National intelligence director tells 'truth to power'

What is a self-coup? South Korea president’s attempt ended in failure − a notable exception in a growing global trend

John Joseph Chin, Carnegie Mellon University; Joe Wright, Penn State

There have been 46 attempted self-coups since the end of World War II – 80% have succeeded. So what went wrong for South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol?

White and Black activists worked strategically in parallel in Detroit 50 years ago, fighting for civil rights

Say Burgin, Dickinson College

As Detroit civil rights leaders in the 1960s deliberated how to harness white support for the movement, they struck upon an innovation that would strengthen the fight for civil rights across the US.

Long-standing American principle of birthright citizenship under attack from Trump allies

Carol Nackenoff, Swarthmore College; Julie Novkov, University at Albany, State University of New York

Since the earliest days of the nation, any person born on US soil is a US citizen.

Some black holes at the centers of galaxies have a buddy − but detecting these binary pairs isn’t easy

Marco Ajello, Clemson University; Jonathan Zrake, Clemson University

Most objects in the universe have been around for way longer than modern astronomy – digging into historical records can help scientists shed light on a cosmic mystery.

Bluesky isn’t the ‘new Twitter,’ but its resemblance to the old one is drawing millions of new users

Casey Fiesler, University of Colorado Boulder

Bluesky, the microblogging alternative to X, is having a moment. A social media researcher explains why people are flocking to it – and why it isn’t likely to recapture the early days of Twitter.

‘Lebanon wanted us gone … it was a risk to leave’ − Syrian refugees who fled Israeli bombs face hostility and uncertainty on return

Jasmin Lilian Diab, Lebanese American University

For many of Lebanon’s 1.5 million Syrian refugees, temporary crossing back into their war-torn homeland was a risk they felt they needed to take.

Prenatal supplements largely lack the recommended amount of omega-3 fatty acids to help prevent preterm birth − new research

Mary Scourboutakos, Eastern Virginia Medical School

Consuming adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from food sources can help offset the need for obtaining the nutrients from vitamins.

Can you choose to believe something, just like that?

Mark Boespflug, Fort Lewis College

Many philosophers cast doubt on ‘doxastic voluntarism’: the idea that we can control what we believe, just like that. So can people be held to account for their beliefs?

Avian flu virus has been found in raw milk − a reminder of how pasteurization protects health

Kerry E. Kaylegian, Penn State

Raw milk can carry many dangerous germs − now including the H5N1 virus that causes avian flu.

From grieving orcas to opposums playing dead: how animals respond to death

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

Philosopher Susana Monsó talks to The Conversation Weekly podcast about how animals understand death.

What South Korea’s short-lived martial law says about nation’s democracy and the autocratic tendencies of President Yoon

Do Mom and Dad really know what’s best? A psychologist explains why kids see their parents as bossier than they are

Wildland firefighters face up to $20,000 pay cut if Congress doesn’t act − that’s taking a toll on a workforce already under stress