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The Conversation
A blonde woman's face, covered in the red, white and blue of the American flag.

Fandom usually means tracking your favorite team for years − so why are the Olympics so good at making us root for sports and athletes we tune out most of the time?

Noah Cohan, Washington University in St. Louis

Flirting with disaster: When endangered wild animals try to mate with domestic relatives, both wildlife and people lose

Joel Berger, Colorado State University

Three two-humped camels on a sandy plain near a yurt
Detroit’s legacy of housing inequity has caused long-term health impacts − these policies can help mitigate that harm

Roshanak Mehdipanah, University of Michigan; Kate Brantley, University of Michigan, and Melika Belhaj, University of Michigan

Multicolored 1920s-era rowhouses appear on a sunny day in Detroit.
Why US schools need to shake up the way they teach physics

Clausell Mathis, Michigan State University

A pit crew works on a car at a racetrack.

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To guard against cyberattacks in space, researchers ask ‘what if?’

Patrick Lin, California Polytechnic State University

long thin rectangular structure in orbit above clouds on Earth
Even short trips to space can change an astronaut’s biology

Susan Bailey, Colorado State University

Four smiling people wearing white space suits.
Supreme Court of Oklahoma says no to Catholic charter school – but this may not be the end of the boundary-pushing saga

Charles J. Russo, University of Dayton

A formal, wooden dais with nine leather seats and dark green curtains.
Why Nepal had a religious monarchy − and why some people want it back

Anne Mocko, Concordia College

A seated man with a flower garland around his neck clasps the hand of another, while several men look on.
A satellite image of Hurricane Beryl approaching the Windward Islands.

Hurricane Beryl’s rapid intensification to Cat 5 is alarming: Here’s why more tropical storms are exploding in strength

Brian Tang, University at Albany, State University of New York

Cultural differences impede trade for most countries — but not China

Bedassa Tadesse, University of Minnesota Duluth

Two container ships -- one, dark blue, in the foreground, and another, light blue, in the distance -- are seen amid port infrastructure.
The Catholic Church is using the upcoming Paris Olympics to engage young people

A. Jaime Morales Jr., University of Connecticut

Five white rings in the space between two golden pillars set against a deep blue background.
Black economic boycotts of the civil rights era still offer lessons on how to achieve a just society

Kevin A. Young, UMass Amherst

A group of Black people are walking to work to protest racial segregation.
Charities are allowed to do some lobbying, but many do none at all

Heather MacIndoe, UMass Boston and Mirae Kim, George Mason University

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Historic Supreme Court term

A large white, pillared building set against a dark sky.

‘Above the law’ in some cases: Supreme Court gives Trump − and future presidents − a special exception that will delay his prosecution

Claire B. Wofford, College of Charleston

Supreme Court rules cities can ban homeless people from sleeping outdoors – Sotomayor dissent summarizes opinion as ‘stay awake or be arrested’

Clare Pastore, University of Southern California

People hold signs reading 'House keys, not handcuffs' and 'Housing solves homelessness'
What’s next after Supreme Court curbs regulatory power: More focus on laws’ wording, less on their goals

Robin Kundis Craig, University of Kansas

Gloved hands sort through a tray of Atlantic herring
Supreme Court kicks cases about tech companies’ First Amendment rights back to lower courts − but appears poised to block states from hampering online content moderation

Lynn Greenky, Syracuse University

A line drawing of a smartphone with social media icons on it.
Supreme Court makes prosecution of Trump on obstruction charge more difficult, with ruling to narrowly define law used against him and Jan. 6 rioters

Riley T. Keenan, University of Richmond

A large white building and protesters on a balcony.

Extreme weather

A man runs past the WWII Memorial on a hot day in Washington, D.C., with the Lincoln Memorial in the background

6 tips for staying safe in extreme summer heat if you’re a runner, cyclist or anyone else spending time outdoors

Susan Yeargin, University of South Carolina

Climate change is increasing stress on thousands of aging dams across the US

Hiba Baroud, Vanderbilt University

Water pours through a dam and flows around one side of the structure.
2024’s violent tornado season has been one of the most active on record − a meteorologist explains the weather behind the outbreaks

William Gallus, Iowa State University

A woman pulls a religious statue out from among debris. A splintered home and scattered clothing are around her.
Extreme heat waves aren’t ‘just summer’: How climate change is heating up the weather, and what we can do about it

Mathew Barlow, UMass Lowell and Jeffrey Basara, UMass Lowell

A man cools his face with water from a fountain while a boy splashes in the water behind him.
Lightning season is here: Fast facts and how to stay safe, from a meteorologist

Chris Vagasky, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The stadium scoreboard is still lit up, but fans are headed away from the seating areas as a lighting bold strikes nearby
Read more on extreme weather

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Elections around the world

Marine Le Pen smirking and holding her thumb up in the air.

