The Conversation - Will Israel become a theocracy?

Millions of Americans believe aromatherapy works – but for many doctors, it still doesn’t pass the smell test

Marian Reven, West Virginia University

As the evidence for aromatherapy trickles in, be wary of marketing ploys and possible risks posed by some of these products.

In search of the world’s largest freshwater fish – the wonderfully weird giants lurking in Earth’s rivers

Stefan Lovgren, University of Nevada, Reno

Freshwater megafish numbers have fallen by 94%, according to one study.

Decades of public messages about recycling in the US have crowded out more sustainable ways to manage waste

Michaela Barnett, University of Virginia; Leidy Klotz, University of Virginia; Patrick I. Hancock, University of Virginia; Shahzeen Attari, Indiana University

New research shows that Americans may have absorbed public messaging about the importance of recycling too well.

How well-managed dams and smart forecasting can limit flooding as extreme storms become more common in a warming world

Riley Post, University of Iowa

An engineer who managed dams for years explains the tradeoffs operators make as they decide when to release water and how much to stay safe.

NATO isn’t the only alliance that countries are eager to join – a brief history of the Five Eyes

Joshua Holzer, Westminster College

NATO gets the headlines, but the Five Eyes alliance is another close connection between key Western powers, and it may expand.

Calls for Judge Aileen Cannon to recuse herself from Trump’s criminal case don’t meet the standard of when a judge should step away

Peter A. Joy, Washington University in St Louis

Trump appointed Cannon to the bench, but that alone is not a good enough reason for her to recuse herself from the case.

Urban planning is often overlooked as a career – here are some ways to change that

Stephen Kofi Diko, University of Memphis; Danilo Palazzo, University of Cincinnati ; Leah Hollstein, University of Cincinnati

A project to upgrade a high school playing field led to a book on how to inspire more young people to pursue careers as urban planners.

Laughter can communicate a lot more than good humor – people use it to smooth social interactions

Adrienne Wood, University of Virginia

Laughter is so fundamental that animals like chimps, rats and dogs share the ability with humans. But in people it serves more serious social functions than just letting others know you’re having fun.

Horse health research will help humans stay healthy, too, with insights on reining in diabetes and obesity

Jane Manfredi, Michigan State University

Horses and humans share biological similarities that lead them to suffer from similar endocrine and orthopedic diseases. A number of treatments that work for one species often work for the other.

Women can now undertake Islamic pilgrimages without a male guardian in Saudi Arabia, but that doesn’t mean they’re traveling alone – communities are an important part of the religious experience

Iqbal Akhtar, Florida International University

A religion scholar argues that the communal nature of Islamic pilgrimage helps worshippers go through a physically demanding schedule and creates camaraderie that continues beyond the pilgrimage.

Is it really hotter now than any time in 100,000 years?

WHO expert cancer group states that the sweetener aspartame is a possible carcinogen, but evidence is limited – 6 questions answered

When Greenland was green: Ancient soil from beneath a mile of ice offers warnings for the future