Category: Analysis
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Israeli doctors reveal their conflicted stories of treating Palestinian prisoners held in notorious ‘black site’ Sde Teiman
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Merav Amir, Reader of Human Geography, Queen’s University Belfast Israeli military personnel outside the secretive Sde Teiman detention centre in the Negev desert, southern Israel. Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images At the end of our conversation, Nathan (a pseudonym) kept repeating, almost to himself: “Perhaps we…
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Canadian cities can prepare for climate change by building with nature
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Adam Skoyles, PhD Candidate, School of Planning, University of Waterloo A tree-lined street in downtown Vancouver providing shade to pedestrians. (Adam Skoyles), CC BY The housing affordability crisis is top of mind for many around the world, including Canadians. Between 2019 and 2024, house prices in…
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The world on the brink: Why governments must invest in peace, not just arms
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jenna Sapiano, Research Fellow, Peace Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa Global security indicators suggest a significant deterioration in peace and stability. By most accounts, the world is now more violent and more dangerous than at any point in recent history. In 2024, the number of state-based…
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Council tax is an unfair mess – here’s a system that could work better
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Cheshire, Professor Emeritus of Economic Geography, London School of Economics and Political Science r.nagy/Shutterstock Economists have argued for years that council tax in the UK was rushed in and badly thought out. After the poll tax fiasco of the early 1990s, a substitute was urgent.…
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Who’s got the power? Studies of male and female primates show it’s not simple
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Nikos Smit, Postdoc in evolutionary/behavioural ecology, University of Turku Our understanding of female-male power relationships in animals has changed over time. Evolutionary biologists once thought that male mammals held clear-cut power over females. Later, species with pronounced female power over males were presented as exceptions…
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Beta blockers: why are celebrities name-checking this drug?
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University A little blue pill is creating a stir in Hollywood – and no, it’s not Viagra. It’s propranolol, a beta blocker originally designed for heart conditions, that’s now making its way into dressing rooms, award ceremonies and…
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Refugee protection in Egypt: what’s behind the return train to Sudan
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Dina Wahba, Senior Researcher, Arnold Bergstraesser Institute, University of Freiburg A special train left the Egyptian capital of Cairo for Aswan, a town close to the border with southern neighbour Sudan, in July 2025. The train, publicised by the Egyptian government as shiny, air-conditioned and…
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For medieval people, the Moon was both a riddle and a blessing
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ayoush Lazikani, Lecturer in Medieval English, University of Oxford God creates the Moon and Sun in Guyart des Moulins’s Bible historiale (c.1420). British Library, Additional 18856, f. 5v. British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts Each night, the Moon glistens in the night sky, replete with all…
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5 ways students can think about learning so that they can learn more − and how their teachers can help
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Jerrid Kruse, Professor of Science Education, Drake University Learning is more than just memorization. FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images During my years teaching science in middle school, high school and college, some of my students have resisted teaching that educators call higher-order thinking. This includes…
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How a corpse plant makes its terrible smell − it has a strategy, and its female flowers do most of the work
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Delphine Farmer, Professor of Chemistry, Colorado State University The corpse plant’s bloom appears huge, but its flowers are actually tiny and found in rows inside its floral chamber. John Eisele/Colorado State University Sometimes, doing research stinks. Quite literally. Corpse plants are rare, and seeing one…