Afghans' lives upended by rapid collapse

America’s moral responsibility for the tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan

Michael Blake, University of Washington

A political philosopher argues why the current situation in Afghanistan should weigh heavily on the American conscience.

Will recent political instability affect Haiti’s earthquake response? We ask an expert

Louise K. Comfort, University of Pittsburgh

Devastating quake came weeks after the assassination of Haiti’s president. A scholar of disaster preparedness explains the concept of ‘cascading crises’ and how other countries can help stabilize Haiti.

Climate change is relentless: Seemingly small shifts have big consequences

Kevin Trenberth, National Center for Atmospheric Research

What might sound like small changes – temperatures another tenth of a degree warmer, sea level a few centimeters higher – have big consequences for the world around us.

As Colorado River Basin states confront water shortages, it’s time to focus on reducing demand

Robert Glennon, University of Arizona

A long-expected federal drought declaration underlines how serious the Colorado River water shortage has become for Western states.

Organic food has become mainstream but still has room to grow

Kathleen Merrigan, Arizona State University

Four out of five Americans regularly buy some kind of organic food. An expert on the industry says more federal support could greatly expand organic farming and its environmental benefits.

Schools can reopen safely – an epidemiologist describes what works and what’s not worth the effort

Brandon Guthrie, University of Washington

Vaccinations, masks and some distancing – along with low community transmission – can help protect students in classrooms and cafeterias.

Nursing home residents and staff are traumatized from the pandemic - collaborative care can help with recovery

Nancy Kusmaul, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

COVID-19 hit long-term care facilities hard. Addressing the trauma that residents and staff endured is key to regaining trust in a space that may no longer feel safe.

When the NCAA permitted colleges to pay stipends to student-athletes, the colleges also raised their estimated expenses

Willis A. Jones, University of Miami

New research shines the light on how colleges can inflate living expense estimates to offer bigger stipends to student-athletes.

An AI expert explains why it’s hard to give computers something you take for granted: Common sense

Mayank Kejriwal, University of Southern California

Common sense is a broad and diverse set of abilities that help define what it means to be human. AI researchers are struggling to endow computers with it.

Canadian election 2021: Voters head to the polls with the pandemic, climate change top of mind

Stewart Prest, Simon Fraser University

From sunny ways to heat domes, much has changed since 2015. Justin Trudeau must convince voters he’s their best bet for pandemic and economic security, and to deal with climate change.

Inside the warped world of incel extremists

Charlie Tye, University of York

Jake Davison, the gunman in the UK’s worst mass shooting in a decade, has been linked to the ‘Incel’ movement – but what what do incels really believe?

There’s no end to the damage humans can wreak on the climate. This is how bad it’s likely to get

Andrew King, The University of Melbourne; Nerilie Abram, Australian National University; Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, UNSW

Academic research can shed light on crucial questions about what life on Earth will be like under the most plausible emissions scenarios. And a warning: the answers are confronting.

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