The Conversation - Americans gave $485 billion in 2021

Pandemic’s impacts on how people live and work may change city centers for decades to come

Andrii Parkhomenko, University of Southern California; Eunjee Kwon, University of Cincinnati

Urban economics experts are creating simulated cities to forecast the effect that permanent telecommuting could have on city centers and housing.

Ukraine’s foreign legion may be new, but the idea isn’t

Joshua Holzer, Westminster College

Many countries welcome foreigners who want to join their military forces.

Predictable and consistent parental behavior is key for optimal child brain development

Tallie Z. Baram, University of California, Irvine

Parents are often the primary source of information that children receive from their environment. How consistent parents’ interactions with their children are matters.

Citizen science volunteers are almost entirely white

Bradley Allf, North Carolina State University; Caren Cooper, North Carolina State University

The homogeneity of citizen science volunteers undercuts the ability of these projects to bring science to underserved communities.

State funds for students at religious schools? Supreme Court says ‘yes’ in Maine case – but consequences could go beyond

Charles J. Russo, University of Dayton

Once again, the court has expanded the legal ways that public funds can be used for students at religious institutions.

How Octavia E. Butler mined her boundless curiosity to forge a new vision for humanity

Alyssa Collins, University of South Carolina

In an interview, scholar Alyssa Collins explains how her time spent plumbing the sci fi writer’s papers left her stunned by the breadth of her interests and the depth of her scientific knowledge.

What is a heat dome? An atmospheric scientist explains the weather phenomenon baking large parts of the country

William Gallus, Iowa State University

Heat domes are a dangerous part of summer weather.

What is curtailment? An electricity market expert explains

Theodore J. Kury, University of Florida

Sometimes wind and solar power produce more electricity than the local grid can handle. Better energy storage and transmission could move extra energy to where it’s needed instead of shutting it off.

Teacher burnout hits record high – 5 essential reads

Jeff Inglis, The Conversation

With teachers reporting record-high levels of burnout, and more burnout than any other profession in the US, scholars examine what’s going on and what it may mean for education.

Wiccan celebration of summer solstice is a reminder that change, as expressed in nature, is inevitable

A celebrated AI has learned a new trick: How to do chemistry

Why can’t you remember being born, learning to walk or saying your first words? What scientists know about ‘infantile amnesia’