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Puerto Rico is rationing water, but many residents stopped trusting the tap long before the drought

Puerto Rico is rationing water, but many residents stopped trusting the tap long before the drought

Drought and a ruptured pipeline have forced Puerto Rico into revolving water shut-offs. For many people, the disruption started years earlier, as did...

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The Conversation

Ivis García

How journalists and communities work together to confront low levels of trust

How journalists and communities work together to confront low levels of trust

Although it’s important that journalists practice diligence and deference, communities need to be willing to engage, forgive and voice concern.

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The Conversation

Danielle K. Brown

Colorado is facing a housing shortage ‑ building more duplexes and townhomes could be part of the solution

Colorado is facing a housing shortage ‑ building more duplexes and townhomes could be part of the solution

A housing simulator predicts that rezoning for ‘missing middle’ housing could increase Denver’s housing supply by 46%.

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The Conversation

Stefan Chavez-Norgaard

White supremacists spin a Justice Department indictment against a hate‑monitoring group to legitimize extremism and expand recruitment

White supremacists spin a Justice Department indictment against a hate‑monitoring group to legitimize extremism and expand recruitment

Extremist groups have pointed to the federal indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center as proof that their worldview is correct.

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The Conversation

Art Jipson

Christian nationalists’ professed support for religious pluralism is often drowned out by perceptions that Christians are under threat

Christian nationalists’ professed support for religious pluralism is often drowned out by perceptions that Christians are under threat

Two political scientists explain why Christian nationalist beliefs endure.

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The Conversation

Brooklyn Walker

Why social media algorithms send you posts you don’t like

Why social media algorithms send you posts you don’t like

Algorithms on X tend to bring you posts that contradict your values, and it happens more to Democrats than Republicans.

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The Conversation

Ziv Epstein

New therapies help people with schizophrenia – but access is woefully inadequate

New therapies help people with schizophrenia – but access is woefully inadequate

Novel treatments include mental exercises to boost cognitive function, as well as strategies that help people with schizophrenia understand the...

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The Conversation

Matthew Kurtz

Cursive is making a comeback. But does it deserve one?

Cursive is making a comeback. But does it deserve one?

More than 25 states require students to learn to read and write in cursive.

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The Conversation

Mary Jean Tecce Decarlo

Colorado River water conservation efforts get only halfway to a solution

Colorado River water conservation efforts get only halfway to a solution

The existing plans and commitments to reduce water use don’t add up to even half of the savings that are needed to keep the river flowing.

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The Conversation

Sarah Porter

Why working‑class people account for around 1% of lawmakers in the US – and only 2% in the average democracy around the world

Why working‑class people account for around 1% of lawmakers in the US – and only 2% in the average democracy around the world

Campaigning anywhere for any office at any level of government is personally burdensome.

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The Conversation

Noam Lupu

Nearly 1 in 4 students are chronically absent from school – kids who feel happy and safe are less likely to miss class

Nearly 1 in 4 students are chronically absent from school – kids who feel happy and safe are less likely to miss class

Research on absenteeism often focuses on factors like unreliable transportation, overlooking what schools themselves can do to help kids maintain a...

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Jerome A. Graham

Just because the bill is low doesn’t mean energy is affordable

Just because the bill is low doesn’t mean energy is affordable

Energy is meant to improve people’s lives. Often cost prevents residents from making the most of that opportunity, so they cut back on energy use to...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Destenie Nock

Birmingham church bombing wasn’t an isolated act of terrorism – there were dozens of attacks on Black houses of worship during the Civil Rights Movement

Birmingham church bombing wasn’t an isolated act of terrorism – there were dozens of attacks on Black houses of worship during the Civil Rights Movement

More than 100 Black churches across the South were targeted from the 1950s-70s. Another wave of violence followed in the ‘90s – and there have...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Jason Wollschleger

What Luigi Mangione’s celebrity says about Gen Z

What Luigi Mangione’s celebrity says about Gen Z

A psychologist explains why the dark humor around Mangione’s case isn’t evidence of nihilism but of what happens when demands for moral...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Evan Clarkson

After Supreme Court setback, Trump again targets immigration by expanding definition of birthright citizenship

After Supreme Court setback, Trump again targets immigration by expanding definition of birthright citizenship

Two new executive orders take aim at aspects of birthright citizenship the high court did not address in its June 2026 ruling.

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Austin Sarat

Traumatic memories are often fragmented – a psychologist explains how and why that happens

Traumatic memories are often fragmented – a psychologist explains how and why that happens

When a person’s story about a traumatic event seems fuzzy, they may be experiencing the nuances of how their brain processes trauma.

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Michele Patterson Ford

The CDC has a new director – now comes the hard part

The CDC has a new director – now comes the hard part

Amid multiple disease outbreaks and intense political pressures, Director Erica Schwartz will need to defend scientific independence.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Syra S. Madad

Personal bankruptcy filings are soaring in 2026, signaling growing economic distress

Personal bankruptcy filings are soaring in 2026, signaling growing economic distress

State laws vary, so where you live may determine whether you’ll get to keep your home.

