New studies suggest millions with mild cognitive impairment go undiagnosed, often until it’s too late

Medicare covers an annual well-check visit that could potentially identify cognitive issues, but only about half of beneficiaries take advantage of them.

Ying Liu, Research Scientist, Center for Economic and Social Research, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences • conversation
March 21, 2024 ~6 min

AI vs. elections: 4 essential reads about the threat of high-tech deception in politics

Using disinformation to sway elections is nothing new. Powerful new AI tools, however, threaten to give the deceptions unprecedented reach.

Eric Smalley, Science + Technology Editor • conversation
March 18, 2024 ~8 min


Why do trees need sunlight? An environmental scientist explains photosynthesis

Trees – and all plants – harvest sunlight to gain the energy they need to live and grow.

Rebekah Stein, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Quinnipiac University • conversation
March 11, 2024 ~6 min

Rare access to hammerhead shark embryos reveals secrets of its unique head development

Because hammerhead sharks give birth to live young, studying their embryonic development is much more complicated than harvesting some eggs and watching them develop in real time.

Gareth J. Fraser, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, University of Florida • conversation
March 8, 2024 ~5 min

How to set your child up for reading success

An expert has some tips for parents about what you can do early on to help your child go from learning to read to reading to learn.

Jill Pease-Florida • futurity
March 8, 2024 ~6 min

Omega-3 fatty acids are linked to better lung health, particularly in patients with pulmonary fibrosis

Essential fats found in fish and nuts are tied to many protective health benefits. Researchers found they may also slow decline of lung function and prolong the lives of pulmonary fibrosis patients.

John Kim, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia • conversation
Feb. 27, 2024 ~5 min

‘Swarm of one’ robot is a single machine made up of independent modules

‘Loopy’ is a multicellular robot inspired by biology and designed to react to its environment without instructions on how to do so.

Trevor Smith, PhD Candidate in Mechanical Engineering, West Virginia University • conversation
Feb. 26, 2024 ~5 min

Candidates’ aging brains are factors in the presidential race − 4 essential reads

Both men have faced criticism about what can appear to be obvious signs of aging, including questions about their memory and cognitive abilities.

Jeff Inglis, Politics + Society Editor, The Conversation US • conversation
Feb. 16, 2024 ~5 min


Don’t let ‘FDA-approved’ or ‘patented’ in ads give you a false sense of security

Most people don’t know what these labels really mean − and advertisers take advantage of that fact.

Michael Mattioli, Professor of Law and Louis F. Niezer Faculty Fellow, Indiana University • conversation
Feb. 14, 2024 ~4 min

AI helps students skip right to the good stuff in this intro programming course

Learning to program requires mastering the nitty-gritty of code syntax. Generative AI turns out to be good at that. Adding AI to intro programming courses frees students to focus on problem-solving.

Daniel Zingaro, Associate Professor of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, University of Toronto • conversation
Feb. 6, 2024 ~5 min

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