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Your memories of how you heard about 9/11 may well be wrong – we’ve been asking the same people what they remember for 25 years

Your memories of how you heard about 9/11 may well be wrong – we’ve been asking the same people what they remember for 25 years

Memories are dynamic, not fixed. Even if what you’re remembering about your own experience isn’t quite how it all happened, those memories serve...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Elizabeth A. Phelps

How anti‑bribery laws apply to Trump’s promise of $5,000 payments if Republicans keep control of Congress

How anti‑bribery laws apply to Trump’s promise of $5,000 payments if Republicans keep control of Congress

Bribery involves offering money to a particular person, but Trump did not make his $5,000 offer to any single voter or set of voters.

friday 3

The Conversation

Austin Sarat

Here’s how teachers and parents can collaborate and help Michigan’s 1.4M students succeed

Here’s how teachers and parents can collaborate and help Michigan’s 1.4M students succeed

Inflexible meeting times, transportation and childcare challenges can limit parents or caregivers from getting involved in their children’s education.

friday 1

The Conversation

Patricia Edwards

How diaspora groups in the US are responding to disasters in Nepal, Colombia, Venezuela and other homelands

How diaspora groups in the US are responding to disasters in Nepal, Colombia, Venezuela and other homelands

While small in scale, these groups are well positioned to respond quickly to disaster relief efforts.

friday 1

The Conversation

Susan Appe

Security clearances don’t determine whom a president can trust – they reveal risks the president may not know

Security clearances don’t determine whom a president can trust – they reveal risks the president may not know

A report that one of Trump’s aides went a year without routine vetting raises a question a former CIA executive knows well: What is that process for?

friday 3

The Conversation

Brian O'Neill

Hormuz crisis has forced Japan into rethinking – and domesticating – its energy security needs

Hormuz crisis has forced Japan into rethinking – and domesticating – its energy security needs

Japan is one of the countries most affected by restrictions placed on one of the world’s most important choke points.

friday 2

The Conversation

John Calabrese

What the settlement left out: Meta can still collect data from kids

What the settlement left out: Meta can still collect data from kids

The settlement calls for changes to Meta’s platforms but does not change the company’s surveillance-based business model

friday 2

The Conversation

Randolph A Robinson Ii

Why the Trump administration’s bid to end diversity efforts at nonprofit schools is likely to get tied up in court

Why the Trump administration’s bid to end diversity efforts at nonprofit schools is likely to get tied up in court

A proposed Trump administration rule aimed at quashing diversity efforts could jeopardize the nonprofit status of private schools. It could take...

friday 1

The Conversation

Elizabeth Schmidt

‘The Uprising’ shows how medieval people weren’t so obedient after all

‘The Uprising’ shows how medieval people weren’t so obedient after all

The English Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 wasn’t an isolated outburst. Across medieval Europe, ordinary people challenged the authority of rulers who...

friday 3

The Conversation

Joelle Rollo-Koster

CDC vs. Pennsylvania: Why conflicting public health messages jeopardize public safety

CDC vs. Pennsylvania: Why conflicting public health messages jeopardize public safety

When state health departments, federal health agencies and medical societies diverge, how is an ordinary person supposed to know whom to trust?

friday 2

The Conversation

Katrine L. Wallace

How soybeans took over the American diet – without anyone noticing

How soybeans took over the American diet – without anyone noticing

A century ago, Americans barely ate soy. Now it’s everywhere in people’s diets, even in places they don’t look or expect.

friday 1

The Conversation

Edward D. Melillo

Décadas después del 11 de septiembre, el polvo tóxico y el trastorno de estrés postraumático podrían estar acelerando el envejecimiento cerebral entre los socorristas

Décadas después del 11 de septiembre, el polvo tóxico y el trastorno de estrés postraumático podrían estar acelerando el envejecimiento cerebral entre los socorristas

Desde traumas psicológicos graves hasta la exposición a polvo neurotóxico, los socorristas de la Zona Cero siguen enfrentando riesgos importantes...

10.09.2026 1

The Conversation

Roberto Lucchini

The Pentagon is using polygraphs to hunt leakers, but the tests are more theater than fact

The Pentagon is using polygraphs to hunt leakers, but the tests are more theater than fact

A CIA veteran explains that a polygraph campaign is not likely to eliminate leaks, but it may divert investigative energy from essential security...

