
Climate Change is Disrupting Animals’ Brains. Here’s How
Shifting temperatures disrupt the cues animals rely on to navigate their environment
Curated by professional editors, The Conversation offers informed commentary and debate on the issues affecting our world.

Climate Change is Disrupting Animals’ Brains. Here’s How
Shifting temperatures disrupt the cues animals rely on to navigate their environment

This Is How Often People Lie in a Day
Deception researchers investigate under what circumstances we are liable to let loose a whopper

Morbid Curiosity Is Linked to Conspiracy Theories
Those fascinated with true crime podcasts may be more vulnerable to conspiratorial beliefs

Here’s Why States Are Suing Meta for Hurting Teens with Facebook and Instagram
Researchers have documented that social media can harm teens

Spicy Food Probably Doesn’t Cause Long-Term Harm
While spicy food can cause pain, it isn’t linked to higher mortality rates

Why Is the Sky Dark Even Though the Universe Is Full of Stars?
The darkness of the night sky offers a profound insight on the nature of the cosmos

‘Virtual’ Power Plants Give the Grid Vital Flexibility
Virtual power plants are aggregations of electricity producers, consumers and storers that power grid managers can call on to balance electricity demand and supply

Climate Change Is Making Saltwater Intrusion Worse in Coastal Areas
A hydrogeologist explains the shifting balance between fresh and salt water at the coast as sea levels rise

Zoom Time May Be Linked to Discontent with One’s Own Appearance
How do people make peace with the image reflected back at them in a video conference?

How AI Could Help China and Russia Meddle in U.S. Elections
ChatGPT and similar AI programs give propagandists and intelligence agents a powerful new tool for interfering in politics. The clock is ticking on learning to spot this disinformation before the 2024 election

How Can We Trust AI If We Don’t Know How It Works
Trust is built on social norms and basic predictability. AI is typically not designed with either

The Chemistry behind Bourbon
How does bourbon, “America’s spirit,” get its distinctive taste and color?

Your Body Odor Could Be Used to Track Your Movements or Health
Human scent signatures could one day be collected at places like crime scenes and COVID testing sites

Online Ads Can Infect Your Device with Spyware
An investigative report reveals that new spyware can slip in unseen through online ads—and there is currently no defense against it

How to Address ‘Medical Gaslighting’
When doctors tell a patient “It’s all in your head,” that’s medical gaslighting. Here’s how to address an issue that disproportionately impacts the health of women, LGBTQ individuals and the elderly

‘Budget Ozempic’ Weight-Loss Trend Raises Safety Concerns
The new social media trend “budget Ozempic” promotes laxatives and stool softeners for weight loss, but these drugs are dangerous if misused

Physicists Explain How Heat Kills Machines and Electronics
Extreme heat can slow and even damage electronics ranging from computers to cars

Reading for Pleasure Helps Kids’ Brain Development
The simple and fun act of reading for pleasure in early childhood produces better cognition, mental health and educational attainment in adolescence

Social Media Algorithms Warp How People Learn from Each Other
Social media companies’ drive to keep you on their platforms clashes with how people evolved to learn from each other

How Archaeological Methods Are Helping Identify Victims of the Hawaii Wildfires
Identifying wildfire victims through DNA is difficult, but archaeological methods can help

There Are No U.S. ‘Climate Havens’ from Heat and Disaster Risk
Even supposed “climate havens” in the U.S. face a riskier future, and infrastructure often isn’t built to handle climate change. But there are steps cities can take to prepare

ChatGPT and Other Language AIs Are Nothing without Humans
Language model AIs seem smart because of how they string words together, but in reality, they can’t do anything without many people guiding them every step of the way

The Fast, Furious and Brutally Short Life of an African Male Lion
From the moment a male lion is born, it faces a gauntlet of challenges, ranging from snakebite to infanticide

A Heroic Effort Aims to Save Florida’s Coral Reefs from Record Heat
As waters off Florida hit abnormally hot temperatures, volunteer divers are rescuing corals to ride out the heat wave in giant tanks on land