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Arming a Kurdish insurgency would be a risky endeavor – for both the US and Iran’s minority Kurds

Arming a Kurdish insurgency would be a risky endeavor – for both the US and Iran’s minority Kurds

Washington has long worked with Kurdish groups in the Middle East. But without sufficient support, encouraging Iranian Kurds into an uprising now...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

John Calabrese

War in Middle East brings uncertainty and higher energy costs to already weakening US economy

War in Middle East brings uncertainty and higher energy costs to already weakening US economy

Risks for the US economy grow as the war in the Middle East continues to escalate.

previous day 2

The Conversation

Michael Klein

Public health needs steady budgets – and federal funding uncertainty causes real harms, even if the money is later restored

Public health needs steady budgets – and federal funding uncertainty causes real harms, even if the money is later restored

Public health depends on long-term planning, and when that planning is interrupted, some programs never recover.

previous day 2

The Conversation

Max Crowley

China’s muted response over war in Iran reflects Beijing’s delicate calculus as a concerned onlooker

China’s muted response over war in Iran reflects Beijing’s delicate calculus as a concerned onlooker

Beijing has denounced US-Israeli action in Iran, but has not rushed to come to the aid of its regional ally.

previous day 4

The Conversation

John Calabrese

Venezuela’s fragile environment faces rising risks as US pushes for oil and critical minerals and illegal gold mining spreads

Venezuela’s fragile environment faces rising risks as US pushes for oil and critical minerals and illegal gold mining spreads

The Orinoco Basin is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. It’s also rich in oil, gold and critical minerals crucial to modern technology.

previous day 2

The Conversation

Antonio machado allison

Measuring poverty on a spectrum instead of an arbitrary line conveys a more accurate picture of inequality

Measuring poverty on a spectrum instead of an arbitrary line conveys a more accurate picture of inequality

An economist proposes a new method of estimating the scope of poverty in different countries.

previous day 4

The Conversation

Olivier sterck

How Instagram addictiveness lawsuit could reshape social media – platform design meets product liability

How Instagram addictiveness lawsuit could reshape social media – platform design meets product liability

A lawsuit against Meta and Google avoids the issue of liability for content and focuses on allegations that social media platforms themselves are...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Carolina rossini

Today’s obsession with authenticity isn’t new – being true to yourself has troubled philosophers for centuries

Today’s obsession with authenticity isn’t new – being true to yourself has troubled philosophers for centuries

Contemporary culture seems obsessed with authenticity – but the question of how to be ‘sincere’ in modern society has troubled philosophers for...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Kenneth Andrew Andres Leonardo

Venezuela’s fragile forests face rising risks as US pushes for oil and critical minerals and illegal gold mining spreads

Venezuela’s fragile forests face rising risks as US pushes for oil and critical minerals and illegal gold mining spreads

The Orinoco Basin is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. It’s also rich in oil, gold and critical minerals crucial to modern technology.

previous day 2

The Conversation

Antonio machado allison

Trump offered a restrictive deal to universities that almost all rejected – but the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education may not be entirely dead

Trump offered a restrictive deal to universities that almost all rejected – but the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education may not be entirely dead

The Trump administration is reportedly working on a revised version of the higher education proposal.

previous day 4

The Conversation

Fred L. Pincus

When Washington and the states are in conflict, the ultimate winner is not always certain

When Washington and the states are in conflict, the ultimate winner is not always certain

Conflict between Washington and the states is perennial and by design. Lack of clarity about who’s in charge on what issue keeps power from becoming...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Kenneth michael white

Telehealth is widely used by older adults insured by Medicare, new research shows

Telehealth is widely used by older adults insured by Medicare, new research shows

Policymakers are still deciding whether to make some types of Medicare coverage for telehealth permanent. Studies show it helps older adults get more...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Terrence liu

Public health needs steady budgets – and federal funding uncertainty cause real harms, even if the money is later restored

Public health needs steady budgets – and federal funding uncertainty cause real harms, even if the money is later restored

Public health depends on long-term planning, and when that planning is interrupted, some programs never recover.

previous day 2

The Conversation

Max Crowley

Family‑friendly workplaces are great − but ‘families of 1’ get ignored

Family‑friendly workplaces are great − but ‘families of 1’ get ignored

In an era of family-friendly workplaces, how can employers treat single people without kids fairly?

previous day 3

The Conversation

Peter Mcgraw

How does Iran go about selecting a new supreme leader? And who is in the running?

