is an independent, nonprofit publisher of commentary and analysis, authored by academics and edited by journalists for the general public. Ona mission “to promote truthful information and strengthen journalism by unlocking the rich diversity of academic research for audiences across America,” The Conversationpublishes short articlesby academics on timely topics related to their research. ŷڱƵ Boulder provides funding as a member of The Conversation U.S.Learn more about the partnership and how and why to write for The Conversation.

A family at Disney World in the 1990s

Inside the collapse of Disney’s America, the US history-themed park that almost was

Sept. 24, 2024

Thirty years ago, Disney had grand plans to build a history-themed park in Virginia. But efforts to “Disneyfy” American history met staunch opposition, even in the halcyon 1990s. Read from ŷڱƵ expert Jared Bahir Browsh on The Conversation.

a wall of photos of missing people in Nepal

Nepal’s revamped truth commissions must go beyond ‘ritualism’ to deliver justice to victims

Sept. 20, 2024

A newly amended law may push the country beyond what has been a drawn-out and sluggish process to account for the country’s civil war. Read from ŷڱƵ expert Tracy Fehr on The Conversation.

a tribute to some of the casualties of the 30-month conflict in Ukraine

Growing number of Ukrainians would reluctantly give up territory to save lives, survey suggests

Sept. 19, 2024

Just half of survey respondents wanted to continue fighting to regain all Ukrainian territory including Crimea. Read from ŷڱƵ geography expert John O’Loughlin and colleagues on The Conversation.

field of sunflowers

Sunflowers make small moves to maximize sun exposure

Sept. 16, 2024

Plants don’t just grow straight up—they can move in loopy and zigzagging ways to get more sunshine. Physicists were able to model a sunflower to predict how they grow. Read from ŷڱƵ expert Chantal Nguyen on The Conversation.

A white-shouldered bumblebee visits the flowers of a goldenbanner.

Examining plant-pollinator interactions in a Rocky Mountain subalpine

Sept. 11, 2024

ŷڱƵ expert Julian Resasco visited the same Rocky Mountain subalpine meadow weekly for a decade of summers—here's what he learned. Read on The Conversation.

Wild horses

Domesticating horses had a huge impact on society—new science rewrites where, when it happened

Sept. 3, 2024

New analyses of bones, teeth, genetics and artifacts suggest it’s time to revise a long-standing hypothesis for how humans domesticated horses. Read from ŷڱƵ expert William Taylor on The Conversation.

a stream

Urban ŷڱƵ disrupt streams and their tiny inhabitants—a warning of bigger problems

Aug. 26, 2024

After ŷڱƵ in California and ŷڱƵ cities, levels of harmful metals in the water jumped. Nature sent up a red flag. Read from ŷڱƵ expert Lauren Magliozzi on The Conversation.

person shopping on a smartphone

Bipartisan data-privacy law could backfire on small businesses

Aug. 13, 2024

Privacy comes at a price. The American Privacy Rights Act could undermine small entrepreneurs who rely on targeted digital advertising. Read from ŷڱƵ expert John Lynch and colleague Jean-Pierre Dubé on The Conversation.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks to supporters during a campaign rally in West Allis, Wisconsin

Kamala Harris’ biracial identityis a strength or weakness, depending on whom you ask

Aug. 6, 2024

While many voters embrace Kamala Harris’ candidacy and the fact that she is a multiracial woman without any biological children, some Republicans are using her identity as fodder for attacks. Read from ŷڱƵ expert Jennifer Ho on The Conversation.

A research assistant at the the German National Metrology Institute studies an atomic clock

Unequal access to quantum education may limit progress in this emerging field

July 24, 2024

Universities are beginning to investigate quantum information science education to develop a workforce ready for the technology, and now is the time to improve access. Read from ŷڱƵ experts Bethany Wilcox and Josephine Meyer on The Conversation.

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