French far-right in sight of majority for first time after first round of voting – here’s what happens now

Rainbow Murray, Queen Mary University of London

Diplomacy, sanctions and soft power have failed to deter Iran’s anti-West agenda − could a new Iranian president change that?

Nakissa Jahanbani, Penn State and Daniel P. Colletti, United States Military Academy West Point

A large crowd of Iranian supporters of Masoud Pezeshkian gather in Tehran; in the foreground, a young woman shouts her endorsement while holding up a campaign sign.
UK and US elections: 2 very different systems united by a common political language

Garret Martin, American University School of International Service

A man in a white shirt drinks a cup of tea surrounded by other people.
Politics is still both local and personal – but only for independents, not for Democrats or Republicans

Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz, University of Maryland and Joshua J. Dyck, UMass Lowell

A person looks to one side while crossing a city street.
Indian election was awash in deepfakes – but AI was a net positive for democracy

Vandinika Shukla, Harvard Kennedy School and Bruce Schneier, Harvard Kennedy School

a computer screen shows a man with white hair and beard in front of oragne, green and white flags with a series of bright dots outlining his mouth, nose and eyes
Read more global election coverage

New research in health and science

Illustration of brain with EEG epilepsy reading superimposed across it

From diagnosing brain disorders to cognitive enhancement, 100 years of EEG have transformed neuroscience

Erika Nyhus, Bowdoin College

The science behind splashdown − an aerospace engineer explains how NASA and SpaceX get spacecraft safely back on Earth

Marcos Fernandez Tous, University of North Dakota

A small metal capsule carried by three parachutes lands in a body of water.
FDA authorized the sale of menthol-flavored e-cigarettes – a health policy expert explains how the benefits may outweigh the risks

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, UMass Amherst

A variety of e-cigarette products lying flat on a white surface.
Lead water pipes created a health disaster in Flint, but replacing them with cheaper plastic − as some cities are doing − carries hidden costs

Rajpreet Grewal, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Laodong Guo, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Melissa Scanlan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

A stack of blue plastic water pipes under a blue sky
Genetic testing cannot reveal the gender of your baby − two genetic counselors explain the complexities of sex and gender

Maggie Ruderman, Boston University and Kimberly Zayhowski, Boston University

Illustration of one pink and one blue DNA helices intertwining, with pink X's and blue Y's floating around the background
Read more new science research

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Colorado is home to the longest-running gay rodeo in the world

Rebecca Scofield, University of Idaho and Elyssa Ford, Northwest Missouri State University

Knowing when to call it quits takes courage and confidence - 3 case studies

Kevin J. McMahon, Trinity College and Michael Paris, College of Staten Island, CUNY

A man is reading a newspaper headline that says LBJ won't run in very large letters.
To insure or self-insure? The question homeowners must answer amid impact of climate change

Rick Gorvett, Bryant University

A person holds their hands over a dollhouse, as if shielding it from rain.
Disability community has long wrestled with ‘helpful’ technologies – lessons for everyone in dealing with AI

Elaine Short, Tufts University

a robot hand holds a paint brush tracing a heart on a piece of paper
Gazans’ extreme hunger could leave its mark on subsequent generations

Hasan Khatib, University of Wisconsin-Madison

A young girl cries as she reaches through bars for food, as other people clamor around her with bowls.

Most read this week

1.
Supreme Court makes prosecution of Trump on obstruction charge more difficult, with ruling to narrowly define law used against him and Jan. 6 rioters

Riley T. Keenan, University of Richmond

Supreme Court makes prosecution of Trump on obstruction charge more difficult, with ruling to narrowly define law used against him and Jan. 6 rioters
2.
Lucy, discovered 50 years ago in Ethiopia, stood just 3.5 feet tall − but she still towers over our understanding of human origins

Denise Su, Arizona State University

Lucy, discovered 50 years ago in Ethiopia, stood just 3.5 feet tall − but she still towers over our understanding of human origins
3.
Biden crashes, Trump lies: A campaign-defining presidential debate

Mary Kate Cary, University of Virginia and Karrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State University

Biden crashes, Trump lies: A campaign-defining presidential debate
4.
Supreme Court rules that Trump had partial immunity as president, but not for unofficial acts − 4 essential reads

Jeff Inglis, The Conversation; Naomi Schalit, The Conversation, and Amy Lieberman, The Conversation

Supreme Court rules that Trump had partial immunity as president, but not for unofficial acts − 4 essential reads
5.
Elder fraud has reached epidemic proportions – a geriatrician explains what older Americans need to know

Laurie Archbald-Pannone, University of Virginia

Elder fraud has reached epidemic proportions – a geriatrician explains what older Americans need to know
6.
Joining NATO binds countries to defend each other – but this commitment is not set in stone

Dan Reiter, Emory University and Brian Greenhill, University at Albany, State University of New York

Joining NATO binds countries to defend each other – but this commitment is not set in stone

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