The Conversation - Vaccines and values

Blood tests are currently one-size-fits-all − machine learning can pinpoint what’s truly ‘normal’ for each patient

Brody H. Foy, University of Washington

A narrower, more personalized ‘normal range’ could help doctors better diagnose and treat disease in individual patients.

NASA’s crew capsule had heat shield issues during Artemis I − an aerospace expert on these critical spacecraft components

Marcos Fernandez Tous, University of North Dakota

It’s a good idea to make sure your spacecraft can take the heat that comes with reentering Earth’s atmosphere before you put people in it.

South Korea shook a presidential power grab – failure to impeach now risks damaging democracy

Myunghee Lee, Michigan State University; Sungik Yang, Arizona State University

In 1972, a South Korean president instigated a self-coup and succeeded. Understanding why – and why the latest attempt failed – helps explain how far the country’s democracy has progressed and how fragile it could become.

Assad’s fall in Syria will further weaken Hezbollah and curtails Tehran’s ‘Iranization’ of region

Mireille Rebeiz, Dickinson College

Lebanon – home to thousands of Syrian refugees – has long suffered at the hands of the Assad family’s 54-year rule.

15% of global population lives within a few miles of a coast − and the number is growing rapidly

Arthur Cosby, Mississippi State University; Viswadeep Lebakula, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Nearly 10% of the planet’s human inhabitants live within 3.1 miles of the coast − where the risk of climate disasters is often highest.

What’s next for Albertsons after calling off its $25B grocery merger with Kroger: More lawsuits

Christine P. Bartholomew, University at Buffalo

Turning two big supermarket companies into one even larger one could have harmed consumers and workers, the government said during its successful litigation.

Why winter makes you more vulnerable to colds – a public health nurse explains the science behind the season

Libby Richards, Purdue University

Cold and flu viruses often circulate more in the fall and winter, but there are some time-tested strategies for avoiding them, such as vaccines, handwashing and staying active.

We interviewed 30 Black public school teachers in Philadelphia to understand why so many are leaving the profession

Lynnette Mawhinney, Rutgers University - Newark; Leana Cabral, Columbia University

Experiences of racism affected Black teachers across the district but manifested in different ways depending on their school’s location.

Why the religious beliefs of Trump defense pick Pete Hegseth matter

Julie Ingersoll, University of North Florida

Hegseth’s Christian views have been shaped by a 20th-century movement, Christian Reconstruction, which seeks to make America a Christian nation built on biblical law, writes a religion scholar.

‘Administrative law’ sounds dry but likely will be key to success or failure of Trump’s plans for government reform

Sidney Shapiro, Wake Forest University

Changes in how government operates, and adjustments to rules and regulations, must go through an open democratic process whose steps and results can be challenged in the courts.

What the US Supreme Court will consider when it rules on gender-affirming care for trans children

Mark Satta, Wayne State University

The Supreme Court’s decision about a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming medical care for trans youth will determine how strongly the equal protection clause protects trans people.

US role in Syria is unclear in wake of Assad’s fall from power

Jordan Tama, American University School of International Service

The US has been involved in Syria in several important ways, including sanctioning Bashar al-Assad’s government for more than a decade.

Why distrust in powerful politicians is part of a functioning democracy

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

Political scientists Grant Duncan, talks to The Conversation Weekly podcast about what political trust means and how to rebuild it.

I’m a scholar of white supremacy who’s visiting all 113 places where Confederate statues were removed in recent years − here’s why Richmond gets it right

The chilling crime spree of The Order – and its lasting effect on today’s white supremacists

Polarization, brain rot and brat – the 2024 words of the year point to the power, perils and ephemeral nature of digital life