How does Iran go about selecting a new supreme leader? And who is in the running?

Media reports have cast the son of slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a top candidate for supreme leader. A scholar of Iranian politics explains how the...

thursday 2

The Conversation

Eric Lob

Persian Gulf desalination plants could become military targets in regional war

Persian Gulf desalination plants could become military targets in regional war

Key sources of drinking water have been targets in past conflicts. And Iranian strikes have already hit close to some.

thursday 2

The Conversation

Michael christopher low

We designed an AI tutor that helps college students reason rather than give them answers

We designed an AI tutor that helps college students reason rather than give them answers

A 2025 study shows that an AI-based tutor improves learning when it prompts reasoning and is paired with peer discussion.

thursday 3

The Conversation

Saharnaz babaei-balderlou

Nearly a third of Pennsylvania gamblers are at risk of problem gambling − but few seek treatment

Nearly a third of Pennsylvania gamblers are at risk of problem gambling − but few seek treatment

Online gambling has become easier, faster and more prevalent on social media feeds and streaming platforms – which appeals to younger adults in...

thursday 3

The Conversation

Gillian russell

2025 was hotter than it should have been – 5 influences and a dirty surprise offer clues to what’s ahead

2025 was hotter than it should have been – 5 influences and a dirty surprise offer clues to what’s ahead

Solar cycles, sea ice and rising electricity use all play a role. So does an unhealthy surprise that has been quietly hiding a large amount of global...

thursday 2

The Conversation

Michael Wysession

Researchers are combining drones and AI to make removing land mines faster and safer

Researchers are combining drones and AI to make removing land mines faster and safer

Using drones makes detecting land mines safer. Using AI to fuse data from multiple types of sensors on the drones makes it more efficient.

thursday 2

The Conversation

Sagar lekhak

Why are some stars always visible while others come and go with the seasons?

Why are some stars always visible while others come and go with the seasons?

From Earth spinning on its axis and orbiting the Sun to it precessing like a top, lots of factors affect which stars you can see in the sky.

thursday 2

The Conversation

Vahe Peroomian

How Denver’s Northeast Park Hill community reduced youth violence by 75%

How Denver’s Northeast Park Hill community reduced youth violence by 75%

A neighborhood coalition identified risk factors for youth violence and prevention strategies.

thursday 2

The Conversation

Beverly Kingston

Operational secrecy kept the US from making evacuation plans – and that means Americans in the Mideast could wait days

Operational secrecy kept the US from making evacuation plans – and that means Americans in the Mideast could wait days

A longtime diplomat explains how the State Department normally encourages and helps Americans to leave countries amid political instability and war...

thursday 2

The Conversation

Donald Heflin

Billions of dollars, decades of progress spent eliminating devastating diseases may be lost with undoing of USAID

Billions of dollars, decades of progress spent eliminating devastating diseases may be lost with undoing of USAID

Public health campaigns had made significant strides toward eradicating diseases like elephantitis and river blindness. But this progress has since...

thursday 5

The Conversation

Sarah greene

GLP‑1 drugs may fight addiction across every major substance, according to a study of 600,000 people

GLP‑1 drugs may fight addiction across every major substance, according to a study of 600,000 people

GLP-1 drugs are the first medication to show promise for treating addiction to a wide range of substances.

04.03.2026 3

The Conversation

Ziyad Al-Aly

Hezbollah − degraded, weakened but not yet disarmed − destabilizes Lebanon once again

Hezbollah − degraded, weakened but not yet disarmed − destabilizes Lebanon once again

Hezbollah’s entry into the current war followed the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The group has long been aligned with the Islamic Republic.

