What is hydroelectric energy and how does it work?
How does flowing water make electricity? An engineer explains hydroelectric generation.
November 14, 2022
275
Technology
What is Mastodon? A social media expert explains how the 'federated' network works and why it won't
The turmoil at Twitter has many people turning to an alternative, Mastodon. The social media platform does a lot of what…
November 11, 2022
363
How cancer cells can become immortal – new research finds a mutated gene that helps melanoma defeat
One enzyme plays a key role in how tumor cells replicate and divide indefinitely. Identifying the genes that give these…
November 10, 2022
335
Dung beetle mothers protect their offspring from a warming world by digging deeper
Everyone is feeling the heat these days – even species that develop underground.
November 9, 2022
519
8 billion humans: How population growth and climate change are connected as the 'Anthropocene engine
The UN estimates the global population will pass 8 billion people on Nov. 15, 2022. From the Stone Age to today, here’s…
November 3, 2022
504
Understanding how news works can short-circuit the connection between social media use and vaccine h
Researchers identified a connection between low levels of media literacy and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in people who consume…
November 3, 2022
207
Mass migration from Twitter is likely to be an uphill battle – just ask ex-Tumblr users
The communities that call Twitter home might decide to pack their bags. If they do, they are unlikely to be able to completely…
November 3, 2022
220
Women get fewer chances to speak on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, according to an AI-powered, large-scale
An analysis of hundreds of thousands of interactions on cable news programs shows that women interrupt more often than men…
November 2, 2022
564
Water was both essential and a barrier to early life on Earth – microdroplets are one potential solu
The chemical reaction that forms essential biomolecules like proteins and DNA normally doesn’t occur in the presence of…
November 2, 2022
353
A blood test that screens for multiple cancers at once promises to boost early detection
Multicancer early detection tests are among the priorities of the Biden administration’s Cancer Moonshot. The tests show…
October 31, 2022
820
Who sees what you flush? Wastewater surveillance for public health is on the rise, but a new survey
Public health officials monitor sewage in local communities to track COVID, polio, flu and more. But no one asks the people…
October 31, 2022
407
Emperor penguins get Endangered Species Act protection – with 98% of colonies at risk of extinction
Emperor penguins survive in a ‘Goldilocks zone’ between too much sea ice and too little. Climate change is having an…
October 31, 2022
488
The White House's 'AI Bill of Rights' outlines five principles to make artificial intelligence safer
Many AI algorithms, like facial recognition software, have been shown to be discriminatory to people of color, especially…
October 28, 2022
712
Newly discovered species of bacteria in the microbiome may be a culprit behind rheumatoid arthritis
A new species of bacteria that doesn’t normally live in the gut may trigger an immune response so strong that it spreads…
October 27, 2022
439
From radiation to water pollution to cities, humans are now a driver of evolution in the ‘natural’ w
In this week’s episode of The Conversation Weekly, we speak with three scientists who study the ways plants and animals…
October 27, 2022
238
Drugs – 4 essential reads on how they're made, how they work and how context can make poison a medic
Despite technological advancements, many challenges remain in getting a drug from lab to pharmacy shelf. Reframing what…
October 26, 2022
259
Most Americans do trust scientists and science-based policy-making – freaking out about the minority
It’s tempting to focus on the minority of Americans who hold negative views about scientists. But blaming others for their…
October 25, 2022
266
Using the ocean to fight climate change raises serious environmental justice and technical questions
From planting mangroves to dumping minerals in the ocean, there are lots of ideas for ocean carbon dioxide removal – and…
October 24, 2022
794
Intuitions about justice are a consistent part of human nature across cultures and millennia
What people consider to be fair and just today are in line with the laws of ancient Mesopotamia and the Tang Dynasty in…
October 21, 2022
529
Signatures of alien technology could be how humanity first finds extraterrestrial life
The technology of an advanced alien civilization is likely to produce many signs that could be detected across the vastness…
October 21, 2022
318