The Conversation - The myth of male employment

Anger, sadness, boredom, anxiety – emotions that feel bad can be useful

Heather Lench, Texas A&M University

Lots of people will do a lot to avoid feeling negative emotions. But researchers are figuring out how these unpleasant feelings actually have benefits.

Sugary handshakes are how cells talk to each other − understanding these name tags can clarify how the immune system works

Kelvin Anggara, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research

Sugar molecules called glycans cover the surface of all cells, acting as ID cards that broadcast what they are to the rest of the body.

Strong El Niño is starting to weaken after fueling a hot, stormy year, but it’s not done yet − an atmospheric scientist explains what’s ahead for 2024

Paul Roundy, University at Albany, State University of New York

The strong El Niño that started in 2023 will still have big impacts at least through March. Here’s what to watch for next.

Heart attacks, cancer, dementia, premature deaths: 4 essential reads on the health effects driving EPA’s new fine particle air pollution standard

Jennifer Weeks, The Conversation

On Feb. 7, 2024, the EPA strengthened the federal limit for annual levels of fine particulate air pollution, or PM2.5. Many serious health effects have been linked to PM2.5 exposure.

The Super Bowl gets the Vegas treatment, with 1 in 4 American adults expected to gamble on the big game

Thomas Oates, University of Iowa

What makes the NFL’s embrace of gambling so striking is that for most of its history, the league had pushed the government for stricter regulations – not more lenient ones.

Breastfeeding benefits mothers as much as babies, but public health messaging often only tells half of the story

Tisha Felder, University of South Carolina; Joynelle Jackson, University of South Carolina

Some states, especially in the Southeastern US, have large disparities in breastfeeding among racial groups, making clear the need to lower barriers for breastfeeding in the workplace and elsewhere.

Americans spend millions of dollars on Valentine’s Day roses. I calculated exactly how much

Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University

Coming to grips with the economics of roses can be a thorny issue.

What’s sociology? A sociologist explains why Florida’s college students should get the chance to learn how social forces affect everyone’s lives

Joya Misra, UMass Amherst

The boards that oversee the education of students enrolled in Florida’s public colleges and universities are trying to restrict enrollment in sociology courses on those campuses.

Russia’s fanning of anti-Israeli sentiment takes dark detour into Holocaust denialism

Peter Rutland, Wesleyan University

The Gaza war has complicated issues in Ukraine, with Putin looking to exploit events in the Middle East to garner support among the Global South.

With Pakistan’s most popular politician in jail and cynicism running high, can a new leader unite the country?

Samina Yasmeen, The University of Western Australia

With the military back on his side and his convictions quashed, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif could return to power in this week’s election.

Money and ageing: South African study shows cash grants help people live longer and have better memory function

Molly Rosenberg, Indiana University; Chodziwadziwa Whiteson Kabudula, University of the Witwatersrand; Kathleen Kahn, University of the Witwatersrand; Lindsay Kobayashi, University of Michigan

Nearly half of South Africa’s 60 million people receive social grants. Health experts say they improve cognitive health among the elderly.

More than 78 ‘friends’ of the Supreme Court offer advice on the 14th Amendment and Trump’s eligibility

Dietary supplements and protein powders fall under a ‘wild west’ of products that necessitate caveats and caution

Perils of pet poop – so much more than just unsightly and smelly, it can spread disease