10.09.2026 3

The Conversation

Brian O'Neill

How heat on the Tibetan Plateau fuels powerful storms in California, half a world away

How heat on the Tibetan Plateau fuels powerful storms in California, half a world away

A new study connects early winter heat high up on the plateau to the jet stream and, ultimately, storms headed for the US coast. The results could...

10.09.2026 2

The Conversation

Yongkang Xue

2026’s El Niño is shaping up to be a doozy – it’s already affecting global shipping, fish behavior and heat

2026’s El Niño is shaping up to be a doozy – it’s already affecting global shipping, fish behavior and heat

El Niño can affect agriculture, marine life and economies in profound ways, including slowing commerce at the Panama Canal. This El Niño is likely...

10.09.2026 6

The Conversation

Steven Paton

Are too many Americans taking antidepressants?

Are too many Americans taking antidepressants?

Calls to reduce the use of antidepressants highlight valid issues with long-term use and withdrawal, but blanket efforts to discourage their use...

10.09.2026 7

The Conversation

Andrew McLean

The tourism industry is slowly waking up to solo travelers’ needs

The tourism industry is slowly waking up to solo travelers’ needs

More and more travelers want the freedom of going it alone, but with connections and activities with other people.

10.09.2026 5

The Conversation

Peter McGraw

I’m a pediatrician in Michigan who created Rx Kids, one of the nation’s largest anti‑poverty programs – here’s what I’ve learned about how medical schools can improve community health

I’m a pediatrician in Michigan who created Rx Kids, one of the nation’s largest anti‑poverty programs – here’s what I’ve learned about how medical schools can improve community health

More than 15,000 families in Michigan have received cash support from Rx Kids. Participants say the program helps them pay bills and maintain their...

10.09.2026 3

The Conversation

Mona Hanna

Learning without a brain – how bacteria store memories and remember the past like artificial neural networks

Learning without a brain – how bacteria store memories and remember the past like artificial neural networks

Bacteria use strategies similar to artificial neural networks to use the past to adapt to the future.

10.09.2026 4

The Conversation

Shiladitya Banerjee

What we remember when we remember 9/11

What we remember when we remember 9/11

Having a vivid, detailed memory of a remarkable event like 9/11 can seem like a demonstration of patriotism and a connection with other Americans.

10.09.2026 5

The Conversation

Jennifer Talarico

Americans agree their democracy is in crisis – yet the solution is as simple as it is elusive

Americans agree their democracy is in crisis – yet the solution is as simple as it is elusive

An educated citizenry is the key to making self-government succeed, Founding Father Thomas Jefferson said.

10.09.2026 4

The Conversation

Kenneth Michael White

To control weeds in your garden, late summer and early fall is the best time to make a difference

To control weeds in your garden, late summer and early fall is the best time to make a difference

What gardeners do at the end of the growing season will determine how clean, productive and manageable their garden beds will be when spring arrives.

10.09.2026 4

The Conversation

Manjot Kaur Sidhu

Pennsylvania’s aging levees are under pressure from scarce funding and severe weather

Pennsylvania’s aging levees are under pressure from scarce funding and severe weather

Many levees built in the mid-1900s do not offer enough protection for today’s storms, and small rural communities in particular struggle to afford...

10.09.2026 4

The Conversation

Kaleigh Yost

Pennsylvania is suing TikTok over ‘addictive’ features – but that’s messier than it sounds

Pennsylvania is suing TikTok over ‘addictive’ features – but that’s messier than it sounds

TikTok’s lawsuit fits a pattern – from cigarettes to opioids – of courts stepping in where lawmakers won’t.

09.09.2026 4

The Conversation

Jonathan Caulkins

Space weather can cause both beautiful auroras and infrastructure challenges – 5 essential reads on protecting life and technology

Space weather can cause both beautiful auroras and infrastructure challenges – 5 essential reads on protecting life and technology

A massive solar flare could seriously disrupt life on Earth – but new NASA missions and others in development will help monitor the Sun.

09.09.2026 3

The Conversation

Mary Magnuson

American women in communities with ample broadband access lose less time waiting for services, reducing time poverty

American women in communities with ample broadband access lose less time waiting for services, reducing time poverty

Making broadband affordable and training people how to best use it are also key to saving time.

