Biological sex is neither binary nor a spectrum – a biologist explains how it’s multidimensional
Each person is a mosaic of sex-related and postpubertal biological traits that vary in their degree of femaleness and maleness.
The Conversation – Articles (US)
Latest articles
US government is pushing to gain unprecedented access to your medical records – as data protections are weakening
Large datasets can be useful research tools, but current government efforts to gather medical records depend on policy and technology that falls short of protecting people’s privacy.
The real reason many Americans are cutting ties with their parents and siblings
Estrangement is rarely caused by childhood abuse or a pushy therapist. Instead, it reveals a collision between two ideas of what family should be.
AI companies look to the ocean as a place to put more data centers
Moving servers into the ocean does not make underlying environmental challenges disappear. And it creates new concerns as well.
Dealing with disasters increasingly requires a smartphone – losing access can be a nightmare, but there are ways to prepare
Mobile phones have become part of just about everyone’s emergency infrastructure. But what do you do when the power and service go out?
US teens are smoking and vaping less than their peers abroad
A new FDA survey finds some positive trends among young people in the US, though new forms of nicotine use like pouches have become a bit more popular.
If you think someone has an eating disorder, should you say something? A dietitian explains how to express concern without body shaming
Seeing a loved one lose significant weight or struggle with eating and exercise can be concerning. Approaching a conversation with respect and care can avoid the harms of speculation and silence.
How is deli meat made? The food science behind the turkey, ham and other cold cuts in your lunch
A long bath in brine is how deli meat gets its taste, texture and shelf life.
Plans to improve Michigan’s K-12 schools depend on how the state funds public education
Revenues for Michigan’s districts have failed to keep pace with inflation and the evolving needs of today’s students.
One of the most common brain disorders is one of the most misunderstood – how functional neurological disorder is both ‘all in your head’ and beyond it
Millions of people suffer from debilitating symptoms their doctors don’t quite believe. But advances in neuroscience and education may be changing the tides for treatment.
Staying hopeful and true to oneself is a lesson these 5 kids books offer to kindergartners and other children
A children’s writer explains how ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ ‘The Rabbit Listened’ and other stories can help prepare kindergarten students for this next phase of life.
Small businesses at the gateways to America’s national parks face 4 big risks – including changing boundaries and extreme weather
Policy changes, climate disruption, staffing shortages and housing costs are reshaping the risks of owning or starting a gateway business.
Congress just passed a housing law that rewards states for reform — here’s why Colorado has a head start
A new federal law rewards states that ease housing rules. Colorado has been doing that for years, and its experience shows both what works and what does not.
Radio telescopes help scientists map molecules in space and uncover where and how stars form
Interstellar maps can help scientists find patterns that tell them about fundamental chemical processes in the cosmos.
How Imperial Japan turned to the sardine to help build a war machine
Dynamite made from fish oil was one weapon deployed by an assertive Japan in the early 20th century
Quitting alcohol changes the brain and can increase the risk of compulsive drinking – new research in mice
Alcohol abstinence alters brain activity in ways that may drive someone with alcohol use disorder to relapse.
Ancient forests took 100,000 years to recover from the last global warming period similar to today – Wyoming fossils reveal what happened
Understanding what happened in these forests 56 million years ago may help humanity recognize similar thresholds before we cross them again, the lead author of a new study writes.
Controlling wild pigs can work if it’s a group effort
Teaming groups of private landowners with federal efforts yielded measurable success, at least in terms of defending cornfields.
The false and the furious: We aren’t just bothered by different beliefs – we’re bothered when we think others are wrong
Differences in beliefs may not be what drives people apart. A belief that someone else is wrong may be the stronger force.
How American society shields perpetrators of child sexual abuse
A community – bystanders, law enforcement, colleagues and family – is likely to deny an atrocity when acknowledging it requires action.
Trump’s ‘forever’ tariffs are kicking in for the long haul – and US consumers are footing the bill
The effects of the Trump administration’s 2025 tariffs are still being passed on to consumers, while new levies will add to the overall tariff rate.
Teens are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support – here’s how to keep kids safe
Chatbots are becoming commonplace in teens’ lives, but these tools were never developed or validated for mental health support.
Wildfire-damaged historic buildings may not be as ruined as they appear, but saving them means acting fast
The damage is sometimes only centimeters deep. Three engineers explain the colors of burned masonry and other signs preservationists look for amid another destructive fire year.
‘Hello, just circling back!’ Not responding to emails is common across higher education but bad for morale
Several colleges and universities instruct students on how to navigate email communication on their campus, but more could consider the practice.
