The Conversation - 3D-printed guns a rising threat

Bob Dylan and the creative leap that transformed modern music

Ted Olson, East Tennessee State University

Just a few years into his career, Dylan decided he wanted to subvert the expectations of his fans – and rebel against industry forces intent on pigeonholing him and his work.

After Hurricane Helene, survivors have been in a race against time to protect family heirlooms, photographs and keepsakes

Nick Lehr, The Conversation

Disaster recovery isn’t just about repairing bridges, roads and homes. Conservationists from the Smithsonian were on the ground in North Carolina helping families piece their lives back together.

Climate change is making plants less nutritious − that could already be hurting animals that are grazers

Ellen Welti, Smithsonian Institution

Rising carbon dioxide levels in the air are making plants grow larger and faster, but diluting their nutritional content. This could threaten the health of herbivores worldwide.

In Disney’s ‘Moana,’ the characters navigate using the stars, just like real Polynesian explorers − an astronomer explains how these methods work

Christopher Palma, Penn State

Disney’s ‘Moana’ movies have brought a new level of excitement for astronomy and wayfinding, says an astronomer who regularly hosts planetarium shows.

2 populations of dark comets in the solar system could tell researchers where the Earth got its oceans

Darryl Z. Seligman, Michigan State University

Comets without tails, called dark comets, are a newly discovered space object. Now, astronomers know they come in 2 classes.

Language AIs in 2024: Size, guardrails and steps toward AI agents

John Licato, University of South Florida

The rubber met the road for language AIs in 2024. The hard realities led to new, smaller models and safety measures for the big ones. 2024’s R&D also set the stage for the next big thing: AI agents.

The ‘choking game’ and other challenges amplified by social media can come with deadly consequences

Steven Wolterning, Texas A&M University; Paige Williams, Texas A&M University

Although these activities have been around for decades, there are signs that some are making a comeback.

Santa, maybe? Why we have different names for who ‘hurries down the chimney’ on Christmas

Valerie M. Fridland, University of Nevada, Reno

You may call him Santa Claus, but the bearded guy in the red suit is a man known by many names. That doesn’t make him disreputable, just a reflection of changing American culture.

Climate of fear is driving local officials to quit – new study from California finds threats, abuse rampant

Rachel Locke, University of San Diego

Researchers surveyed hundreds of elected officials in three Southern California counties. They found 2 in 3 respondents had been threatened or abused – and that many worried for their safety.

Detroit’s reparations task force now has until 2025 to make its report, but going slow with this challenging work may not be a bad thing

Kamri Hudgins, University of Michigan; Erykah Noelle Benson, University of Michigan; Mara Ostfeld, University of Michigan; Vincent Hutchings, University of Michigan

19 US cities have introduced local reparations initiatives to address historic harms against Black residents. But designing a program that is both popular and sustainable isn’t easy.

What does the US attorney general actually do? A law professor explains

Jennifer Selin, Arizona State University

The combined political and legal roles and responsibilities of the US attorney general can create conflicts. Some attorneys general yielded to political pressure from the president – many did not.

The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz

Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation

Here’s a question from this week’s edition:

The 1965 holiday classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas" almost didn't make it onto the air because network executives were afraid of what?

1. A. Pushback from the aluminum tree industry
2. B. Telling the Nativity story in prime time
3. C. Angry complaints about "hippie dancing"
4. D. Angry complaints from anti-bullying groups

Test your knowledge

At 88, Pope Francis dances the tango with the global Catholic Church amid its culture wars

Twins were the norm for our ancient primate ancestors − one baby at a time had evolutionary advantages

What is an AI agent? A computer scientist explains the next wave of artificial intelligence tools