09.09.2026 4

The Conversation

Mattia Caldarulo

People with Tourette syndrome, like Billie Eilish, use everything in their power to suppress tics – this exhausting process is key to treatment

People with Tourette syndrome, like Billie Eilish, use everything in their power to suppress tics – this exhausting process is key to treatment

A person with Tourette syndrome who holds back their tics may look fine, but keeping these involuntary urges contained can be draining.

09.09.2026 4

The Conversation

Michael Okun

The Women’s Professional Baseball League is betting that women’s baseball has a future in the US

The Women’s Professional Baseball League is betting that women’s baseball has a future in the US

What will it take for the league to survive, expand and carve out its own identity in an increasingly saturated pro sports landscape?

09.09.2026 4

The Conversation

Callie Maddox

‘Fountain’ might make you laugh or scowl but asks important questions – a Philly art historian explains why Marcel Duchamp’s iconic 1917 sculpture still provokes

‘Fountain’ might make you laugh or scowl but asks important questions – a Philly art historian explains why Marcel Duchamp’s iconic 1917 sculpture still provokes

A version of ‘Fountain’ is part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s permanent collection and will appear in the Duchamp retrospective, which...

09.09.2026 4

The Conversation

Matthew Palczynski

A second hurricane just sideswiped Hawaii – why the islands’ usual force field seems to be down in 2026

A second hurricane just sideswiped Hawaii – why the islands’ usual force field seems to be down in 2026

Cooler ocean temperatures east of the islands typically keep major hurricanes away, but El Niño is helping fuel this year’s risks.

09.09.2026 4

The Conversation

Nicholas Grondin

Pennsylvania is suing TikTok over ‘addictive’ features – a policy expert explains why it’s messier than that sounds

Pennsylvania is suing TikTok over ‘addictive’ features – a policy expert explains why it’s messier than that sounds

TikTok’s lawsuit fits a pattern – from cigarettes to opioids – of courts stepping in where lawmakers won’t.

09.09.2026 3

The Conversation

Jonathan Caulkins

A journalist coined ‘the Bible Belt’ 100 years ago – it’s been oversimplifying the South ever since

A journalist coined ‘the Bible Belt’ 100 years ago – it’s been oversimplifying the South ever since

‘The Bible Belt’ has been used for a century to describe religion and politics in the South. But it captured just some of life in the region then...

09.09.2026 8

The Conversation

John Hayes

The race for a new UN chief comes at a historically fraught time – the choice will be vital and significant, just don’t expect a savior

The race for a new UN chief comes at a historically fraught time – the choice will be vital and significant, just don’t expect a savior

The UN Security Council calls the shots when it comes to appointing the body’s chief – which means 5 permanent members have an outsized say on the...

09.09.2026 4

The Conversation

Ian Johnstone

You can’t shield kids from scary news – here’s what ‘Sesame Street’ and other children’s shows did after 9/11

You can’t shield kids from scary news – here’s what ‘Sesame Street’ and other children’s shows did after 9/11

Programs took different approaches to helping young viewers grapple with the horrors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks – lessons that still apply in...

08.09.2026 7

The Conversation

Julie Dobrow

Supreme Court to decide on whether Trump’s voting‑by‑mail rules can go into effect – but might not rule yet on whether they’re constitutional

Supreme Court to decide on whether Trump’s voting‑by‑mail rules can go into effect – but might not rule yet on whether they’re constitutional

How will the Supreme Court justices approach the vote-by-mail case that concerns the most fundamental right in a democracy, the right to vote? A...

08.09.2026 7

The Conversation

John E. Jones Iii

Tiny backpacks reveal the secret, sometimes circuitous migrations of small songbirds

Tiny backpacks reveal the secret, sometimes circuitous migrations of small songbirds

Tiny geolocators measure light levels and atmospheric pressure to reveal the migrations of small songbirds – including the yellow-rumped warbler,...

08.09.2026 7

The Conversation

Stephanie Szarmach

‘Star Trek’ and NASA have intertwined legacies – the show championed diversity and inspired generations of real space scientists

‘Star Trek’ and NASA have intertwined legacies – the show championed diversity and inspired generations of real space scientists

60 years of ‘Star Trek’: A cultural anthropologist on how the show’s “infinite diversity in infinite combinations” conception helped shape...

