Will inflation ruin back-to-school shopping?

The Soviet Union once hunted endangered whales to the brink of extinction – but its scientists opposed whaling and secretly tracked its toll

Ryan Jones, University of Oregon

The Soviet Union was a latecomer to industrial whaling, but it slaughtered whales by the thousands once it started and radically under-reported its take to international monitors.

The climate bill’s projected emissions cuts rely heavily on carbon capture – it would mean thousands of miles of pipeline

Wil Burns, American University School of International Service

One estimate suggests at least a sixth of all emissions cuts expected from the Inflation Reduction Act, expected to be voted on Friday, would come from carbon capture.

Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the world – new research

Jonathan Bamber, University of Bristol

The Arctic is on average around 3℃ warmer than it was in 1980.

What causes hives and how dangerous can they be? A nurse practitioner explains

Patricia A. MacCulloch, UMass Lowell

Hives are an allergic reaction and can sometimes be a sign of a more serious immune response.

What’s a banana republic? A political scientist explains

Matthew Wilson, University of South Carolina

The US grows hardly any tropical fruit. So why are politicians and political commentators saying the country is at risk of devolving into a banana republic?

Reducing gun violence: Indianapolis is trying programs ranging from job skills to therapy to violence interrupters to find out what works

Thomas D. Stucky, IUPUI

A burst of federal funding is letting Indianapolis expand existing efforts and try promising new approaches that other cities have developed.

India turns 75: Fast facts about the unusual constitution guiding the world’s most populous democracy

Deepa Das Acevedo, University of Alabama

Adopted in 1949, India’s original constitution has withstood the test of time to help shape the world’s largest democracy. But as India hits turbulent time, so does its landmark constitution.

The metaverse isn’t here yet, but it already has a long history

Tom Boellstorff, University of California, Irvine

The metaverse is still unfolding, but it has been developing for more than a century. Rudimentary virtual worlds have existed – in imagination and reality – since the days of the telegraph.

5 books and films that tell the story of the trauma of the Partition of India and its aftermath

Madhur Anand, University of Guelph; Ajay Verghese, Middlebury; Amitabh Mattoo, The University of Melbourne; Geetha Ganapathy-Doré, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord; Uditi Sen, University of Nottingham

On the 75th anniversary of India’s partition, scholars from the US, Canada, France, UK and Australia write about their favorite book or film that best explains the trauma of a violent division.

An interfaith discussion on the role of religion in mental health

Emily Costello, The Conversation; Thalia Plata, The Conversation

Academics and religious leaders address the role of faith and community in managing mental health issues in young people and society as a whole.

Bladed ‘Ninja’ missile used to kill al-Qaida leader is part of a scary new generation of unregulated weapons

Artisanal gold mining in South Africa is out of control

Part of the Japanese revolution in fashion, Issey Miyake changed the way we saw, wore and made clothes