Martin Rees, University of Cambridge Neil Armstrong took his historic “one small step” on the Moon in 1969. And just three years later, the last Apollo astronauts left our celestial neighbor. Since then, hundreds of astronauts have been launched into space but mainly to the Earth-orbiting International Space Station. None has, in fact, ventured moreContinue reading “Artemis: why it may be the last mission for Nasa astronauts”
Tag Archives: the conversation
How parents can play a key role in the prevention and treatment of teen mental health problems
Toria Herd, Penn State and Sarah A. Font, Penn State More than 44% of teens reported persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness in the first half of 2021, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The early 2022 report, which was based on an online survey, also found that nearlyContinue reading “How parents can play a key role in the prevention and treatment of teen mental health problems”
How can you tell if something is true? Here are 3 questions to ask yourself about what you see, hear and read
Bob Britten, West Virginia University Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. How can I tell if what I am hearing is true? – Adam, age 10, Maui, Hawaii Have you ever heard a story so excitingContinue reading “How can you tell if something is true? Here are 3 questions to ask yourself about what you see, hear and read”
Religions have long known that getting away from it all is good for the mind, body and spirit
Kristen Lucken, Brandeis University Summer vacations are coming to an end – though not everyone took one. Under federal law, U.S. companies aren’t required to offer a single paid vacation day, compared to the at least 20 required in the European Union. About 1 in 4 U.S. workers don’t receive any, and even among thoseContinue reading “Religions have long known that getting away from it all is good for the mind, body and spirit”
How cancer cells can become immortal – new research finds a mutated gene that helps melanoma defeat the normal limits on repeated replication
Pattra Chun-On, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences and Jonathan Alder, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences A defining characteristic of cancer cells is their immortality. Usually, normal cells are limited in the number of times they can divide before they stop growing. Cancer cells, however, can overcome this limitation to form tumors and bypass “mortality” byContinue reading “How cancer cells can become immortal – new research finds a mutated gene that helps melanoma defeat the normal limits on repeated replication”
Why inequality is growing in the US and around the world
Fatema Z. Sumar, Harvard Kennedy School U.S. income inequality grew in 2021 for the first time in a decade, according to data the Census Bureau released in September 2022. That might sound surprising, since the most accurate measure of the poverty rate declined during the same time span. But for development experts like me, thisContinue reading “Why inequality is growing in the US and around the world”
Japan’s ‘waste not, want not’ philosophy has deep religious and cultural roots, from monsters and meditation to Marie Kondo’s tidying up
Kevin C. Taylor, University of Memphis The word “waste” is often frightening. People fear not making the most of their time, whether at work or at leisure, and failing to live life to the fullest. Warnings against waste run especially deep in Japanese culture. Many Americans are familiar with the famous decluttering technique of organizationContinue reading “Japan’s ‘waste not, want not’ philosophy has deep religious and cultural roots, from monsters and meditation to Marie Kondo’s tidying up”
How Bob Dylan used the ancient practice of ‘imitatio’ to craft some of the most original songs of his time
Raphael Falco, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Over the course of six decades, Bob Dylan steadily brought together popular music and poetic excellence. Yet the guardians of literary culture have only rarely accepted Dylan’s legitimacy. His 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature undermined his outsider status, challenging scholars, fans and critics to think of Dylan asContinue reading “How Bob Dylan used the ancient practice of ‘imitatio’ to craft some of the most original songs of his time”
Alzheimer’s might not be primarily a brain disease. A new theory suggests it’s an autoimmune condition.
Donald Weaver, University of Toronto https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/alzheimer-s-might-not-be-primarily-a-brain-disease–a-new-theory-suggests-it-s-an-autoimmune-condition- The pursuit of a cure for Alzheimer’s disease is becoming an increasingly competitive and contentious quest with recent years witnessing several important controversies. In July 2022, Science magazine reported that a key 2006 research paper, published in the prestigious journal Nature, which identified a subtype of brain protein calledContinue reading “Alzheimer’s might not be primarily a brain disease. A new theory suggests it’s an autoimmune condition.”
It’s time to take Kim Jong Un and his nuclear threats seriously
Sung-Yoon Lee, Tufts University As the West frets over the possibility of Vladimir Putin turning to nuclear weapons in Ukraine, there is a risk that similar threats posed by another pariah leader are not being treated as seriously – those of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. The isolationist East Asian nation has conducted seven nuclear-capableContinue reading “It’s time to take Kim Jong Un and his nuclear threats seriously”
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