By Jordi Díaz Marcos, Profesor departamento materiales y microscopista , Universitat de Barcelona
History can sometimes take an unexpected turn. One of these curious, revolutionary twists came in the mid-19th century, when the tale of an unassuming everyday object – the billiard ball – ended in cinematic proportions.
Billiard balls were originally made of ivory, and the need to replace this scarce material led to the invention of a new, extraordinary material: celluloid. Considered the first semisynthetic plastic, this substance did more than just pave the way for future plastics – it was also vital in the earliest systems for capturing and projecting moving images.
Without…
(Full Story)
|
By Emily Hodgson Anderson, Professor of English and Dean of Undergraduate Education, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Has our culture’s begrudging acceptance of ghostwriting paved the way for everyone – not just the rich and famous – to offload the hard work of writing?
(Full Story)
|
By Hannah Kinzer, Ph.D. Candidate in Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis
From bioweapons to biblical plagues, the bacteria that cause anthrax can persist for decades in harsh conditions and wreak havoc on people and cattle.
(Full Story)
|
By Christopher Briem, Regional Economist, Center for Social and Urban Research, University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh’s struggle to move beyond steel demonstrates that industry dominance is temporary. Other regions can learn from Pittsburgh’s slow economic recovery.
(Full Story)
|
By Claudia Strauss, Professor of Anthropology, Pitzer College
Getting SNAP benefits can already be hard, and due to legal changes Congress approved in 2025 it could get harder for many Americans.
(Full Story)
|
By Stylianos Syropoulos, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Arizona State University
Christina Jinhee Capozzoli, PhD Student in Sustainability, Arizona State University
Lea Barbett, Researcher in Community Psychology, FernUniversität in Hagen
When life feels overwhelming, many people instinctively turn to nature. A walk in a park. Sitting by the ocean. Watching a sunset. Is this just a pleasant feeling, or is there something deeper at work?
A multitude of studies have linked spending time in nature with different aspects of mental health and wellness. For example, immersing oneself in outdoor natural spaces seems to lift depression and influence brain activity patterns. The effect…
(Full Story)
|
By Dana Johnson, Postdoctoral Fellow in Health Disparities Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Laura D. Lindberg, Professor of Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rutgers University
Parental involvement laws and the stigma of teen pregnancy create significant barriers for teenagers seeking abortions. These factors are pushing teens to obtain abortion pills online.
(Full Story)
|
By Kaitlyn M. Sims, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, University of Denver; Institute for Humane Studies
Kaelyn Lara, Research Assistant, Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs, University of Denver
Leslie Carvalho, Masters student, Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs, University of Denver
As of July 2026, graduate degree programs in nursing, public health, social work, public policy and more will no longer be defined as professional degrees by the Department of Education.
The change limits how much federal financial aid students in those programs can qualify for under new borrowing limits set by the…
(Full Story)
|
By Susan Smith, Honorary Professor of Geography, University of Cambridge
Habermas was unshakeable in his conviction that people have minds of their own and are free to hope for a better future.
(Full Story)
|
By Martin Whyte, Associate Professor of Metabolic Medicine, University of Surrey
A new type of daily pill has proven more effective for weight loss and blood sugar control than its currently available counterparts, according to a recent trial. The drug, known as orforglipron, could be a game-changer in the rapidly expanding oral weight-loss drug market.
The advent of the injectable weight-loss drug semaglutide (known better by its brand names Wegovy and Ozempic) marked a distinct shift in the weight-loss drugs market when it became available just a few years ago.
Semaglutide is a class of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication. These drugs mimic…
(Full Story)
|