By Catherine A. Sanderson, Poler Family Professor of Psychology, Amherst College
Heroes take a personal risk for the common good. Some people may just be born with the personality traits of a hero – but anyone can get ready to act heroically.
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By Svetla Ben-Itzhak, Assistant Professor of Space and International Relations, Johns Hopkins University
Private companies are no longer peripheral participants in U.S. space activities. They provide key services, including launching and deploying satellites, transporting cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station, and even sending landers…
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By Alessandro Meregaglia, Associate Professor and Archivist, Boise State University
For the sharpest minds in show business, there’s always another hustle.
Take Joe Exotic, whose 2020 conviction for a murder-for-hire plot and violations of the Endangered Species Act hasn’t kept the eccentric tiger trainer out of the headlines.
Since beginning his 21-year sentence, the “Tiger King” star has started a cannabis brand, hawked digital art and begun work on an album tentatively titled “Jungle Rhapsody: A Tiger King…
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By Andrew Latham, Professor of Political Science, Macalester College
Hostile acts don’t always arrive with a clear signature.
Nefarious actors shape elections without leaving irrefutable evidence of ballot manipulation. Rogue states interfere with infrastructure through actions that resist clean attribution. State-backed hackers can warp information environments…
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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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