The Conversation - A medical-debt vanishing act

Total solar eclipses, while stunning, can damage your eyes if viewed without the right protection

Geoffrey Bradford, West Virginia University

Now’s the time to get your hands on a pair of eclipse glasses in preparation for April’s display of celestial wonder.

Congress is failing to deliver on its promise of billions more in research spending, threatening America’s long-term economic competitiveness

Jason Owen-Smith, University of Michigan

A deal that avoided a shutdown also slashed spending for the National Science Foundation, putting it billions below a congressional target intended to supercharge American science research.

What is the Darien Gap? And why are more migrants risking this Latin American route to get to the US?

Sara McKinnon, University of Wisconsin-Madison

More than half a million people made the treacherous crossing in 2023 – far higher than in previous years.

Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier: the gangster behind the violence in Haiti who may have political aspirations of his own

Amalendu Misra, Lancaster University

Haiti is descending into anarchy, causing the gang leader behind the violence to emerge as the country’s most powerful leader.

Putin has no successor, no living rivals and no retirement plan – why his eventual death will set off a vicious power struggle

Robert Person, United States Military Academy West Point

A West Point professor of Russian politics and foreign policy looks at the future of Russia without Putin.

What the numbers say about diversity on corporate boards

Richie Zweigenhaft, Guilford College

Since the 1970s, corporate boards have included more women and minorities. But those gains are likely to change after a US Supreme Court ruling and increased conservative resistance.

Hopes that Biden will quit his reelection campaign ignore the differences – and lessons – of LBJ and 1968’s Democratic catastrophe

Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College

An unpopular president. A war that’s dividing the country. An upcoming election. What year is it?

How AI is shaping the music listening habits of Gen Z

Beatriz Ilari, University of Southern California; Lynne Snyder, University of Southern California

In the past, adolescents’ musical palettes were dominated by the Top-40 artists, creating a widely shared – if perhaps narrow – repertoire of musical knowledge.

Carbon-neutral beef? Argentina’s new certification could promote more climate-friendly livestock production – if it’s done right

Paul Winters, University of Notre Dame

Cattle are major producers of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But there are methods that can reduce their climate impact – if ranchers have incentive to use them.

Surviving fishing gear entanglement isn’t enough for endangered right whales – females still don’t breed afterward

Joshua Reed, Macquarie University; Leslie New, Ursinus College; Peter Corkeron, Griffith University; Rob Harcourt, Macquarie University

Even when female North Atlantic right whales survive entanglement in fishing gear, it may affect their future ability to breed, increasing the pressure on this critically endangered species.

Leprosy cases are rising in the US – what is the ancient disease and why is it spreading now?

Robert A. Schwartz, Rutgers University

People often think of leprosy as a bygone disease, relevant primarily in biblical times. But in fact, it is still present in more than 120 countries, and the US is seeing an uptick in cases.

Why Ramadan is called Ramadan: 6 questions answered

Despite its big night at the Oscars, ‘Oppenheimer’ is a disappointment and a lost opportunity

Salty foods are making people sick − in part by poisoning their microbiomes