The Conversation

• Science requires ethical oversight – without federal dollars, society’s health and safety are at risk
  There are several steps between research on seemingly esoteric subjects and breakthrough medical treatments. Ethical oversight at every stage ensures science and society ultimately benefit.
• I’m a business professor who asked dozens of former students how they define success. Here are their lessons for today’s grads
  Honor your values, invest in yourself and don’t forget your ‘happy circle.’
• Nitrous oxide recreational use is linked to brain damage and sudden death − but ‘laughing gas’ is still sold all over the US
  The low cost and easy availability of recreational nitrous oxide makes it an easy drug of choice, particularly for young people.
• I watched the Kremlin’s new Putin documentary (so you don’t have to) − here’s what it says about how the Russian leader views himself
  The 90-minute film depicts Vladimir Putin in the gym, the kitchen and musing about how the West is responsible for trying to bring down Russia.
• Can Trump strip Harvard of its charitable status? Scholars of nonprofit law and accounting describe the obstacles in his way
  The IRS would need to conduct an audit first. And presidents aren’t allowed to make the IRS do that.
• How William Howard Taft’s approach to government efficiency differed from Elon Musk’s slash-and-burn tactics
  Musk’s slashing of government jobs, programs and departments isn’t the first effort by a president’s appointee to streamline government. William Howard Taft tried to do it − but very differently.
• Pope Leo XIV: Why the College of Cardinals chose the Chicago native and Augustinian to lead the church after Francis
  Cardinal Robert F. Prevost took the name Pope Leo XIV – an apparent nod to Pope Leo XIII, who championed the rights of workers and criticized the conditions in which they lived.
• How the Take It Down Act tackles nonconsensual deepfake porn − and how it falls short
  A bill with broad bipartisan support aims to take on AI-generated sexual abuse, but enforcement issues and privacy blind spots could leave victims just as vulnerable.
• Missile strikes and drone attacks heighten South Asian crisis - 8 questions answered over the role of Pakistan’s military in responding
  A terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in late April has seen tensions rise on the subcontinent to their highest level in decades.
• Pope Leo XIV faces limits on changing the Catholic Church − but Francis made reforms that set the stage for larger changes
  Every pope brings a distinct vision and agenda for leading the church. Making change is difficult in the Catholic Church, but Francis’ actions might have paved the way.
• FDR united Democrats under the banner of ‘liberalism’ − but today’s Democratic Party has nothing to put on its hat
  Republicans have a leader, Donald Trump; a banner, MAGA; and a song, ‘God Bless the USA.’ Democrats have nothing like this.
• Basic research advances science, and can also have broader impacts on modern society
  Basic research that doesn’t have a specific industrial or experimental application still adds value outside the lab by engaging people with exciting research.
• Philadelphians will soon choose their next district attorney − so what do DAs actually do?
  District attorneys do not make laws, but they have a lot of leeway to decide who gets charged and with what crimes.
• How proposed changes to higher education accreditation could impact campus diversity efforts
  President Trump wants to change the higher education accreditation process by asking accreditors to root out ‘ideological bias’ and roll back DEI initiatives.
• Trump speaking poorly of other presidents is uncommon, but not unheard of, in American presidential history
  Americans often expect former presidents to not talk about current ones. But it’s not really a surprise that several are criticizing Donald Trump.
• Humans are killing helpful insects in hundreds of ways − simple steps can reduce the harm
  Insects are often under pressure from several threats at once, from pesticides to habitat loss to pollution.
• When doctors don’t believe their patients’ pain – experts explain the all-too-common experience of medical gaslighting
  Women who see doctors for pain from reproductive health conditions are often advised to relax and get help for anxiety instead.
• ‘Grit’ and relentless perseverance can take a toll on brain health − particularly for people facing social stresses like racism
  Perseverance helps people achieve goals and is linked with well-being. But combined with chronic societal stressors, it can lead to cognitive overload that puts a strain on brain health.
• Decentralized finance is booming − and so are the security risks. My team surveyed nearly 500 crypto investors and uncovered the most common mistakes
  Researchers identified 5 major security pitfalls – and how to steer clear of them.
• Recycling asphalt pavement can help the environment − now scientists are putting the safety of recycled pavement to the test
  Engineers came up with a set of tests to make sure reclaimed asphalt pavement resists skidding and sliding when wet.
• Even with Pope Leo XIV in place, US Catholics stand ‘at a crossroads’
  ‘Cultural Catholics’ who rarely attend Mass now make up half of the US church.
• India-Pakistan strikes: 5 essential reads on decades of rivalry and tensions over Kashmir
  India and Pakistan have engaged in 4 wars since 1947. Tensions over the disputed region of Kashmir have often been the source.
• AI isn’t replacing student writing – but it is reshaping it
  If AI allows students to automate routine cognitive tasks, it doesn’t mean they’re thinking less. It means their thinking is changing.
• Was it a stone tool or just a rock? An archaeologist explains how scientists can tell the difference
  With a little guidance and a lot of practice, even you can make stone tools the way our oldest ancestors did – and learn to recognize the signs of a deliberately made tool.
