Stories by The Conversation US

Punch, a monkey that went viral after he was abandoned by his mother in a Japanese zoo, is reminiscent of a foundational attachment theory experiment

Space's microgravity appears to shift the location of the brains of astronauts—without a clear effect on their health

As Earth’s temperature rises, fewer places will be suitable for hosting the Winter Olympics

The puzzle of time remains one of the most persistent obstacles to a unified theory of physics

There’s a scientific reason your OJ tastes funny after you brush your teeth

Capsizing icebergs are violently clashing with the crumbling end of the Doomsday Glacier

Sleep is often the first thing that many people associate with rest, but humans also require restorative downtime when awake

A neurologist explains why weather changes from heat waves to thunderstorms might bring on painful headaches

Newly discovered “Gwada-negative” is the rarest of 48 known blood groups

A hydrologist explains why Texas Hill Country is known as Flash Flood Alley and how its geography and geology can lead to heavy downpours and sudden, destructive floods

Switching on air-conditioning during extreme heat doesn’t have to make us feel guilty—it can actually boost power grid reliability and help bring more renewable energy online

For people aged 65 and older, Medicaid can provide vital health care—and losing coverage makes people sicker

The largest hail tends to form in “supercell” thunderstorms and seems to be becoming more common as climate change continues

Agreeing to disagree on too many topics can put a strain on relationships. Conversational tactics such as looping and reframing may help

Much of the U.S. uses single-stream recycling, where plastic, glass and paper go into one bin. Here’s what happens to that material and ways engineering is trying to improve the process

The late Pope Francis supported global climate agreements, advocated for Indigenous people and inspired activism

The decades-long struggle to find a permanent place to dispose of nuclear waste in the U.S. will continue, probably for many years to come

Scrolling on social media at bedtime is particularly disruptive to sleep. Here’s why

Critical minerals are in demand around the world for military, technological and other uses. A geoscientist shares what’s known about Ukraine’s reserves, which could help the country recover from war

A new report finds that butterfly populations in the continental U.S. declined by one fifth between 2000 and 2020—but it’s not too late

Scientists with a new theory about how Earth’s early continents formed predicted where a superold impact crater should be—then found it

The current system of daylight saving time and early school start times wastes billions while causing more car accidents, workplace injuries and health issues

NOAA and the NWS provide public weather data that private companies cannot recreate

A geographer explains how maps’ place names, such as the Gulf of Mexico and Denali, are decided