By Georges Naufal, Associate Research Scientist, Public Policy Research Institute, Texas A&M University
Emily Naiser, Associate research scientist, Texas A&M University
The Oregon Supreme Court on Feb. 5, 2026, issued a ruling that will have a wide impact. More than 1,400 criminal cases had to be dismissed, the justices ruled, due to lack of adequate counsel available for defendants.
Like other states, Oregon must provide defendants with legal representation if they cannot afford attorneys on their own. But Oregon has less…
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By Anné H. Verhoef, Professor in Philosophy, North-West University
When we seek happiness, what exactly are we searching for? And when we wish happiness on someone else, what is it that we truly desire for them?
Can happiness even be defined or is it an illusion, an impossible desire to fulfil? So then why are there so many happiness self-help books? What do they promise and can they be attained? Is it possible to measure happiness? If so, how do ordinary people and scientists do that?
To answer these questions, I explored different definitions of happiness in my book Happiness,…
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By André Wessels, Senior Professor (Emeritus) and Research Fellow, Department of History, University of the Free State
A naval exercise off the South African coast in January 2026, dubbed Will for Peace and involving the warships of South Africa, China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran, elicited international and domestic controversy. It also contributed to a further souring of relations between South Africa and the US.
Under…
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By Wale Fatade, Commissioning Editor: Nigeria, The Conversation
Obesity – which the World Health Organization classifies as a disease – is not just an individual issue; it is shaped by the systems people live in. Research shows that urbanisation, economic status and food marketing strategies, for example, play a role along with more personal factors.
More than 890 million adults were living with obesity worldwide…
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By Martin Hébert, Full Professor, Département d'anthropologie, Université Laval
Maxime Polleri, Assistant Professor, Anthropology, Université Laval
Complacency about the serious challenges the world is facing is not an option. But the idea that we are almost at the point of no return via the Doomsday Clock isn’t helpful.
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By Barry Molloy, Associate Professor, School of Archaeology, University College Dublin
Linda Fibiger, Programme Co-Director MSc in Human Osteoarchaeology, University of Edinburgh
The earliest mass graves in Europe date back just over 7,000 years. They reveal brutal evidence for violence beyond the simple act of killing. The motives for these events are probably diverse but consistently highlight an intention to kill large numbers of enemies across sex and age ranges.
Our study of a 2,850-year-old massacre and resulting mass grave at Gomolava (modern day Serbia) shows the nature of mass killings evolving. Comprised mostly of women and girls, the grave suggests a shift in prehistoric…
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By Becky Alexis-Martin, Lecturer in Peace Studies and International Development, University of Bradford
Why do people start wars even though it hurts their country too – and they might lose?
Grace, 9, Belfast
Before governments, countries and writing, there was war. People have always fought with each other. Archaeologists have discovered skeletons with weapon injuries that are over 10,000 years old.
Wars are very serious because they hurt people and the environment. They happen for many different reasons, and each war is different. People who start wars often think that…
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By Andrew Robert Donaldson, Senior Research Associate, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town
If growth is the metric that counts, this is not yet the turning point that will deliver rising living standards and jobs for all.
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By Craig L. Anderson, Professor, HEC Paris Business School
New research based on student journalling reveals how American and Chinese cultural standpoints wildly differ in how they make sense of awe.
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By Katie Edwards, Commissioning Editor, Health + Medicine and Host of Strange Health podcast, The Conversation
Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol
Light therapy sounds wholesome. Clean. Almost pastoral. Sit in front of a lamp. Feel better.
In our latest episode of the Strange Health podcast, we discovered that it can also mean strapping on a flashing mask and watching your own brain generate kaleidoscopic hallucinations behind closed eyelids.
The spark for this episode was a stroboscopic light device called the Lumenate Nova, promoted on social media…
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