08.09.2026 7

The Conversation

Deana L. Weibel

AI is helping ease competition for scarce space on the airwaves

AI is helping ease competition for scarce space on the airwaves

Radio spectrum is a critical but limited resource, but advances in technology are making it possible to share.

08.09.2026 10

The Conversation

Aylin Yener

Could you survive The Oregon Trail? An emergency medicine doctor offers tips on how to not die in the great outdoors

Could you survive The Oregon Trail? An emergency medicine doctor offers tips on how to not die in the great outdoors

Medicine and technology may have advanced, but the dangers of the wilderness remain unchanged. The Oregon Trail game provides timeless tips on how to...

08.09.2026 9

The Conversation

Elaine Reno

Huachuma, the Andean psychedelic cactus, is drawing Western seekers and raising ethical questions

Huachuma, the Andean psychedelic cactus, is drawing Western seekers and raising ethical questions

Huachuma, the Andean cactus better known as San Pedro, contains mescaline, a psychoactive compound that alters perception and mood.

08.09.2026 7

The Conversation

Pardis Mahdavi

Hiking canyons can be dangerous when storms hit – what you need to know to stay safe

Hiking canyons can be dangerous when storms hit – what you need to know to stay safe

After the deadly Grand Canyon flood, a geologist and avid hiker explains what nature lovers need to prepare and watch for to stay safe.

07.09.2026 7

The Conversation

Anner Paldor

Taxpayers don’t want to pay for new NFL stadiums – so why did politicians approve billions in subsidies to fund six new ones?

Taxpayers don’t want to pay for new NFL stadiums – so why did politicians approve billions in subsidies to fund six new ones?

Research has repeatedly found that stadiums generate little economic benefit, while subsidy referendums often fail when put before voters. Yet team...

04.09.2026 6

The Conversation

J.c. Bradbury

Dog parks are an antidote to the isolation and divisions that social media can fuel

Dog parks are an antidote to the isolation and divisions that social media can fuel

The people who stretch a person’s sense of humanity may be the ones no algorithm currently selects.

04.09.2026 7

The Conversation

Kevin B. Johnson

Essential digital technologies are critical infrastructure – they are not always built and managed that way

Essential digital technologies are critical infrastructure – they are not always built and managed that way

Search engines, social media and AI models can be made as safe and reliable as bridges and water supplies.

04.09.2026 7

The Conversation

Francine Berman

Mosquitoes are picky eaters – we studied 3 common South Florida species to learn why they like some people more than others

Mosquitoes are picky eaters – we studied 3 common South Florida species to learn why they like some people more than others

A new study shows what microbes and odors on human skin appeal to different species of mosquitoes.

04.09.2026 7

The Conversation

Kaylee Marrero

Farmer‑poet Wendell Berry’s environmental ethics were deeply rooted in his Christian faith and belief in caring for creation

Farmer‑poet Wendell Berry’s environmental ethics were deeply rooted in his Christian faith and belief in caring for creation

Berry’s belief that humans have a responsibility to care for God’s creation traces back to the Book of Genesis. So does an opposing argument for...

04.09.2026 6

The Conversation

Kristy Nabhan-Warren

What comes next for the 1 million people who have lost – or will soon lose – Temporary Protected Status

What comes next for the 1 million people who have lost – or will soon lose – Temporary Protected Status

Congress never built a path from temporary status to permanent residence, leaving many people facing deportation with little recourse.

04.09.2026 7

The Conversation

Jean Lantz Reisz

Hiking canyons can quickly turn deadly when storms hit – what you should know before going in

Hiking canyons can quickly turn deadly when storms hit – what you should know before going in

After the deadly Grand Canyon flood, a geologist and avid hiker explains what nature lovers need to prepare and watch for to stay safe.

03.09.2026 7

The Conversation

Anner Paldor

What we forget when we remember 9/11

What we forget when we remember 9/11

There is a strange nostalgia in realizing that something once so immediate now belongs increasingly to people who know it only as the past.

03.09.2026 6

The Conversation

Stephanie A. Martin

Shoppers are less peeved by cost hikes due to scarcity – but retailers more often blame their own rising costs

Shoppers are less peeved by cost hikes due to scarcity – but retailers more often blame their own rising costs

Shoppers are increasingly hunting for value, which puts the onus on businesses to tread carefully when justifying price hikes.

03.09.2026 7

The Conversation

Hoorsana Damavandi