Tens of millions of Americans are unhappy with both the Democratic and Republican parties.

A public policy scholar looks at the structural barriers to giving voters a third choice — even when a billionaire like Elon Musk wants to start one.

https://theconversation.com/elon-musks-plans-for-a-new-political-party-will-likely-be-derailed-by-a-us-political-system-hostile-to-new-voices-261334 #news #politics #politicssucks

A staggering 10-20% of Americans report a penicillin allergy, yet fewer than 1% actually have one.

This misconception can lead to less effective treatments and increased antibiotic resistance, a pharmacist explains #news #health #medicine https://theconversation.com/are-you-really-allergic-to-penicillin-a-pharmacist-explains-why-theres-a-good-chance-youre-not-and-how-you-can-find-out-for-sure-253839

The witch hunts of 1400-1780 and today's #misinformation crisis have striking parallels.

Both were fueled by new #media technologies that allowed false information to spread rapidly and widely

#news #witchhunt https://theconversation.com/from-printing-presses-to-facebook-feeds-what-yesterdays-witch-hunts-have-in-common-with-todays-misinformation-crisis-260995?utm_medium=nostr&utm_source=social

#Israel isn’t the first country to target nuclear scientists to keep its enemies from getting the bomb.

Two political scientists who have documented more than 100 cases say that, in addition to the ethical issues, it’s not clear that this is an effective strategy

https://theconversation.com/nuclear-scientists-have-long-been-targets-in-covert-ops-israel-has-brought-that-policy-out-of-the-shadows-259263

#News #Iran

Over 95% of incarcerated people will eventually leave #prison.

Criminologists warn older inmates face unique challenges in housing, health care and reintegration after release.

https://theconversation.com/many-more-older-people-are-leaving-prison-and-face-unmet-needs-for-housing-and-health-care-as-well-as-a-tangle-of-groups-trying-to-help-244593

#News #Newstr #CriminalJustice

The fear of #deportation hangs over unauthorized workers trying to fight exploitation, but all workers in the U.S. have rights. A Latin American studies professor explores the complex reality for millions of undocumented #immigrants in the American workforce:

https://theconversation.com/the-fear-of-deportation-hangs-over-unauthorized-workers-trying-to-fight-exploitation-but-all-workers-in-the-us-have-rights-246865

Is "restraint" a more useful framework for US foreign policy than #isolationism? It may offer a middle path between disengagement and unrestrained global activism. A foreign policy scholar explains:

https://theconversation.com/what-is-isolationism-the-history-and-politics-of-an-often-maligned-foreign-policy-concept-245201

By Andrew Latham, Macalester College #diplomacy

“How are clouds’ shapes made?” asks Amanda, age 5, from Chile.

In our latest Curious Kids column, University of Albany environmental sciences professor Ross Lazear answers this fascinating question.

https://theconversation.com/how-are-clouds-shapes-made-a-scientist-explains-the-different-cloud-types-and-how-they-help-forecast-weather-247682

#curiouskids #weather

In 14th-century Avignon, women worked as fruit-sellers, tailoresses, tavern-keepers, butchers, candlemakers, carpenters, and even sword-makers. In “The Manly Priest”, historian Jennifer Thibodeaux reminds us 15% of households were headed by women.

https://theconversation.com/butchers-bakers-candlestick-makers-and-prostitutes-the-women-working-behind-the-scenes-in-papal-avignon-249345

#vatican #womenshistory

Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability. A new antioxidant material neutralizes brain-damaging molecules in mice, boosting recovery—offering hope for treatment. A materials science engineer explains:

https://theconversation.com/traumatic-brain-injuries-have-toxic-effects-that-last-weeks-after-initial-impact-an-antioxidant-material-reduces-this-damage-in-mice-247655

#BrainInjury #Neuroscience

Loving-kindness, or metta, is a form of love cherished in #Buddhism—vastly different from romantic love. A communications professor explores how it’s seen as “limitless” and “unbounded.”

https://theconversation.com/this-valentines-day-try-loving-kindness-meditation-246001

#ValentinesDay #Mindfulness

Chocoholics, brace yourselves. Cocoa farms in regions like Northeastern Brazil and West Africa are facing a drying climate, and cacao trees need humidity to thrive. Less rain = less chocolate. A geographer explains:

https://theconversation.com/why-the-price-of-your-favorite-chocolate-will-continue-to-rise-246227

#news #climatechange #valentinesday

#Happiness is often seen as a U-shaped curve: youthful joy, struggles in early adulthood, and a late-life upswing. But this trend doesn’t hold in low-income, nonindustrialized societies. An #anthropology professor explains:

https://theconversation.com/happiness-in-poorer-countries-does-not-follow-the-typical-u-shaped-curve-people-are-often-happiest-in-middle-age-243648

"As a 30-year #cybersecurity veteran, I find the activities of DOGE thus far concerning. Its broad mandate across government, seemingly nonexistent oversight, and the apparent lack of operational competence of its employees have demonstrated that DOGE could create conditions that are ideal for cybersecurity or data privacy incidents that affect the entire nation."

https://theconversation.com/is-doge-a-cybersecurity-threat-a-security-expert-explains-the-dangers-of-violating-protocols-and-regulations-that-protect-government-computer-systems-249111 #News #ElonMusk

#Nutrition advice is rife with #misinformation. A medical education specialist explains how to tell valid health information from pseudoscience

https://theconversation.com/nutrition-advice-is-rife-with-misinformation-a-medical-education-specialist-explains-how-to-tell-valid-health-information-from-pseudoscience-246478

#publichealth

Economists analyzed 400,000 #news stories about #capitalism and to determine whether it has fallen out of favor. To their surprise, they discovered that positive sentiment toward capitalism has been gradually increasing over time (#communism, too)

https://theconversation.com/is-capitalism-falling-out-of-favor-we-analyzed-400-000-news-stories-to-find-out-247086

#News #AI #media #economics

From #Buddhist hungry ghosts to Haitian #zombies, a unique class at Case Western Reserve University examines how different cultures imagine death, the #afterlife, and the boundaries of humanity.

https://theconversation.com/what-the-dead-the-uncanny-and-the-monstrous-tell-us-about-human-nature-243010

#News #HigherEd

#Evolution isn't a straight line. Research on fern reproduction reveals how plants can revert to simpler forms, highlighting the complex and unpredictable nature of evolutionary pathways.

https://theconversation.com/ferns-ability-to-evolve-backward-offers-insights-into-the-meandering-path-of-evolution-243103

#News #science #plants

Over 95% of incarcerated people will eventually leave #prison.

Criminologists warn older inmates face unique challenges in housing, health care and reintegration after release.

https://theconversation.com/many-more-older-people-are-leaving-prison-and-face-unmet-needs-for-housing-and-health-care-as-well-as-a-tangle-of-groups-trying-to-help-244593

#News #Newstr #CriminalJustice

Here’s what you need to know about #RedNote, which is attracting many people missing #TikTok (or maybe they’ll come here?) https://theconversation.com/whats-happening-on-rednote-a-media-scholar-explains-the-app-tiktok-users-are-fleeing-to-and-the-cultural-moment-unfolding-there-247621