The 2017 hurricane season showed that Caribbean nations urgently need more resilient power grids. But the effects of climate change – including more severe storms – complicate the shift to renewables.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Climate Change
A recent survey of electric utility leaders finds that Trump administration efforts to promote coal energy and roll back air pollution regulations have had little impact on their long-range plans.
Analysis and Comment
Greek tragedies shed light into human nature's darker corners. They can also illuminate the character of former FBI chief James Comey, whose unbending adherence to principles evokes ancient themes.
A drug made from a molecule produced from cannabis gained unanimous approval from an FDA panel. But the molecule, CBD, is decidedly different from some other ingredients in cannabis: It doesn't result in a high.
Marijuana has a rich linguistic tradition. But drive by dispensaries like 'Advanced Medical Alternatives' or 'Alameda Wellness Center,' and you might think you’re passing the office of a physical therapist.
The Harvard case shows that when sexual harassment occurs on campus, it not only leaves a trail of victims but hurts the institutional culture as well.
The administration embraces mercantilism, an ideology with few adherents.
Earth's ozone layer shields us from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Nations have been working to reduce ozone-depleting chemicals since the 1980s, but recent studies show that there is still work to do.
Where people live in the US is still often influenced by racial discrimination. Is the federal government doing enough to carry out the vision of the civil rights era legislation?
The Democratic Party is a mishmash of causes and interest groups. The party's future will be determined by how its leaders balance and align the interests of its diverse factions.
Building features can be analyzed in the same way that facial recognition software works, revealing previously hidden elements of history.
Airplanes could be safer with technology at the helm. A key sticking point is human opinion.
Starbucks is giving this training to its employees, but it’s still so new that there's no standard format and little research yet on whether it's effective.
Is noise the real monster? Or is it our own intolerance of unwanted sounds?
Cuba has a new president — and for the first time in six decades his last name is not Castro. Who is Miguel Díaz-Canel, the man who inherits a Cuba born of Fidel's 1959 revolution?
While hip-hop is often viewed through its problematic elements, Dillard University President Walter Kimbrough explains why rap artists are ideal commencement speakers.
Fish are a key food source for millions of people worldwide. But a recent study finds long-term warming over the next 200 years could starve tiny plankton, with impacts that would ripple up food chains.
Dozens of US cities have launched bike-share programs in the past decade. There have been bumps – critics want wider access, and cities want bikes stored out of the way – but bike sharing is on a roll.
Single women borrowed heavily in the run-up to the financial crisis, ensuring they suffered the most in its fallout. Will history repeat itself?
Research suggests that government spending on very young children is a good investment.
Trump, who withdrew the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership when he became president, briefly appeared to consider joining the trade accord again.
The former first lady was reported to have a condition that makes breathing hard and often occurs in smokers. COPD is a condition that affects almost 16 million Americans.
Pop culture, personal tragedy and heroic persistence all played a role.
Ryan Kelly's iconic photograph from Charlottesville evokes a 'Unite the Right' moment from 1937 – and the anti-war masterpiece by Picasso that emerged from it.
Medical marijuana? Recreational marijuana? Both or neither? Here's a quick guide to the topsy-turvy landscape for marijuana regulation in the US.
Mushrooms, long popular on pizza and in cooking, are getting more attention for their health benefits. Here are some reasons you might want to add them to your grocery list and not just your pizza.
The meaning of hell might have changed over the centuries, but for devout Christians it remains a core part of their faith.
It's time to admit the age of pristine nature is over. In its place is humanity and planet-shaping technologies, from gene editing to climate engineering. Earth Day in a Synthetic Age.
The Second Amendment was barely taught in constitutional law classes two decades ago. That changed after a 2008 Supreme Court ruling that ensured a federal right to keep and bear arms.
Million of taxpayers receive notices from the IRS about unpaid tax debts. Believe it or not, the agency understands.
Philanthropists give for many different reasons, but bequests could decline by about $7 billion a year.
The tax agency, as it happens, singled out both conservative and liberal groups seeking tax-exempt status for extra scrutiny. But the myth that it picked on the tea party movement hasn't gone away.
The top U.S. foreign policy goals in Africa evidently no longer relate to human rights or democratic freedoms, but to protecting tiny, marginal American industries.
Getting to the White House would mean overcoming issues of race and gender.
Recent research shows that US rivers are becoming saltier and more alkaline. Salt pollution threatens drinking water supplies and freshwater ecosystems, but there is no broad system for regulating it.
China's young winemakers tell a very different story of how joint ventures with Western companies led to genuine partnerships – and success.
As president, Donald Trump has taken a harsh stance toward Cuba. But his real estate company has tried twice to open Trump properties on the Communist island, allegedly even skirting the law to do so.
The Panama Canal was a tremendous achievement by the U.S. and a display of their power and abilities. However, the health costs to the mostly Caribbean contract workers was enormous.