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Jay L. Zagorsky

Nearly 1 in 4 students are chronically absent from school – kids who feel happy and safe are less likely to be chronically absent

Nearly 1 in 4 students are chronically absent from school – kids who feel happy and safe are less likely to be chronically absent

Research on absenteeism often focuses on factors like unreliable transportation, overlooking what schools themselves can do to help kids maintain a...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Jerome A. Graham

A Hindu soldier and a Muslim poet show how religious identities overlapped in 19th‑century India

A Hindu soldier and a Muslim poet show how religious identities overlapped in 19th‑century India

A scholar of India explores how two 19th-century memoirs portray a land where different religious identities coexist.

previous day 5

The Conversation

Aishwarya Lakshmi

Elite sports are laboratories of health and performance innovation, but not every experiment belongs in your routine

Elite sports are laboratories of health and performance innovation, but not every experiment belongs in your routine

Products designed for professional athletes with specific goals may not do much for people with more recreational exercise goals.

previous day 3

The Conversation

Adam Annaccone

Florida lost 450,000 ACA enrollees in 2026 as premiums rose an average of 37% nationally, new data shows

Florida lost 450,000 ACA enrollees in 2026 as premiums rose an average of 37% nationally, new data shows

ACA enrollments in Florida dropped in 2026, but the decrease was smaller than anticipated.

previous day 3

The Conversation

Robert Applebaum

Many youth athletes quietly struggle with eating disorders – Colorado mandates new training that could turn things around

Many youth athletes quietly struggle with eating disorders – Colorado mandates new training that could turn things around

A recent study found that 77.7% of youth athletes were at risk of developing an eating disorder.

previous day 2

The Conversation

Erin Harrop

They’re content creators with thousands of adoring fans – so why do they feel so terrible?

They’re content creators with thousands of adoring fans – so why do they feel so terrible?

Recent research finds that becoming too psychologically entangled with your followers can make success feel like a trap.

previous day 5

The Conversation

Julianna Pillemer

What happens when your hospital is also your insurance company? We’re starting to see the effects

What happens when your hospital is also your insurance company? We’re starting to see the effects

Hospitals are tasked with making patients better, but when the hospital that provides care also owns the insurance company that pays for that care,...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Geronimo Bejarano Cardenas

Severe flooding raises deadly overdose risk in rural Appalachia, study finds – and the harm lasts for years

Severe flooding raises deadly overdose risk in rural Appalachia, study finds – and the harm lasts for years

Disasters weaken support systems that take years to rebuild, at the same time people caught in them are under extraordinary financial and...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Kristina P. Brant

Biological sex is neither binary nor a spectrum – a biologist explains how it’s multidimensional

Biological sex is neither binary nor a spectrum – a biologist explains how it’s multidimensional

Each person is a mosaic of sex-related and postpubertal biological traits that vary in their degree of femaleness and maleness.

monday 2

The Conversation

Ari Berkowitz

Plans to improve Michigan’s K‑12 schools depend on how the state funds public education

Plans to improve Michigan’s K‑12 schools depend on how the state funds public education

Revenues for Michigan’s districts have failed to keep pace with inflation and the evolving needs of today’s students.

monday 5

The Conversation

Jason Burns

How is deli meat made? The food science behind the turkey, ham and other cold cuts in your lunch

How is deli meat made? The food science behind the turkey, ham and other cold cuts in your lunch

A long bath in brine is how deli meat gets its taste, texture and shelf life.

monday 8

The Conversation

Anna Dilger

If you think someone has an eating disorder, should you say something? A dietitian explains how to express concern without body shaming

If you think someone has an eating disorder, should you say something? A dietitian explains how to express concern without body shaming

Seeing a loved one lose significant weight or struggle with eating and exercise can be concerning. Approaching a conversation with respect and care...

monday 4

The Conversation

Miranda Roberts

US teens are smoking and vaping less than their peers abroad

US teens are smoking and vaping less than their peers abroad

A new FDA survey finds some positive trends among young people in the US, though new forms of nicotine use like pouches have become a bit more...

monday 2

The Conversation

Holly Jarman

Dealing with disasters increasingly requires a smartphone – losing access can be a nightmare, but there are ways to prepare

Dealing with disasters increasingly requires a smartphone – losing access can be a nightmare, but there are ways to prepare

Mobile phones have become part of just about everyone’s emergency infrastructure. But what do you do when the power and service go out?

monday 4

The Conversation

Lee Ann Rawlins Williams

AI companies look to the ocean as a place to put more data centers

AI companies look to the ocean as a place to put more data centers

Moving servers into the ocean does not make underlying environmental challenges disappear. And it creates new concerns as well.

monday 4

The Conversation

Nir Kshetri

The real reason many Americans are cutting ties with their parents and siblings

The real reason many Americans are cutting ties with their parents and siblings

Estrangement is rarely caused by childhood abuse or a pushy therapist. Instead, it reveals a collision between two ideas of what family should be.

monday 4

The Conversation

Rin Reczek

US government is pushing to gain unprecedented access to your medical records – as data protections are weakening

US government is pushing to gain unprecedented access to your medical records – as data protections are weakening

Large datasets can be useful research tools, but current government efforts to gather medical records depend on policy and technology that falls short...

monday 4

The Conversation

Jennifer D. Oliva

Quitting alcohol changes the brain and can increase the risk of compulsive drinking – new research in mice

Quitting alcohol changes the brain and can increase the risk of compulsive drinking – new research in mice

Alcohol abstinence alters brain activity in ways that may drive someone with alcohol use disorder to relapse.

