The political standstill on US gun control

6 charts shows key role firearms makers play in America’s gun culture

Michael Siegel, Tufts University

A closer look at firearms sales reveals some interesting trends that should be part of America’s ongoing conversation about the root causes of gun violence.

Nasal COVID-19 vaccines help the body prepare for infection right where it starts – in your nose and throat

Mayuresh Abhyankar, University of Virginia

Research suggests that giving a person a vaccine through their nose can provide a better defense against future exposure to the coronavirus compared to a shot in the arm.

Mass shootings leave behind collective despair, anguish and trauma at many societal levels

Arash Javanbakht, Wayne State University

People who are directly affected by mass shootings may develop PTSD and depression. But those who are indirectly exposed to these tragedies can also experience profound and long-lasting grief.

Students are often segregated within the same schools, not just by being sent to different ones

Kari Dalane, American University School of Public Affairs

In middle school classes, students from lower-income families tended to be concentrated in just a few classrooms, new research from North Carolina has found.

Desegregating schools requires more than giving parents free choices – a scholar studies the choices parents of all races make

Chantal Hailey, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts

Inspired by her own experience with the education system, a professor of sociology explores how race and racism influence school choice and education.

Yes, Muslims are portrayed negatively in American media – 2 political scientists reviewed over 250,000 articles to find conclusive evidence

Erik Bleich, Middlebury; A. Maurits van der Veen, William & Mary

In examining media coverage of Muslims over a 21-year period, in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, scholars found that articles mentioning Muslims were far more negative than other faith groups.

Rivers can suddenly change course – scientists used 50 years of satellite images to learn where and how it happens

Vamsi Ganti, University of California Santa Barbara

Millions of people around the world live on river deltas and are vulnerable when those rivers shift direction. A new study shows why and where these events, called avulsions, happen.

Who really owns the oil industry’s future stranded assets? If you own investment funds or expect a pension, it might be you

Gregor Semieniuk, UMass Amherst; Philip Holden, The Open University

A study found $1.4 trillion in oil and gas industry assets would be at risk if governments follow through on their pledges to deal with climate change.

India and Pakistan’s heatwave is a sign of worse to come

Daniel Merino, The Conversation; Gemma Ware, The Conversation

And after India banned wheat exports in May due to the high temperatures, we find out how vulnerable crops are to extreme heat. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast.

Why a 110-million-year-old raptor skeleton should never have been sold at auction for over US$12M

Our Mars rover mission was suspended because of the Ukraine war – here’s what we’re hoping for next

Monkeypox is endemic in Nigeria. But surveillance isn’t what it should be