Exploring the Moon will require rovers that can think for themselves – an upcoming NASA mission will test whether they can
NASA’s CADRE mission will test a small team of autonomous rovers that can function without constant communication with Earth.
An AI agent spent your money – can anyone prove you authorized it?
AI agents cross company boundaries, but proof of their authority often does not. When they overstep, no single record shows what the user allowed.
Michigan’s local election officials are confident in voting integrity ahead of November’s midterm election
Despite their high confidence overall, almost half of surveyed election officials worried about the cost of running elections.
Layoffs tied to AI hurt worker productivity – and the reason may surprise managers
For too many companies, the adoption of artificial intelligence has become an AI hunger game that spreads fear rather than engagement.
As oil profits skyrocket, calls for windfall taxes rise
Oil companies are making massive profits and stockpiling cash, and holding off on changing their investment plans.
Green roofs can help cool cities in the summer heat, but building them is only the first step – many don’t survive
The success of green roofs depends on more than just good intentions and engineering – they need long-term love and care.
Executive order on vaccines bypasses an evidence-based process that has kept kids safe
The most important thing for parents to know is that the order does not change which vaccines are available to children and is not based on any new data about vaccine safety.
For refugees to the US, discrimination can make healthcare harder to get
Having health insurance or being eligible for care doesn’t guarantee that it is truly within reach.
‘Starwashing’: How space companies use the greenwashing playbook while engaging in environmentally damaging practices
Orbital data centers, space habitats, mining the Moon – despite taking place in space, the practices many companies are imagining will still affect the Earth.
China is shaping the future of open-source technology – including AI
Nations that lead the development of open-source technology will have a strategic edge for decades to come.
Michigan progressive Abdul El-Sayed won a combative Democratic nomination for US Senate – he’ll face new attacks this fall
Progressive Abdul El-Sayed will face Republican nominee Mike Rogers this November.
Don’t trust the name on the PAC
To manipulate voter perception, political action committees are adopting names that signal the opposite political goals from what those groups intend. And research shows the strategy is working.
Flesh-eating bacteria are devouring limbs in warming waters worldwide − here’s how to protect yourself
Warmer ocean waters are fueling the spread of the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus. Infections can lead to a rare but fatal condition called necrotizing fasciitis.
Wildfires can contaminate nearby homes and water systems – here’s what Spokane’s returning residents need to know
A home might appear fine, but toxic contamination isn’t always evident by sight or smell. An engineer share safety tips for the recovery.
A little-remembered Gilded Age millionaire helped make milk safe for American kids through his ‘retail giving’
His achievements as a philanthropist are not widely known today because he did not create a grantmaking foundation that outlasted him.
Concierges, adjunct professors, potato chip tasters: US employers are relying more and more on ‘disposable’ workers
About 1 in 3 US workers are in this predicament.
How state constitutions became the battleground for American rights and liberties – on both the left and right
State constitutions play a growing role in American politics. But turning to such documents to recognize rights and liberties is not a new project – nor is it an entirely liberal one.
The forgotten racial history of Alligator Alcatraz
The recently shuttered immigrant detention facility continued a long tradition of using alligators in ways that have reinforced demeaning racial stereotypes.
Emerging anti-immigration sentiment in Japan obscures a surprising history of strategic engagement with Islam
A false rumor started in the early 20th century that the Japanese emperor would convert to Islam. It helped Japan build alliances with Muslims across Asia.
New tech adds phone tracking to license plate readers, associating devices with identifiable cars
License plate readers are widely used in the US. A new product marketed to police departments promises to add the ability to sense phones and other devices in passing cars.
Chronic pain is missing from America’s heat warnings
Chronic pain can make it hard to walk, carry groceries or sleep through the night. A new study finds that extreme temperatures are linked to that kind of pain.
Criminal gangs have diversified across Latin America, making them more resilient – but not untouchable
Crackdowns may suppress some forms of gang activity without dismantling their economic structures.
Cyclospora spreads through human waste – so how did it get on food?
US sewage treatment plants likely don’t get rid of all the disease-causing protozoa, and monitoring discharged wastewater for it is difficult.
Lightning strikes kill thousands globally each year, but for those who survive, the storm is far from over
Most lightning strike survivors have no visible scars, but their invisible injuries often go untreated.
Class, let’s watch a short video – more than 75% of teachers say they use YouTube in the classroom
New research shows that YouTube is used not just as an occasional supplement, but as a staple of classroom instruction.
A Colorado jail hasn’t allowed in-person visits in nearly 20 years – here’s what research says about visitation’s effects
Nearly all county jails across Colorado’s Front Range allow prisoners to visit with their loved ones only virtually.