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The Conversation
A patient in a CT scanner.

Could CT scans be fuelling a future rise in cancer cases, as a new study suggests?

Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

Why does Putin insist Ukranians and Russians are ‘one people’? The answer spans centuries of colonisation and resistance

Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Australian Catholic University

Why does Putin insist Ukranians and Russians are ‘one people’? The answer spans centuries of colonisation and resistance
Cambodia’s haunted present: 50 years after Khmer Rouge’s rise, murderous legacy looms large

Sophal Ear, Arizona State University

A young man looks over a pile of weapons.
A century after its discovery, scientists capture first confirmed footage of a colossal squid in the deep

Kat Bolstad, Auckland University of Technology

gif of squid swimming
Woolly rhino looks at wombat

If we must bring back extinct species, let’s focus on the giant herbivores

Timothy Neal Coulson, University of Oxford

Daniel Noboa speaks after election results show him being re-elected as president of Ecuador.

Ecuador: can freshly re-elected Daniel Noboa govern a country in crisis?

Nicolas Forsans, University of Essex

In trade war with the US, China holds a lot more cards than Trump may think − in fact, it might have a winning hand

Linggong Kong, Auburn University

Two men in suits stand and point.
Iran and US to enter high-stakes nuclear negotiations – hampered by a lack of trust

Ali Bilgic, Loughborough University

A woman walks outside the former US embassy in Tehran which is decorated with murals showing US and Iran in negotiations.
What lies ahead for South Korea after the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol?

Yoon Walker, SOAS, University of London

People gather to celebrate Yoon's impeachment during a rally in Seoul, South Korea.
China’s new underwater tool cuts deep, exposing vulnerability of vital network of subsea cables

John Calabrese, American University

A man in a fluorescent vest works on a beach.
Hungary’s exit from the International Criminal Court is a sign of the times

Michal Ovadek, UCL

Benjamin Netanyahu and Viktor Orban.
Pikachu protesters, Studio Ghibli memes and the subversive power of cuteness

Yii-Jan Lin, Yale University

A protester wearing a yellow mask of a cartoon character poses while making a peace symbol with their right hand.
Myanmar military’s ‘ceasefire’ follows a pattern of ruling generals exploiting disasters to shore up control

Tharaphi Than, Northern Illinois University

A man in military garb stands on a military vehicle.
Will Africa’s young voters continue to punish incumbents at the ballot box in 2025? We are about to find out

Richard Aidoo, Coastal Carolina University

A group of young man celebrate in the street.
Do Inuit languages really have many words for snow? The most interesting finds from our study of 616 languages

Do Inuit languages really have many words for snow? The most interesting finds from our study of 616 languages

Charles Kemp, The University of Melbourne; Ekaterina Vylomova, The University of Melbourne; Temuulen Khishigsuren, The University of Melbourne, and Terry Regier, University of California, Berkeley

Cancer hijacks your brain and steals your motivation − new research in mice reveals how, offering potential avenues for treatment

Adam Kepecs, Washington University in St. Louis

Despondent cancer patient wearing knit hat and nasal cannula sitting on hospital bed with another person holding their shoulders
Earth’s oceans once turned green – and they could change again

Cédric M. John, Queen Mary University of London

Emerald sea at sunset.
US and Russia squabble over Arctic security as melting ice opens up shipping routes

Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham

A ship in front of an iceberg, Disko Bay, Greenland.
Illustration of evolution of humanity from primates to an unknown future with a blue light.

How AI could influence the evolution of humanity – podcast

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

river flows through large valley

China plans to build the world’s largest dam – but what does this mean for India and Bangladesh downstream?

Mehebub Sahana, University of Manchester

‘Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber’: nutrition experts on the viral TikTok trend

Lauren Ball, The University of Queensland and Pui Ting Wong (Pearl), The University of Queensland

‘Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber’: nutrition experts on the viral TikTok trend
Ethiopia’s civil war: what’s behind the Amhara rebellion?

