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Articles on 2018 Essential Reads

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An image from the International Space Station captures plumes of smoke from California wildfires on August 4, 2018. NASA

Stories that made The Conversation unique in 2018

From the curious to the serious – a bird’s eye view of the unique ways in which The Conversation covers the world.
CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology is being used in field from agriculture to medicine to food security and disease control. TotallyMJ/Shutterstock.com

CRISPR isn’t just for editing human embryos, it also works for plants and bugs: 5 essential reads

You may not agree with using the gene-editing tool, CRISPR, to alter the DNA of human babies. But what about using it to engineer plants? Or wipe out one of the world’s most dangerous creatures?
One of 2018’s unforgettable images: Maria Meza and her twin daughters sprint from tear gas lobbed at the border wall between the U.S and Mexico in Tijuana, Nov. 25, 2018. Reuters/Kim Kyung Hoon

Remembering the caravan: 5 essential reads that show the desperation of Central American migrants

The migrant caravan was one of the biggest international stories of 2018, a roving human drama that laid bare Central America’s pain for all the world to see.
Candlelight vigil at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Florida. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

US gun violence in 2018: 3 essential reads

Scholars helped put a persistent problem into a larger context with their research.
Science is the lens through which we can see the world in a new, deeper way. Dawid Zawiła/Unsplash

Science of everyday life: 5 essential reads

I asked researchers to explain simply the phenomena that came up in my own life – and probably yours too.
The U.S. is getting older, more suburban and less fertile. connel/shutterstock.com

How US demographics changed in 2018: 5 essential reads

Older. More suburban. Less fertile. More diverse. This year, Americans grappled with some major shifts in the demographic landscape.
Protesters fill the streets outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. AP Photo

How the ‘Heat and Light’ of 1968 still influence today: 3 essential reads

This year, The Conversation celebrated the 50th anniversary of 1968 with its first podcast, ‘Heat and Light.’ These are some of the most interesting stories we uncovered – ones that still resonate in 2018.
Clergy sex abuse was among the biggest religion stories of 2018. In this photo, a demonstrator holds up a protest sign at the Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma

Researching clergy sex abuse can take a heavy emotional toll: 3 essential reads

For scholars, researching the Catholic Church can mean a laborious process involving several years. And talking to survivors of clergy sex abuse can carry its own pain and personal toll.
Some tropical frogs may be developing resistance to a fungus that has devastated species like Atelopus varius, the variable harlequin frog. Brian Gratwicke/Wikimedia

The animal world is still awesome: 3 essential reads

A look at new research published in 2018 on fossa, deepsea corals and tropical frogs developing resistance to a deadly fungus.