Russia's invasion of Ukraine isn't legal – but that may not matter

Digital sound archives can bring extinct birds (briefly) back to life

Hannah Hunter, Queen's University, Ontario

There are no more ivory-billed woodpeckers or Bachman’s Warblers on Earth, but they’ve left an echo behind.

A quick guide to climate change jargon – what experts mean by adaptation, carbon neutral and 6 other key terms

Wändi Bruine de Bruin, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

The language around climate change can feel overwhelming. A psychology and public policy expert breaks it down in plain English.

How a Black writer in 19th-century America used humor to combat white supremacy

Rodney Taylor, University of South Carolina

Black writers like Charles Chesnutt had to contend with a dilemma writers today know all too well: give the audience and editors what they want, or wallow in obscurity.

How long does protective immunity against COVID-19 last after infection or vaccination? Two immunologists explain

Prakash Nagarkatti, University of South Carolina; Mitzi Nagarkatti, University of South Carolina

Because COVID-19 is a relatively new virus, researchers still aren’t sure exactly how long vaccines and prior infections provide protection.

Russian invasion of Ukraine and resulting US sanctions threaten the future of the International Space Station

Wendy Whitman Cobb, Air University

What happens to the International Space Station when tensions on Earth rise? A space policy expert explains how the ISS is run and how Russian aggression has threatened its operation in the past – and now.

Can churches be protectors of public health?

Andrew Gardner, Hartford International University for Religion and Peace

Responses to COVID-19 health guidelines have been polarized, including in churches. But religious communities have a long history of involvement in public health.

A historian corrects misunderstandings about Ukrainian and Russian history

Ronald Suny, University of Michigan

History has many uses, and not all of them are noble. That’s very much the case as the public gets a crash course from politicians about Ukrainian history.

What are false flag attacks – and did Russia stage any to claim justification for invading Ukraine?

Scott Radnitz, University of Washington

Attacking your own side and blaming your foe has a long history and a firm grip on the popular imagination. But the internet makes it difficult to pull off – and less desirable.

A second look at the blue-eyes, brown-eyes experiment that taught third-graders about racism

Stephen G. Bloom, University of Iowa

Jane Elliott wanted her white students to experience what it was like for Black students. But instead of teaching about the root causes of racism, she engaged in cruelty and shame.

Ukraine conflict brings cybersecurity risks to US homes, businesses

Richard Forno, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Russia’s cyberattack capabilities can be applied to US targets, including regular Americans’ homes and businesses.

Military experts react to Ukraine invasion, assess potential for widespread aggression and risks to US

Carla Martinez Machain, Kansas State University; Liam Collins, United States Military Academy West Point; Susan Hannah Allen, University of Mississippi

The Conversation asked three scholars to briefly explain what this attack means for the people of Ukraine and the world.

Nuclear fusion record broken – what will it take to start generating electricity?

Daniel Merino, The Conversation; Gemma Ware, The Conversation

Plus, the social pressure some people feel to be happy in the world’s happiest countries. Listen to The Conversation Weekly.

Russia is using an onslaught of cyber attacks to undermine Ukraine’s defence capabilities

Five essential commodities that will be hit by war in Ukraine

Afghanistan’s libraries go into blackout: ‘It is painful to see the distance between people and books grow’