Category: Academic Analysis
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Water bears survive cosmic radiation with one DNA-protecting protein – learning how could boost human resilience, too
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA – By Tyler J. Woodward, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Iowa Tardigrades – also known as moss piglets – prefer damp environments, but they can survive just about anywhere. Thomas Shahan/Flickr, CC BY-SA A newly discovered protein from Earth’s toughest animal is inspiring breakthrough therapies for cancer and…
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‘My gender is like an empty lot’ − the people who reject man, woman and any other gender label
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA – By Canton Winer, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Northern Illinois University People who experience gender detachment don’t feel gender is important to how they understand themselves. gremlin/E+ via Getty Images When I asked Manisha to describe her gender identity, she gave a simple answer: “Meh.” “I don’t have…
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Polarizing political events are leading Americans to increasingly call for a national divorce
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ryan D. Griffiths, Professor of Political Science, Syracuse University A recent poll found that 64% of Americans think the country is too politically divided to solve the nation’s problems. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images The United States government has been shut down for nearly a month, yet another…
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With more Moon missions on the horizon, avoiding crowding and collisions will be a growing challenge
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mariel Borowitz, Associate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology Many companies and space agencies want to send satellites to orbit the Moon, and crowding could become a concern. European Space Agency ©ESA, CC BY-NC Interest in the Moon has been high – just in…
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How autism rates are rising – and why that could lead to more inclusive communities
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Joshua Anbar, Clinical Assistant Professor in Healthcare Administration and Policy, Arizona State University A wider variety of symptoms are included in the diagnostic definition of autism spectrum disorder today than when autism was first introduced as a mental health condition in 1980. Vladimir Vladimirov/E+ via…
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Signature size and narcissism − a psychologist explains a long-ago discovery that helped establish the link
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Richie Zweigenhaft, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Guilford College ‘I love my signature, I really do,’ President Donald Trump said on Sept. 30, 2025. ‘Everyone loves my signature.’ Yoan Valat, Pool photo via AP For years, Donald Trump’s distinctive, large and bold signature has captured the…
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Chinese controls on rare earths could create challenges for the west’s plans for green tech
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Chee Meng Tan, Assistant Professor of Business Economics, University of Nottingham Electric cars are reliant on rare earth minerals, and most are mined in China. Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock China recently announced that it was putting new controls on the export of rare earth elements, sparking a…
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Could tactical voting block Reform in future elections? Lessons from the Caerphilly byelection
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Thomas Lockwood, PhD Researcher in Politics, York St John University Plaid Cymru’s overwhelming victory in the recent Caerphilly Senedd byelection shattered over a century of political tradition. Lindsay Whittle took the seat with 15,691 votes. Labour, which had held the seat since it was created, came…
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The rise and fall of globalisation: the battle to be top dog
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Steve Schifferes, Honorary Research Fellow, City Political Economy Research Centre, City St George’s, University of London A world map showing the extent of the British Empire in 1886. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, Boston Public Library/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY This is the first…
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Is Halloween too scary for kids?
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Matthew Thompson, Lecturer in History and Communications, University of Southern Queensland Charles Parker/ Pexels It is easy to see Halloween as an inappropriate time for children. With its mixture of bloody costumes and scary themes, it can often feel like it is luring kids into…