The Conversation

• Whales can live way longer than scientists had thought, with potential lifespans as much as double previous estimates
  These marine mammals are still feeling the effects of whaling. For most species, it may be another 100 years before there are enough old whales for scientists to confirm their lifespans.
• Octopuses and their relatives are a new animal welfare frontier − here’s what scientists know about consciousness in these unique creatures
  Animal welfare laws don’t protect invertebrates, but there’s evidence that some, such as octopuses, are as intelligent as many mammals – even if their cognition takes very different forms.
• Bob Dylan and the creative leap that transformed modern music
  Just a few years into his career, Dylan decided he wanted to subvert the expectations of his fans – and rebel against industry forces intent on pigeonholing him and his work.
• After Hurricane Helene, survivors have been in a race against time to protect family heirlooms, photographs and keepsakes
  Disaster recovery isn’t just about repairing bridges, roads and homes. Conservationists from the Smithsonian were on the ground in North Carolina helping families piece their lives back together.
• Climate change is making plants less nutritious − that could already be hurting animals that are grazers
  Rising carbon dioxide levels in the air are making plants grow larger and faster, but diluting their nutritional content. This could threaten the health of herbivores worldwide.
• In Disney’s ‘Moana,’ the characters navigate using the stars, just like real Polynesian explorers − an astronomer explains how these methods work
  Disney’s ‘Moana’ movies have brought a new level of excitement for astronomy and wayfinding, says an astronomer who regularly hosts planetarium shows.
• 2 populations of dark comets in the solar system could tell researchers where the Earth got its oceans
  Comets without tails, called dark comets, are a newly discovered space object. Now, astronomers know they come in 2 classes.
• Language AIs in 2024: Size, guardrails and steps toward AI agents
  The rubber met the road for language AIs in 2024. The hard realities led to new, smaller models and safety measures for the big ones. 2024’s R&D also set the stage for the next big thing: AI agents.
• The ‘choking game’ and other challenges amplified by social media can come with deadly consequences
  Although these activities have been around for decades, there are signs that some are making a comeback.
• Climate of fear is driving local officials to quit – new study from California finds threats, abuse rampant
  Researchers surveyed hundreds of elected officials in three Southern California counties. They found 2 in 3 respondents had been threatened or abused – and that many worried for their safety.
• Detroit’s reparations task force now has until 2025 to make its report, but going slow with this challenging work may not be a bad thing
  19 US cities have introduced local reparations initiatives to address historic harms against Black residents. But designing a program that is both popular and sustainable isn’t easy.
• 3D-printed guns, like the one allegedly used to kill a health care CEO, are a growing threat in the US and around the world
  The use of 3D-printed guns in criminal and violent activities is likely to continue to increase. And governments and police will continue to have trouble regulating them.
• What does the US attorney general actually do? A law professor explains
  The combined political and legal roles and responsibilities of the US attorney general can create conflicts. Some attorneys general yielded to political pressure from the president – many did not.
• Colorado now has one of the nation’s most liberal abortion access laws, but ballot measures to restrict abortion have a long history in the state
  Colorado voters have been asked 10 times since 1970 to vote on abortion ballot measures.
• How should we look to history to make sense of Luigi Mangione’s alleged murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson?
  Comparisons between our current era and the societal rot of the Gilded Age abound. But it might be more useful to explore how Americans escaped the crises of the late-19th century.
• A nation exhausted: The neuroscience of why Americans are tuning out politics
  Political polarization and people not being exposed to other perspectives online are two major factors that contribute to Americans feeling exhausted with politics.
• The Wanamaker organ has been part of a treasured holiday tradition in Philly for over 100 years − a historian explains its illustrious past and uncertain future
  With Macy’s stores across the country shuttering, some Philadelphians are concerned about the fate of the 120-year-old instrument once touted as ‘the greatest organ in the world.’
• How a small Brazilian town became an unlikely battleground over Confederate memory
  ‘Ours is the only city in Brazil where the Confederate flag flies,’ said a city council member in Santa Bárbara d’Oeste. A new law there bans ‘symbols that promote racist and segregationist ideas.’
• What are pharmacy benefit managers? A health economist explains how lack of competition drives up drug prices for everyone
  As the middlemen between drug companies and insurers, PBMs are shoo-ins as the villains behind high drug prices. But they do play a useful role in the health marketplace.
• How to avoid the latest generation of scams this holiday season
  Today’s scams aren’t like yesteryear’s.
• The moral dimension to America’s flawed health care system
  At a moment of soul-searching about health care in the US, an expert on global health puts the American system in perspective.
• Parents and caregivers: How to stop feeling like a Grinch and be more present with your kids this holiday season
  Future-oriented thinking, rather than careening from moment to moment, can help parents have more meaningful moments with their children.
• Federal protection for monarch butterflies could help or harm this iconic species, depending on how it’s carried out
  Will protecting monarch butterflies under the Endangered Species Act improve their chance of surviving? Not necessarily, 2 entomologists caution.
• For enslaved people, the holiday season was a time for revelry – and a brief window to fight back
  Whether it was spent feasting or plotting escapes, the week between Christmas and the new year offered a rare opportunity for enslaved men, women and children to reclaim their humanity.
• The Moon might be older than scientists previously thought − a new study shines light on its history
  An extreme heating event may have interfered with scientists’ attempts to figure out the Moon’s age by dating lunar rock samples.
