Languages, Northern Illinois University

Every March 27, the Myanmar military celebrates its anniversary with a parade. The day of the 2021 parade, soldiers killed at least 90 pro-democracy protesters.Xinhua/Zhang Dongqiang via Getty Images

With great fanfare – but few guests – Myanmar’s armed forces recently celebrated their 76th anniversary in the nation’s...

Today's global economy runs on standardized shipping containers, as the Ever Given fiasco illustrates

Written by Anna Nagurney, John F. Smith Memorial Professor of Operations Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Beachgoers near Cairo watch a massive container ship sail to the Red Sea.AP Photo/Amr Nabil

Take a look around you.

Perhaps you’re snacking on a banana, sipping some coffee or sitting in front of your computer and taking a break from work to read this article. Most likely, those goods – as well as your smartphone, refrigerator and...

The US needs a macrogrid to move electricity from areas that make it to areas that need it

Written by James D. McCalley, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Iowa State University

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's Pine Tree Wind Farm and Solar Power Plant in Tehachapi, Calif., 115 miles from LA.Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Many kinds of extreme events can disrupt electricity service, including hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, extreme heat, extreme cold and extended droughts. Major...

How social media turns online arguments between teens into real-world violence

Written by Caitlin Elsaesser, Assistant Professor of Social Work, University of Connecticut

Comments and livestreams can lead to physical fights, shootings and even death.Photo illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January exposed the power of social media to influence real-world behavior and incite violence. But many adolescents, who spend more time on...

A pandemic lesson: Older adults need to go back to their doctor and make preventive care a top priority

Written by Laurie Archbald-Pannone, Associate Professor of Medicine, Geriatrics, University of Virginia

Older patients should reconnect with their doctors for a wellness visit. Roberto Silvino/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Older people have borne a higher burden of illness and death from COVID-19, with people 65 and older experiencing higher rates of hospitalization and death. That’s only part of the sad story, however. In many instances, older...