The Conversation - How Russia hooked Europe on oil and gas

What is the ‘social cost of carbon’? 2 energy experts explain after court ruling blocks Biden’s changes

Jim Krane, Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University; Mark Finley, Rice University

The social cost helps regulators factor in harm from climate change when they consider new rules and purchases, like buying electric- vs. gas-powered trucks for the Postal Service.

How Sylvia Plath’s secret miscarriage transforms our understanding of her poetry

Jason Miller, North Carolina State University

Two poems that were originally excised from ‘Ariel,’ Plath’s seminal poetry collection, vividly channel the painful experience of losing an unborn child.

Physics and psychology of cats – an (improbable) conversation

Beth Daley, The Conversation; Thalia Plata, The Conversation

Have you wondered why cats are so nimble and seem to fit perfectly in cups, boxes, and other small places? Or how cats communicate with humans? A physicist and a psychologist explain.

Technology is revolutionizing how intelligence is gathered and analyzed – and opening a window onto Russian military activity around Ukraine

Craig Nazareth, University of Arizona

National security professionals and armchair sleuths alike are taking advantage of vast amounts of publicly available information and software tools to monitor geopolitical events around the world.

First gene therapy for Tay-Sachs disease successfully given to two children

Miguel Sena-Esteves, UMass Chan Medical School

Tay-Sachs is a rare and fatal neurodegerative disorder that most commonly affects children. Researchers have developed the first Tay-Sachs treatment to reach clinical trials.

What do students’ beliefs about God have to do with grades and going to college?

Ilana Horwitz, Tulane University

Researchers have spent decades studying how demographics affect American students’ opportunities and performance, but many questions remain about religion and school.

Why do people get diarrhea?

Hannibal Person, University of Washington

Poop comes in many shapes, sizes and textures. The kind that’s too runny might be the result of wayward germs, Crohn’s disease or lactose intolerance.

What the mythical Cupid can teach us about the meaning of love and desire

Joel Christensen, Brandeis University

A scholar of early Greek classics explains what the myth of the weapon-carrying god of love, Cupid, a child of the gods of love and war, conveys about the pleasures and dangers of desire.

For the birds? Hardly! Valentine’s Day was reimagined by chivalrous medieval poets for all to enjoy, respectfully

Jennifer Wollock, Texas A&M University

The view of Valentine’s Day as a day for lovers can be traced back to two medieval poets who stood up for romance and the freedom to choose.

50-year-old muscles just can’t grow big like they used to – the biology of how muscles change with age

Does outer space end – or go on forever?

Midlife isn’t a crisis, but sleep, stress and happiness feel a little different after 35 – or whenever middle age actually begins