Amanuel Tesfaye, University of Helsinki and Yared Debebe, University of Gondar

A group of people holding up their arms in tight fists, wearing T-shirts that say 'I am Fano'
Chinese barges and Taiwan Strait drills are about global power projection − not just a potential invasion

Colin Flint, Utah State University

A bridge extending from a barge in the water.
How the small autonomous region of Puntland found success in battling Islamic State in Somalia

Ido Levy, American University

A group of men wearing military fatigues.
A man waving from the door of a vehicle as a crowd surrounds him near a petrol station with a red, white, black and green flag waving in the middle of the crowd

Sudan’s war isn’t nearly over – armed civilian groups are rising

Mohamed Saad, Charles University

A terracota cup with two drinking handles

Uncorking the past: new analysis of Troy findings rewrites the story of wine in the early bronze age

Stephan Blum, University of Tübingen

Ukraine deal: Europe has learned from the failed 2015 Minsk accords with Putin. Trump has not

Natalya Chernyshova, Queen Mary University of London

Angela Merkel and François Hollande sat next to each other at a table.
Former Brazilian president Bolsonaro will stand trial over alleged coup attempt

Felipe Tirado, King's College London

Former Brazilian president Bolsonaro will stand trial over alleged coup attempt
What is a ‘revisionist’ state, and what are they trying to revise?

Andrew Latham, Macalester College

People sit around a large conference table.
Kids cheering ‘chicken jockey!’ at A Minecraft Movie isn’t antisocial – it creates a chance for us to connect

Sophia Staite, University of Tasmania

Movie still: a zombie on a chicken.
A plume of black and grey smoke is seen with distances in the foreground.

How power imbalance, misread signs and strategic blunders clouded Hamas’ judgment over Gaza ceasefire

Mkhaimar Abusada, Northwestern University

Signal chat group affair: unprecedented security breach will seriously damage US international relations

Robert Dover, University of Hull

US president Donald Trump sits in the cabinet room in the White House next to his chief of staff, Susie Wils, and a group of senior officials.
What does Egypt’s plan to rebuild Gaza involve and what challenges does it face?

Rafik Omar, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Palestinians walk among the rubble of a destroyed city.
Islamic State in Somalia: the terrorist group’s origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats

Stig Jarle Hansen, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Men in combat uniforms, carrying weapons
Wild meat is eaten by millions, but puts billions at risk – how to manage the trade

Delia Grace, International Livestock Research Institute ; Hung Nguyen-Viet, International Livestock Research Institute , and Steve Staal, International Livestock Research Institute

Pieces of dried meat and carcasses hanging in a row

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Life and art

Ono playing piano and Lennon playing guitar

One to One: John & Yoko – documentary shows how Lennon and Ono shaped protest music, pop culture and each other

Stephanie Hernandez, University of Liverpool

Amadou Bagayoko: the blind Malian musician whose joyful songs changed west African music

Amadou Bagayoko: the blind Malian musician whose joyful songs changed west African music

Lucy Durán, SOAS, University of London

Environment

Ecological disruptions are a risk to national security

Bradley J. Cardinale, Penn State; Emmett Duffy, Smithsonian Institution, and Rod Schoonover, Georgetown University

A person uses a chain saw to cut logs next to a massive tree stump.
Chewing gum is plastic pollution, not a litter problem

David Jones, University of Portsmouth

gum on paving near plant
How the world fell in love with plastic without thinking through the consequences – podcast
Listen
Plastic waste at a recycling plant.
Greenland’s fossil fuel ban is up in the air after recent election

Lukas Slothuus, University of Sussex

A yellow truck with an oil tank on the bank in a snowy street.

Health

Early-onset Alzheimer’s: new drug shows promise in slowing the disease

Rahul Sidhu, University of Sheffield

A digital rendering of amyloid plaques forming between neurons in the brain.
Europe had worst measles outbreak since 1997 – new data

Michael Head, University of Southampton

A phial of MMR vaccine.
Do any non-drug treatments help back pain? Here’s what the evidence says

Rodrigo Rossi Nogueira Rizzo, Neuroscience Research Australia and Aidan Cashin, Neuroscience Research Australia

Man holds low back
Bug drugs: bacteria-based cancer therapies are finally overcoming barriers

Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

Graphic of a cancer in the crosshairs of a rifle.

