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AI agents arrived in 2025 – here’s what happened and the challenges ahead in 2026

AI agents arrived in 2025 – here’s what happened and the challenges ahead in 2026

In artificial intelligence, 2025 marked a decisive shift. Systems once confined to research labs and prototypes began to appear as everyday tools....

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Thomas Şerban Von Davier

The ‘sacred’ pledge that will power the relaunch of far-right militia Oath Keepers

The ‘sacred’ pledge that will power the relaunch of far-right militia Oath Keepers

Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia, announced in November 2025 that he will relaunch the group after it disbanded...

yesterday 5

The Conversation

Alexander Lowie

LA fires showed how much neighborliness matters for wildfire safety – schools can do much more to teach it

LA fires showed how much neighborliness matters for wildfire safety – schools can do much more to teach it

On Jan. 7, 2025, people across the Los Angeles area watched in horror as powerful winds began spreading wildfires through neighborhood after...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Elizabeth A. Logan

Has the Fed fixed the economy yet? And other burning economic questions for 2026

Has the Fed fixed the economy yet? And other burning economic questions for 2026

The U.S. economy heads into 2026 in an unusual place: Inflation is down from its peak in mid-2022, growth has held up better than many expected,...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

D. Brian Blank

What loving-kindness meditation is and how to practice it in the new year

What loving-kindness meditation is and how to practice it in the new year

A popular New Year’s resolution is to take up meditation – specifically mindfulness meditation. This is a healthy choice. Regular mindfulness...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Jeremy David Engels

West Coast levee failures show growing risks from America’s aging flood defenses

West Coast levee failures show growing risks from America’s aging flood defenses

In recent weeks, powerful atmospheric river storms have swept across Washington, Oregon and California, unloading enormous amounts of rain. As...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Farshid Vahedifard

Who thinks Republicans will suffer in the 2026 midterms? Republican members of Congress

Who thinks Republicans will suffer in the 2026 midterms? Republican members of Congress

The midterm elections for Congress won’t take place until November, but already a record number of members have declared their intention not to run...

26.12.2025 3

The Conversation

Charlie Hunt

Deepfakes leveled up in 2025 – here’s what’s coming next

Deepfakes leveled up in 2025 – here’s what’s coming next

Over the course of 2025, deepfakes improved dramatically. AI-generated faces, voices and full-body performances that mimic real people increased in...

26.12.2025 3

The Conversation

Siwei Lyu

Midlife weight gain can start long before menopause – but you can take steps early on to help your body weather the hormonal shift

Midlife weight gain can start long before menopause – but you can take steps early on to help your body weather the hormonal shift

You’re in your mid-40s, eating healthy and exercising regularly. It’s the same routine that has worked for years. Yet lately, the number on the...

26.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Vinaya Gogineni

New materials, old physics – the science behind how your winter jacket keeps you warm

New materials, old physics – the science behind how your winter jacket keeps you warm

As the weather grows cold this winter, you may be one of the many Americans pulling their winter jackets out of the closet. Not only can this extra...

26.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Longji Cui

Resolve to network at your employer’s next ‘offsite’ – research shows these retreats actually help forge new connections

Resolve to network at your employer’s next ‘offsite’ – research shows these retreats actually help forge new connections

What do you do when an announcement about an “offsite” hits your work inbox? Chances are you might sigh and begrudgingly add the event to your...

26.12.2025 2

The Conversation

Madeline Kneeland

How the ‘slayer rule’ might play a role in determining who will inherit wealth from Rob Reiner and his wife

How the ‘slayer rule’ might play a role in determining who will inherit wealth from Rob Reiner and his wife

The fatal stabbings of filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, the photographer and producer Michele Singer Reiner, have sparked widespread...

22.12.2025 4

The Conversation

Naomi Cahn

West Antarctica’s history of rapid melting foretells sudden shifts in continent’s ‘catastrophic’ geology

West Antarctica’s history of rapid melting foretells sudden shifts in continent’s ‘catastrophic’ geology

Due to its thick, vast ice sheet, Antarctica appears to be a single, continuous landmass centered over the South Pole and spanning both hemispheres...

22.12.2025 5

The Conversation

Christine Siddoway

The celibate, dancing Shakers were once seen as a threat to society – 250 years later, they’re part of the sound of America

The celibate, dancing Shakers were once seen as a threat to society – 250 years later, they’re part of the sound of America

Director Mona Fastvold’s new film, “The Testament of Ann Lee,” features actor Amanda Seyfried in the titular role: the English spiritual seeker who...

22.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Christian Goodwillie

From truce in the trenches to cocktails at the consulate: How Christmas diplomacy seeks to exploit seasonal goodwill

From truce in the trenches to cocktails at the consulate: How Christmas diplomacy seeks to exploit seasonal goodwill

President Donald Trump is reportedly setting his sights on a Christmas peace deal in the Ukraine-Russia war. The timing is apt. Every December,...

20.12.2025 4

The Conversation

Andrew Latham

As DOJ begins to release Epstein files, his many victims deserve more attention than the powerful men in his ‘client list’

As DOJ begins to release Epstein files, his many victims deserve more attention than the powerful men in his ‘client list’

The U.S. Department of Justice has made a partial release of documents from what’s become known collectively as the “Jeffrey Epstein files,”...

19.12.2025 4

The Conversation

Stephanie A. Martin

How to reduce gift-giving stress with your kids – a child psychologist’s tips for making magic and avoiding tears

How to reduce gift-giving stress with your kids – a child psychologist’s tips for making magic and avoiding tears

As a child, I loved being the center of attention. So it was a problem when my baby brother was born a day before my birthday. For years, I would...

19.12.2025 2

The Conversation

Angela J. Narayan