• Contaminated milk from one plant in Illinois sickened thousands with ‘Salmonella’ in 1985 − as outbreaks rise in the US, lessons from this one remain true
  The legal, political and public health consequences of the largest Salmonella outbreak in the US underscore the importance of food safety inspections and disease surveillance.
• Spacecraft can ‘brake’ in space using drag − advancing craft agility, space safety and planetary missions
  An aerospace engineer explains why NASA, Space Force and other agencies are using or testing aerobraking for more fuel-efficient spacecraft.
• Measles could again become widespread as cases surge worldwide
  The US eliminated measles in 2000, but the number of cases at home and abroad has experts worried.
• North Korean spy drama in China may signal Beijing’s unease over growing Pyongyang-Moscow ties
  China has traditionally viewed North Korea as a security buffer and an ideologically aligned neighbor it can dominate.
• Indonesia’s ‘thousand friends, zero enemies’ approach sees President Subianto courting China and US
  Negotiators from the Southeast Asian nation have been in Washington discussing Trump’s proposed tariffs.
• Repealing the estate tax could create headaches for the rich – as well as worsen inequality
  Only a tiny fraction of Americans are rich enough for it to matter anyway. And many wealthy taxpayers already locked their existing assets into estate plans that they can’t change.
• How to manage financial stress in uncertain times
  Americans are increasingly worried about the economy. Research shows that taking steps to improve your ‘financial efficacy’ can help alleviate some hardships.
• Buddha’s foster mother played a key role in the orphaned prince’s life – and is a model for Buddhists on Mother’s Day
  The historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, taught that family ties were obstacles to enlightenment. However, his relationship with his mother remained important for him.
• Why ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ by Caravaggio was Pope Francis’ favorite painting − an art historian explains
  The motto that Francis selected for his papacy, ‘looking at him with mercy, he chose him,’ was inspired by Caravaggio’s painting.
• From the moment he steps onto the balcony, each pope signals his style of leadership – here’s how Pope Leo XIV’s appearance compares with Pope Francis’ first
  From his new name to the title he uses to introduce himself, a pope’s first appearance involves symbolic choices that signal his intentions as leader of the Catholic Church.
• Can learning cursive help kids read better? Some policymakers think it’s worth a try
  Teachers often have trouble finding enough time in the school day to teach all the expected writing skills, let alone cursive handwriting.
• How the US can mine its own critical minerals − without digging new holes
  Rare earth elements are tiny yet essential parts of many of the technologies you use every day. New techniques are making their recovery from US sources increasingly viable.
• Religious charter schools threaten to shift more money away from traditional public schools – and the Supreme Court is considering this idea
  Public school funding could take a hit if the US Supreme Court opens the door to religious charter schools, a scholar of education law argues.
• Trump targets NPR and PBS as public and nonprofit media account for a growing share of local news coverage
  Public media can’t replace everything that’s been lost during journalism’s economic crisis. But it has plugged some major holes, particularly at the local level.
• Even judges appointed by Trump are ruling against him
  Instead of upholding Trump administration policies, federal judges − including Trump appointees − are blocking much of Trump’s second-term agenda. It’s what happens when a president overreaches.
• Peace Corps isn’t just about helping others − it’s a key part of US public diplomacy
  The Peace Corps isn’t doing the same foreign policy work the State Department carries out. But it still helps the American brand internationally.
• Being honest about using AI at work makes people trust you less, research finds
  They say honesty is the best policy − but when it comes to using AI on the job, research suggests that can backfire.
• Predictive policing AI is on the rise − making it accountable to the public could curb its harmful effects
  AI that anticipates where crimes are likely to occur and who might commit them has a troubling track record. Democratic accountability could shine a light on the technology and how it’s used.
• Running with a stroller: 2 biomechanics researchers on how it affects your form − and risk of injury
  Pushing a stroller changes how runners move, lowering some injury risks while raising others. Here’s what the biomechanics data reveals.
• Ancient Mars may have had a carbon cycle − a new study suggests the red planet may have once been warmer, wetter and more favorable for life
  NASA’s Curiosity rover has spotted carbon-containing minerals that can tell scientists more about what ancient Mars’ atmosphere may have looked like.
• Worsening allergies aren’t your imagination − windy days create the perfect pollen storm
  From sending more pollen airborne to breaking up pollen grains, which lets them penetrate deeper into your lungs, the wind is not the allergy sufferer’s friend.
• Pope Francis encouraged Christian-Muslim dialogue and helped break down stereotypes
  Francis’ approach to Christian-Muslim dialogue differed notably from his predecessors, writes a scholar who studies interfaith dialogue.
• A pope of the Americas: What Francis meant to 2 continents
  As the first non-European pope in centuries, Francis was especially aware of colonialism’s impact and the need to embrace many cultures within the church.
• National security advisers manage decision-making as advocates or honest brokers
  In foreign affairs, the national security adviser plays a coordinating role, setting the flow of recommendations to the National Security Council and the president.
• In Yemen, Trump risks falling into an ‘airpower trap’ that has drawn past US presidents into costly wars
  History is full of examples of what happens when airpower takes on a logic of its own.
• Teachers and librarians are among those least likely to die by suicide − public health researchers offer insights on what this means for other professions
  Nationally, about 11 male educators die by suicide for every 100,000 people, compared with a rate of almost 23 for all Americans.