Ukraine war

Coverage from across the network

Science and Technology

Scientists in Antarctica: why they’re there and what they’ve found

David William Hedding, University of South Africa

A small boat drives through melted ice with a backdrop of ice bergs and shelves.
Everything you say to an Alexa speaker will be sent to Amazon – starting today

Kathy Reid, Australian National University

Everything you say to an Alexa speaker will be sent to Amazon – starting today
You’ve heard of the Big Bang. Now astronomers have discovered the Big Wheel – here’s why it’s significant

Themiya Nanayakkara, Swinburne University of Technology

A large orange galaxy with spiral arms and smaller galaxies around it.
The female explorers who braved the wilderness but were overlooked by the history books

Sarah Lonsdale, City St George's, University of London

hut and lighthouse, by the coast, black and white image

Business and economy

Why Americans care so much about egg prices – and how this issue got so political

Clodagh Harrington, University College Cork

A sign in a US shop saying they had sold out of eggs.
Are the glory days of German carmakers gone forever?

Pietro Micheli, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick

brand new cars lined up at a volkswagen dealership
Protectionism has a long history in the US – so its return should not be all that surprising

Steve Schifferes, City St George's, University of London

delegates at a trump rally in 2024 hold an America First sign
Pennsylvania’s mushroom industry faces urgent labor shortage − and latest immigration policies will likely make it worse

Hazel Velasco Palacios, Penn State and Kathleen Sexsmith, Penn State

Man holds flashlight in one hand and touches white button mushrooms with other

The Conversation Weekly Podcast

Syria after Assad: why many Syrian refugees aren’t returning home

Charlotte Al-Khalili, University of Sussex and Melissa Gatter, University of Sussex

Insights
Group of young boys play basketball with refugee camp in background.
A glimpse into a surreal abyss: how COVID ravaged a remote city in the Amazonian jungle – podcast

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

A doctor in front of two oxygen tanks in Iquitos, Peru.
Taung child: the controversial story of the fossil discovery that proved humanity’s common origins in Africa – podcast

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

Cast of the Taung child fossil skull.
Scam Factories: the inside story of Southeast Asia’s brutal fraud compounds

Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Justin Bergman, The Conversation, and Matt Garrow, The Conversation

Scam Factories: the inside story of Southeast Asia’s brutal fraud compounds
Subscribe to The Conversation Weekly podcast

Scam factories series

Aerial view of a large compound

‘We could hear the screams until midnight’: life inside Southeast Asia’s brutal fraud compounds

Ivan Franceschini, University of Melbourne; Ling Li, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice; The Conversation Digital Storytelling Team

Scam Factories: the inside story of Southeast Asia’s brutal fraud compounds
Scam Factories: the inside story of Southeast Asia’s brutal fraud compounds
‘I thought about escaping every day’: how survivors get out of Southeast Asia’s cybercrime compounds – Scam Factories podcast, Ep 3
Listen
A man who was trafficked to a scam compound.
‘Your life becomes a nightmare’: how scam operations exploit those trapped inside – Scam Factories podcast, Ep 2
Listen
A man who was trafficked to a compound praying.
‘It seemed like a good job at first’: how people are trafficked, trapped and forced to scam in Southeast Asia – Scam Factories podcast, Ep 1
Listen
Buildings under construction in Sihanoukville.

Israel-Gaza war

Coverage from across the network

Most read this week

1.
In trade war with the US, China holds a lot more cards than Trump may think − in fact, it might have a winning hand

Linggong Kong, Auburn University

In trade war with the US, China holds a lot more cards than Trump may think − in fact, it might have a winning hand
2.
This chart explains why Trump backflipped on tariffs. The economic damage would have been huge

James Giesecke, Victoria University and Robert Waschik, Victoria University

This chart explains why Trump backflipped on tariffs. The economic damage would have been huge
3.
Wild meat is eaten by millions, but puts billions at risk – how to manage the trade

Delia Grace, International Livestock Research Institute ; Hung Nguyen-Viet, International Livestock Research Institute , and Steve Staal, International Livestock Research Institute

Wild meat is eaten by millions, but puts billions at risk – how to manage the trade
4.
China plans to build the world’s largest dam – but what does this mean for India and Bangladesh downstream?

Mehebub Sahana, University of Manchester

China plans to build the world’s largest dam – but what does this mean for India and Bangladesh downstream?
5.
Earth’s oceans once turned green – and they could change again

Cédric M. John, Queen Mary University of London

Earth’s oceans once turned green – and they could change again
6.
New modelling reveals full impact of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs – with the US hit hardest

Niven Winchester, Auckland University of Technology

New modelling reveals full impact of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs – with the US hit hardest