• Yes, Philadelphia is a sanctuary city − but that offers undocumented immigrants little protection from mass deportations
  Activists are calling on city officials to bolster Philly’s sanctuary city policies, as they fear retaliation from the incoming Trump administration.
• What is an AI agent? A computer scientist explains the next wave of artificial intelligence tools
  The latest buzz phrase coming from technology companies is ‘AI agents.’ A computer scientist explains what that means – and how ChatGPT and your Roomba fit into the picture.
• Why Syria’s reconstruction may depend on the fate of its minorities
  The fall of the Assad regime marks a turning point in Syria’s history. But it also opens a ‘chapter fraught with peril’ for the country’s minorities, an expert on religious minorities writes.
• Rules against insider trading also boost innovation, research finds
  Some indictments have a bright side. Really.
• Luigi Mangione isn’t the first alleged criminal to capture many people’s imaginations – and hearts
  Ted Bundy, the Menendez brothers and Bonnie and Clyde are other criminals who captivated observers because of their intriguing personal stories – and the violent nature of their crimes.
• Trust in U.S. media hit an all-time low in 2024 − a new survey shows Black midwesterners have found other trusted messengers of news
  Trust in media is low, and more Americans are avoiding traditional sources of news. Instead, they are turning to social media influencers and trusted messengers in their own community.
• Nixon’s official acts against his enemies list led to a bipartisan impeachment effort
  An enemies list isn’t a weapon against ‘the Deep State.’ It was a tool Richard Nixon used to create a deep state of his own.
• Assault on DEI: Critics use simplistic terms to attack the programs, but they are key to uprooting workplace bias
  Often rooted in racism, DEI backlash ignores the full picture, one where these programs help employees thrive and lead to professional success.
• ‘Love Is Blind’ contestants count as employees − new US government agency finding could shake up reality TV production
  Thanks to a new ruling, reality TV contestants could begin to earn money and get treated better by production companies.
• Why natural disasters hit harder in rural school districts
  Floods, hurricanes, fires and pandemics are hard for any school district to deal with. But in rural districts the struggle to recover is even harder.
• Listening for the right radio signals could be an effective way to track small drones
  Tracking small, uncrewed aircraft – also known as drones – is difficult, especially at night. Detecting the radio signals used to control them is a promising approach, though it’s no silver bullet.
• At 88, Pope Francis dances the tango with the global Catholic Church amid its culture wars
  Francis’ vision for a ‘synodal’ church is one built on trust and relationships − a dance where partners work together.
• More than 60 years later, Langston Hughes’ ‘Black Nativity’ is still a pillar of African American theater
  ‘Black Nativity’ may be different each time you see it − and that’s exactly what the playwright had in mind.
• No flood gauges, no warning: 99% of US streams are off the radar amid rising flash flood risks – we saw the harm in 2024
  If federal streamgages were bolstered by networks of cheaper monitors run by communities, the results could save lives.
• Vaccine misinformation distorts science – a biochemist explains how RFK Jr. and his lawyer’s claims threaten public health
  Many claims about the dangers of vaccines come from misrepresenting scientific research papers.
• I’m a former assistant DA who works with survivors of sex trafficking − here’s why a recent Philly sting marks a shift in how Pennsylvania confronts the commercial sex industry
  The Pennsylvania attorney general’s investigation targeted not only the suspected leader of the trafficking ring, but also the alleged financial manager, drivers and customers.
• At Hanukkah, a celebration of eternal light − from the desert tabernacle to synagogues today
  The Hanukkah story centers on rekindling the eternal light in the Temple, a symbol of God’s presence. Similarly, the Ner Tamid above the ark in synagogues is never supposed to go out.
• How liberals lost comedy − and helped Trump win
  Programs geared toward liberals like ‘The Daily Show’ once held a monopoly on political comedy. Not so anymore.
• Trump’s 2017 tax cuts expire soon − study shows they made income inequality worse and especially hurt Black Americans
  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act from Trump’s first administration harmed many middle-class and low-income taxpayers. But Black people got it the worst, says an expert on race and taxation.
• Is news bias fueled by journalists supplying slanted views or readers’ demanding them? An economist weighs in
  Liberal-leaning stories tend to stay longer on The New York Times’ homepage, even when controlling for popularity. We found the same thing of conservative stories in The Wall Street Journal.
• Colleges’ career success stats don’t tell the whole story about how their graduates are doing after they get their degree
  Colleges point to certain statistics when they talk about where their graduates land. But what might they be leaving out? A career education specialist weighs in.
• 5 of the most frustrating health insurer tactics and why they exist
  The murder of a health care insurance executive has brought scrutiny to the ways that insurance companies can make it difficult for insured patients to get the care they need.
• Cómo la canela, la nuez moscada y el jengibre se convirtieron en los aromas de las vacaciones de invierno, lejos de sus orígenes tropicales
  Las especias han sido productos muy apreciados durante siglos. Hoy, los sabores «cálidos» estimulan nuestra salud y nuestro ánimo en otoño e invierno.
• Cómo la Navidad se convirtió en una tradición navideña estadounidense, con un Papá Noel, regalos y un árbol
  La Navidad se popularizó en Estados Unidos durante la Guerra Civil, cuando Harper’s Weekly publicó en portada la imagen de Papá Noel visitando al ejército de la Unión.
• How nostalgia led to the invention of the first Christmas card
  The custom of mailing printed Christmas cards in the 19th century was a product of the industrial revolution. It was influenced by older British holiday traditions − some entirely fictional.