By Ornob Alam, Postdoctoral Associate in Evolutionary Biology, New York University
New genomic tools let scientists dig into the family trees of crops like rice, corn and adzuki beans to learn more about how they transitioned from wild plants to domesticated crops.
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By Saar Shahar, PhD Candidate in English, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Joshua Reynolds’ 1776 ‘Portrait of Omai’ portrays a commoner from Tahiti as a nobleman, reflecting European fantasies and assumptions about Pacific cultures.
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By Daniella McCahey, Assistant Professor of History, Texas Tech University
Jean de Pomereu, Research Affiliate, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge
When Belgian American particle physicist Francis Halzen was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin,” it was a reminder that for more than a century, scientists have treated Antarctica’s environments as windows…
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By Zachary Handlos, Atmospheric Science Educator, Georgia Institute of Technology
Storms big and small can produce a lot of rain. What matters most is how fast they’re moving, as an atmospheric scientist and educator explains.
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By Dorian Rhea Debussy, Lecturer of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, The Ohio State University
A scholar of LGBTQ+ politics looks at how Democratic campaigns in Texas and Ohio are shifting on trans issues and what that could mean for control of Congress.
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By Rafael R. Ioris, Professor of Modern Latin America History, University of Denver
More than 119 million Brazilians voted on Oct. 4, 2026, in the national elections to select the country’s next president and the governors of all 27 states, among other government officials.
That’s nearly 75% of the approximately 159 million eligible voters. Unlike in the U.S., voting is mandatory in Brazil…
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By Tamir Sorek, Liberal Arts Professor of Middle East History, Penn State
Elor Azaria, who killed a wounded Palestinian assailant, had his criminal record cleared. It follows a history of such pardons and reduced sentences.
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By Dileepa Ediriweera, Health Data Scientist, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
As many as 7 million people could be experiencing snake envenoming in a year, based on a literature review and geostatistical modelling study.
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By Lydia Namatende-Sakwa, Associate Research Scientist, African Population and Health Research Center
“Me who is a poor person, do I have the luxury to have depression? No, it is only you who is rich that has the luxury to have depression.”
This statement, shared by a research participant in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, captures a persistent misconception: that depression belongs to wealthy people or those whose lives are comfortable enough to permit…
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By Lyal White, Director of the Porter Institute Africa Hub, Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria
Economic reform is usually judged by its numbers: inflation, deficits, growth. Less attention goes to the beliefs and habits that decide whether people will accept those numbers, and for how long.
Based on my research on comparative political economy and strategy in Africa, Asia and Latin America, there’s an argument to be made that Argentina under President Javier Milei offers an unusually clear view of that psychology at work as well as useful insights into South Africa’s economic path.
Javier…
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