What fueled Trump's win, and Harris' defeat?

Microplastics promote cloud formation, with likely effects on weather and climate

Miriam Freedman, Penn State; Heidi Busse, Penn State

Clouds affect Earth’s weather and climate in many ways. New research suggests that the presence of microplastic particles could alter these processes.

Military veterans are disproportionately affected by suicide, but targeted prevention can help reverse the tide

Jordan Batchelor, Arizona State University; Charles Max Katz, Arizona State University; Taylor Cox, Arizona State University

Statistics show that veterans die by suicide from firearms – a particularly lethal means of suicide – at a higher rate than in the general population.

Iran’s currency was already tumbling − and then news of Trump’s victory broke

Nader Habibi, Brandeis University

Iran’s rial fell against the dollar just as Trump was claiming victory. The 2 events are linked, argues an expert on the Iranian economy.

Massachusetts votes to keep its ‘subminimum wage’ for tipped workers

Jeannette Wicks-Lim, UMass Amherst; Jasmine Kerrissey, UMass Amherst

It’s unclear what raising the tipped minimum wage or getting rid of it altogether does to labor markets.

‘Yellowstone’ highlights Montana’s long-forgotten connection to the Confederacy

Randi Lynn Tanglen, University of North Dakota

The themes in the hit television series echo the social and political issues that the state has grappled with for decades.

Ballot measures to legalize recreational use of cannabis fail in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota

William Garriott, Drake University

Two medical measures in Nebraska passed decisively but face legal challenges.

2024’s quick win for Trump will go down in the history books alongside 1964 and 1980 Election Day landslides

Shannon Bow O'Brien, The University of Texas at Austin

In US history, there have been many memorable elections – including those involving quick, decisive wins and others subjected to drawn-out legal battles.

Now the Electoral College votes for president – 4 essential reads

Jeff Inglis, The Conversation

Voters have cast their ballots. Now the 2024 US presidential election comes down to the Electoral College.

The 4 ‘ashramas’ of Hinduism and what they can teach us about aging gracefully

Nandini Bhattacharya, Texas A&M University

The ancient classical texts of Hinduism taught that every age and stage of life need not be lived as a breathless race. They proposed living according to one’s natural capabilities.

Religions talk about the value of humility − but it can be especially hard for clergy to practice what they preach

Elise Ji Young Choe, Boston University; Steven Sandage, Boston University

Intellectual humility means being open to new ideas and other points of view – and for leaders, it can be a delicate balancing act.

Stories of gangsters who’ve left their life on the streets behind – podcast

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

Listen to The Conversation Weekly for an interview with gang expert Dennis Rodgers, and Gaz, a former gang leader from Sierra Leone.

Trump’s comeback victory, after reshaping his party and national politics, looks a lot like Andrew Jackson’s in 1828

Only 5.3% of welders in the US are women. After years as a writing professor, I became one − here’s what I learned

The racist ‘one-drop rule’ lives on in how Trump talks about Black politicians and whiteness in America