04.03.2026 3

The Conversation

Mireille Rebeiz

Brazilian jiu‑jitsu is having its #MeToo moment

Brazilian jiu‑jitsu is having its #MeToo moment

With legend Andre Galvao accused of sexual misconduct, gyms and athletes have been forced to confront a culture of silence, hierarchy and gender...

04.03.2026 3

The Conversation

Matt wilkinson

Front lines of humor: Dark humor voices Ukrainians’ hopes for victory

Front lines of humor: Dark humor voices Ukrainians’ hopes for victory

Humor has served many functions since Russia’s full-scale invasion, from providing Ukrainians with a sense of escape and hope to spreading news.

04.03.2026 3

The Conversation

Neringa klumbytė

Far from random, China’s global port network is clustering near the world’s riskiest trade routes

Far from random, China’s global port network is clustering near the world’s riskiest trade routes

A review of 133 countries’ ports found a correlation between investment from China and proximity to chokepoints.

04.03.2026 3

The Conversation

Dylan spencer

AI and 3D printing help researchers create heat‑ and pressure‑resistant materials for aerospace and defense applications

AI and 3D printing help researchers create heat‑ and pressure‑resistant materials for aerospace and defense applications

AI models are designing new metal alloys that have been 3D-printed and tested in the lab. The results are then fed back into the AI to accelerate...

04.03.2026 3

The Conversation

Houlong zhuang

With Artemis II facing delays, NASA announces big structural changes to the lunar program

With Artemis II facing delays, NASA announces big structural changes to the lunar program

Artemis II has been plagued by similar issues to those faced by its predecessor, leading NASA to shake up its plan to return humans to the Moon.

04.03.2026 3

The Conversation

Marcos Fernandez Tous

I study why zebrafish larva prefer to circle left or right, to understand how and why human brains encode right‑ and left‑handedness

I study why zebrafish larva prefer to circle left or right, to understand how and why human brains encode right‑ and left‑handedness

Being left- or right-handed – and the paw, eye, fin and wing equivalents – is a product of genes, development and the environment.

04.03.2026 3

The Conversation

Eric horstick

When unpaid cooking, cleaning and child care get a dollar value, income inequality in the US shrinks – but the gap has grown since 1965

When unpaid cooking, cleaning and child care get a dollar value, income inequality in the US shrinks – but the gap has grown since 1965

Women’s unpaid work at home has declined much more than men’s contributions have increased.

04.03.2026 4

The Conversation

Leila gautham

Trauma patients recover faster when medical teams know each other well, new study finds

Trauma patients recover faster when medical teams know each other well, new study finds

A new study from a Pittsburgh hospital finds that trauma patients recover faster when emergency medical teams have shared experience working together.

04.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Linda argote

Housing First helps people find permanent homes in Detroit − but HUD plans to divert funds to short‑term solutions

Housing First helps people find permanent homes in Detroit − but HUD plans to divert funds to short‑term solutions

Detroit’s homelessness response system could lose millions of dollars in federal funding for permanent supportive housing as the city’s...

04.03.2026 3

The Conversation

Deyanira Nevárez Martínez

Congress once fought to limit a president’s war powers − more than 50 years later, its successors are less willing to assert their authority

Congress once fought to limit a president’s war powers − more than 50 years later, its successors are less willing to assert their authority

At the tail end of the Vietnam War, Congress engaged in a breathtaking act of legislative assertion, affirming that lawmakers’ held the power to...

04.03.2026 4

The Conversation

Sarah Burns

CIA agents successfully executed a plan for regime change in Iran in 1953 – but Trump hasn’t revealed any signs of a plan

CIA agents successfully executed a plan for regime change in Iran in 1953 – but Trump hasn’t revealed any signs of a plan

A covert US campaign in the mid-20th century helped steer Iran toward the intense anti-American sentiment that has distinguished its government policy...