Research on profound human suffering requires more than intellectual understanding of legal and political mechanics. It requires a human journey that goes deeply into victims' experiences and needs.
US-Japan relations are under pressure. As leaders of the two countries meet this week, a scholar tells the story of the exchange program that made such a difference to American attitudes toward Japan.
Popes are not infallible, yet apologies are rare.
Human beings seem to be born wearing rose-colored glasses. Psychologists are interested in how this bias toward the positive works in the very young – and how it fades over time.
A recent study suggested that a chemical responsible for getting the body ready for sleep was suppressed in children by too much evening light. A circadian rhythm expert explains the dangers.
When students attend a college where the student body is academically weaker than the one where they went to high school, they are more likely to show symptoms of depression, new research finds.
Are air strikes really a way to hold the Syrian regime responsible for its alleged atrocities against humanity? History says no.
The United Nations Charter doesn't allow the use of military force to prevent chemical weapons attacks — no matter how evil — without UN Security Council approval. That needs to change.
History suggests it would be a big mistake.
The Syrian conflict is a war of many sides. Here's a rundown of the key players.
These attacks do not involve direct contact with terrorists in the Middle East. Instead, individuals already living in the US are learning the “how-tos” of jihad online.
As president, Donald Trump has taken a harsh stance toward Cuba. But his real estate company has tried twice to open Trump properties on the Communist island, allegedly even skirting the law to do so.
The accounts of survivors of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge show how they were able to find justice and healing by breaking their silence and speaking on behalf of those who were killed.
The Interior Department is narrowing protection for migratory birds to cover only deliberate harm such as hunting, but not threats like development or pollution that kill millions of birds yearly.
Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal
Facebook is realizing it has broad obligations to society. Here's how it could start meeting them.
March for Science
On the eve of the March for Science, a marine biologist explains why she's returning from abroad to speak out for science in the Trump era.
US media
In many cases, the mistreatment of TV anchors has become the story – at the expense of bigger questions about corporate ownership.
Consumer health
Pity the poor night owls of the world, who already must adjust to a life that doesn't align with their natural sleep patterns. Now it appears that being a night owl even raises the risk of death.
The success rate for weight loss is small, suggesting that a new approach is needed. Here are three things to consider, one of which you may be overlooking.
Research and Expert Database
Analysis from academics around the world
Editors’ Picks
A Supreme Court case deals with the narrow issue of tribal salmon fishing rights in the Northwest, but raises fundamental questions about justice for American Indians.
As fusion becomes more technically viable, it's time to assess whether it's worth the money because breakthroughs in the lab don’t guarantee success in the marketplace.
An academic suing the EPA over its decision to bar certain scientists from serving on advisory boards says the EPA needs to address legitimate criticisms to rebuild after Pruitt.
The Oklahoma teachers strike is about more than just pay, but rather a longstanding pattern of decline in funding for the state's public schools.
From Brooklyn to Los Angeles, thousands of Americans are raising chickens in their backyards. But without stricter regulation, urban poultry farming is risky for both humans and birds.
Remembrance days and memorials provide people the opportunity to share stories with a community. An expert explains how that can make a difference.
Cognitive psychologists know the way our minds work means we not only don't notice errors and misinformation we know are wrong, we also then remember them as true.
The Department of Justice wants to add a citizenship question to the next census. That could mess up the Census Bureau's data and damage public trust in the system.
Whether they do it full-time or as a side hustle, Americans who have some say over their schedules and tasks seem to covet the flexibility.
The wired Earth of the 21st century is at the mercy of the volatile nature of the sun.
Despite claims that the Common Core is a thing of the past, a closer look shows the controversial education standards are still very much in play. A political scientist explains why that's a problem.
The last Carolina parakeet died in a zoo a century ago. A scientist tries to unravel some of this bird's lasting mysteries.
While it might seem like a longstanding tradition, it's a relatively recent phenomenon in the U.S.
About 20,000 Californians were once sterilized under state eugenics laws. New research shows Latinos were disproportionately targeted. Is there any opportunity today to address these wrongs?
Companies developing autonomous vehicles are missing out on the local knowledge and values of the people who live where these cars are tested. And that lack of engagement sets up bigger problems.
Most Read past week
- Abusive relationships: Why it’s so hard for women to ‘just leave’
- What to do if you owe the IRS money
- Wealthy Americans know less than they think they do about food and nutrition
- The Trump administration’s new migratory bird policy undermines a century of conservation
- The tragic story of America’s only native parrot, now extinct for 100 years
Pitch an idea
Got a news tip or article idea for The Conversation?
Our Audience
The Conversation has a monthly audience of 10.7 million users, and reach of 35 million through Creative Commons republication.
Want to Write?
Write an article and join a growing community of more than 65,900 academics and researchers from 2,307 institutions.
Make a Donation
The Conversation relies on university, foundation and reader support. If you would like to help us have even better conversations, then you may like to make a one-off or on-going donation.