14.08.2026 10

The Conversation

Danny G. Winder

How Imperial Japan turned to the sardine to help build a war machine

How Imperial Japan turned to the sardine to help build a war machine

Dynamite made from fish oil was one weapon deployed by an assertive Japan in the early 20th century

14.08.2026 10

The Conversation

Pei-Hsu Lin

Radio telescopes help scientists map molecules in space and uncover where and how stars form

Radio telescopes help scientists map molecules in space and uncover where and how stars form

Interstellar maps can help scientists find patterns that tell them about fundamental chemical processes in the cosmos.

14.08.2026 5

The Conversation

Olivia Harper Wilkins

Congress just passed a housing law that rewards states for reform — here’s why Colorado has a head start

Congress just passed a housing law that rewards states for reform — here’s why Colorado has a head start

A new federal law rewards states that ease housing rules. Colorado has been doing that for years, and its experience shows both what works and what...

14.08.2026 10

The Conversation

Solomon Greene

Small businesses at the gateways to America’s national parks face 4 big risks – including changing boundaries and extreme weather

Small businesses at the gateways to America’s national parks face 4 big risks – including changing boundaries and extreme weather

Policy changes, climate disruption, staffing shortages and housing costs are reshaping the risks of owning or starting a gateway business.

14.08.2026 4

The Conversation

Nancy Forster-Holt

Staying hopeful and true to oneself is a lesson these 5 kids books offer to kindergartners and other children

Staying hopeful and true to oneself is a lesson these 5 kids books offer to kindergartners and other children

A children’s writer explains how ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ ‘The Rabbit Listened’ and other stories can help prepare kindergarten students...

14.08.2026 3

The Conversation

Liz Rosenberg

One of the most common brain disorders is one of the most misunderstood – how functional neurological disorder is both ‘all in your head’ and beyond it

One of the most common brain disorders is one of the most misunderstood – how functional neurological disorder is both ‘all in your head’ and beyond it

Millions of people suffer from debilitating symptoms their doctors don’t quite believe. But advances in neuroscience and education may be changing...

14.08.2026 7

The Conversation

Mackenzi Moore

Ancient forests took 100,000 years to recover from the last global warming period similar to today – Wyoming fossils reveal what happened

Ancient forests took 100,000 years to recover from the last global warming period similar to today – Wyoming fossils reveal what happened

Understanding what happened in these forests 56 million years ago may help humanity recognize similar thresholds before we cross them again, the lead...

13.08.2026 4

The Conversation

Regan E. Dunn

The false and the furious: We aren’t just bothered by different beliefs – we’re bothered when we think others are wrong

The false and the furious: We aren’t just bothered by different beliefs – we’re bothered when we think others are wrong

Differences in beliefs may not be what drives people apart. A belief that someone else is wrong may be the stronger force.

13.08.2026 9

The Conversation

Andras Molnar

Controlling wild pigs can work if it’s a group effort

Controlling wild pigs can work if it’s a group effort

Teaming groups of private landowners with federal efforts yielded measurable success, at least in terms of defending cornfields.

13.08.2026 5

The Conversation

Chris Boyer

An AI agent spent your money – can anyone prove you authorized it?

An AI agent spent your money – can anyone prove you authorized it?

AI agents cross company boundaries, but proof of their authority often does not. When they overstep, no single record shows what the user allowed.

13.08.2026 30

The Conversation

Aashis Luitel

Exploring the Moon will require rovers that can think for themselves – an upcoming NASA mission will test whether they can

Exploring the Moon will require rovers that can think for themselves – an upcoming NASA mission will test whether they can

NASA’s CADRE mission will test a small team of autonomous rovers that can function without constant communication with Earth.

13.08.2026 7

The Conversation

Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba

‘Hello, just circling back!’ Not responding to emails is common across higher education but bad for morale

‘Hello, just circling back!’ Not responding to emails is common across higher education but bad for morale

Several colleges and universities instruct students on how to navigate email communication on their campus, but more could consider the practice.

13.08.2026 5

The Conversation

Austin Sarat

Wildfire‑damaged historic buildings may not be as ruined as they appear, but saving them means acting fast

Wildfire‑damaged historic buildings may not be as ruined as they appear, but saving them means acting fast

The damage is sometimes only centimeters deep. Three engineers explain the colors of burned masonry and other signs preservationists look for amid...

13.08.2026 9

The Conversation

Rebecca Napolitano

Teens are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support – here’s how to keep kids safe

Teens are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support – here’s how to keep kids safe

Chatbots are becoming commonplace in teens’ lives, but these tools were never developed or validated for mental health support.

13.08.2026 6

The Conversation

Phoebe S. Moore