03.03.2026 3

The Conversation

Gregory F. Treverton

Public defender shortage is leading to hundreds of criminal cases being dismissed

Public defender shortage is leading to hundreds of criminal cases being dismissed

There are never enough lawyers to provide indigent defense, but the situation has gotten worse since the pandemic.

03.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Georges Naufal

Stressed out by politics? You’re not imagining it, and research shows that social media is largely to blame

Stressed out by politics? You’re not imagining it, and research shows that social media is largely to blame

Political content on social media finds you even if you’re not looking for it, and it tends to do so through a sensationalized and emotionally...

03.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Stephen Neely

Formerly incarcerated Black men say they’re ‘doing OK’ while trying to cope with depression and PTSD

Formerly incarcerated Black men say they’re ‘doing OK’ while trying to cope with depression and PTSD

A nurse scientist interviewed 29 formerly incarcerated Black men in Philadelphia to understand how they address their mental health needs.

03.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Helena Addison

Are heroes born or made? Role models and training can prepare ordinary people to take heroic action

Are heroes born or made? Role models and training can prepare ordinary people to take heroic action

Heroes take a personal risk for the common good. Some people may just be born with the personality traits of a hero – but anyone can get ready to...

03.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Catherine A. Sanderson

A Plan B for space? On the risks of concentrating national space power in private hands

A Plan B for space? On the risks of concentrating national space power in private hands

What does it mean for national security if access to Earth’s orbit depends largely on one company?

03.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Svetla Ben-Itzhak

The inspiring and tragic story of Mabel Stark, America’s most famous female tiger trainer

The inspiring and tragic story of Mabel Stark, America’s most famous female tiger trainer

Long before Joe Exotic became Tiger King, Mabel Stark reigned as Tiger Queen.

03.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Alessandro Meregaglia

Welcome to the ‘gray zone’ − home to nefarious international acts that fall short of outright conflict

Welcome to the ‘gray zone’ − home to nefarious international acts that fall short of outright conflict

Nations are becoming adept at provocations that fall in the area between routine peacetime actions and open warfare.

03.03.2026 9

The Conversation

Andrew Latham, Opinion Contributor

Iran’s targeting of airport, ports and hotels in reaction to US strikes has forced Gulf nations onto front lines of a war they want no part in

Iran’s targeting of airport, ports and hotels in reaction to US strikes has forced Gulf nations onto front lines of a war they want no part in

Qatar, the UAE and other Gulf nations have spent years cultivating an image of being an oasis of stability in the Mideast. The current war risks...

03.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen

‘Destruction is not the same as political success’: US bombing of Iran shows little evidence of endgame strategy

‘Destruction is not the same as political success’: US bombing of Iran shows little evidence of endgame strategy

As US bombing operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya have shown, destruction is not the same as political success.

02.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Farah N. Jan

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s killing plays into Shiite Islam’s reverence for martyrs, but not for all Iranians

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s killing plays into Shiite Islam’s reverence for martyrs, but not for all Iranians

Khamenei was a deeply polarizing figure in Iran – perceived by some as a martyr and others as an oppressor.

02.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Eric Lob

Failure of US‑Iran talks was all too predictable — but turning to military strikes creates dangerous unknowns

Failure of US‑Iran talks was all too predictable — but turning to military strikes creates dangerous unknowns

Silence from the US side after a third round of indirect talks and frustration expressed by President Donald Trump set the stage for military strikes.

02.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Nina Srinivasan Rathbun

Why are so many statues naked? An art historian explains this tradition’s ancient roots

Why are so many statues naked? An art historian explains this tradition’s ancient roots

Nudity can express everything from innocence to sexual desire, from triumph to defeat.

02.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Anna Swartwood House

What decades of research reveal about involuntary substance use treatment – and why evidence points elsewhere

What decades of research reveal about involuntary substance use treatment – and why evidence points elsewhere

Many cities are considering involuntary substance use treatment as a solution to drug use among the homeless. But research doesn’t support this...

02.03.2026 2

The Conversation

Susan e. collins