Nostr notes by The Conversation U.S.

Solar panels cost $100 per watt in 1976. Today they cost 10¢. 50 ...

2026-10-27T10:30:46Z

Solar panels cost $100 per watt in 1976. Today they cost 10¢. 50 years ago, the physicist Amory Lovins had an influential vision for America's energy future that focussed attention on renewable energy – but he didn’t anticipate this.
https://theconversation.com/50-years-later-amory-lovins-soft-energy-path-meets-electrification-293920

A piano quartet premiered in the unlikely venue of a hospital. ...

2026-10-27T08:00:47Z

A piano quartet premiered in the unlikely venue of a hospital.

“One in Four, One in Eight,” is a musical piece about infertility and pregnancy loss, bringing together music, dance, art and science to explore experiences often hidden by stigma. Here’s the composer’s story.
https://theconversation.com/i-composed-music-about-infertility-and-pregnancy-loss-then-performed-it-in-a-pittsburgh-hospital-292857

Novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne spent decades as a recluse in Salem, ...

2026-10-27T06:00:46Z

Novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne spent decades as a recluse in Salem, Massachusetts, filling notebooks with bizarre fragments about possessed stoves, gnomes in gold-filled teeth, and children who mysteriously return as strangers. A Hawthorne scholar loosk through these windows into a creative mind.
https://theconversation.com/nathaniel-hawthornes-notebooks-reveal-the-strange-workings-of-his-imagination-294421

Wild polio now exists in only two countries: Afghanistan and ...

2026-10-27T04:03:14Z

Wild polio now exists in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. But the disease can travel anywhere – it just can't hurt kids who are vaccinated, as Germany discovered when it found the virus in sewage, but recorded zero cases of paralysis.
https://theconversation.com/why-do-people-still-get-polio-in-some-countries-and-not-in-others-294010

Wild polio now exists in only two countries: Afghanistan and ...

2026-10-27T04:01:47Z

Wild polio now exists in only two countries: Afghanistan and ...

2026-10-27T04:01:06Z

The blood clots affecting 28-year-old Philadelphia Eagles ...

2026-10-27T02:00:46Z

The blood clots affecting 28-year-old Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts could happen to anyone. Recognizing the warning signs and getting treatment quickly can save lives. A pulmonary vascular disease specialist explains some efforts to improve diagnosis:
https://theconversation.com/if-philadelphia-eagles-quarterback-jalen-hurts-can-get-dangerous-blood-clots-so-can-you-heres-how-some-states-are-trying-to-reduce-the-risk-294850

Remote work doesn’t disconnect co-workers. A management scholar ...

2026-10-27T01:01:06Z

Remote work doesn’t disconnect co-workers. A management scholar who studied one company in-depth from before the pandemic until 2024 says that conventional wisdom isn’t true.
https://theconversation.com/remote-work-made-these-colleagues-more-open-with-each-other-not-less-291728

NASA lost contact with Maven, its youngest Mars orbiter, at the ...

2026-10-27T00:59:44Z

NASA lost contact with Maven, its youngest Mars orbiter, at the end of 2025. With the rest of the satellites orbiting Mars more than two decades old, a planetary scientist explains the troubles this could cause for future exploration:
https://theconversation.com/nasas-mars-orbiter-fleet-is-getting-old-heres-how-that-could-affect-future-exploration-292555

🐧 💩 ...

2026-10-26T19:43:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…rpq9
_________________________

🐧 💩
https://theconversation.com/satellite-images-show-how-penguins-diets-are-changing-in-response-to-antarctic-climate-change-289754

Now, by studying these colors in satellite photos, researchers ...

2026-10-26T19:42:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…gump
_________________________

Now, by studying these colors in satellite photos, researchers can track what Adélie penguins across Antarctica are eating. And they're discovering that penguin diets are shifting dramatically as the climate warms.

Penguins are pooping pink – and when viewed from space, ...

2026-10-26T19:42:50Z

Penguins are pooping pink – and when viewed from space, that’s giving scientists a new way to track how Antarctica’s climate is changing.

The color of penguin poop depends on what the birds eat. To ...

2026-10-26T19:42:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…ws9m
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The color of penguin poop depends on what the birds eat. To better understand the connection between color and diet, Clemson University professor Casey Youngflesh went on some very stinky poop-sampling missions.

One farmer’s take on standardized testing: “You don’t get a ...

2026-10-25T02:02:45Z

One farmer’s take on standardized testing: “You don’t get a pig to grow by measuring it more.”
https://theconversation.com/students-take-up-to-88-standardized-tests-before-high-school-but-more-testing-doesnt-improve-learning-294123

Ever rewatch a horror movie and spot something creepy you ...

2026-10-24T10:17:48Z

Ever rewatch a horror movie and spot something creepy you completely missed the first time?

Turns out, directors know exactly how to trick your brain into missing what's right in front of you. A cognitive psychologist explains how they pull it off:

https://theconversation.com/horror-films-exploit-how-human-vision-works-to-deliver-movies-best-scares-291955

Seven women vanished. All have been linked to the same ...

2026-10-24T04:56:45Z

Seven women vanished. All have been linked to the same Philadelphia home, where police now suspect a deceased man may have been a serial killer.

A forensic psychologist explains why a 1980s evaluation may have missed the warning signs:
https://theconversation.com/im-a-philly-forensic-psychologist-who-has-conducted-dozens-of-psychopathic-evaluations-heres-why-an-evaluation-of-r-c-horsch-in-the-80s-didnt-identify-him-as-a-possible-psychopath-294035

About 1 in 5 voters has asked AI chatbots about politics or ...

2026-10-24T01:02:45Z

About 1 in 5 voters has asked AI chatbots about politics or elections.

And besides the chance of getting hallucinated facts, there’s also a chance the answers may have been shaped by governments around the world.

https://theconversation.com/how-governments-worldwide-are-shaping-what-ai-can-say-about-politics-294097

India’s Gen Z protesters are taking on Prime Minister Narendra ...

2026-10-23T22:45:46Z

India’s Gen Z protesters are taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government – armed with humor, cockroach memes and demands for democracy.

The youth-led movement is now challenging alleged mass voter roll deletions and a government crackdown.

https://theconversation.com/indian-gen-z-cockroach-protesters-aim-to-upend-assumptions-about-democracy-and-populism-in-modis-india-294730

Cancer care teams can start planning for a patient’s life after ...

2026-10-23T19:02:51Z

Cancer care teams can start planning for a patient’s life after cancer even when it’s not on the patient’s mind – and it really helps them feel better and live longer.
https://theconversation.com/surviving-cancer-starts-at-diagnosis-and-continues-after-treatment-earlier-survivorship-care-can-help-patients-feel-better-and-live-longer-294431

Even the nation's founders questioned whether watching an ...

2026-10-23T18:00:26Z

Even the nation's founders questioned whether watching an execution taught the public anything useful.
https://theconversation.com/in-newly-independent-us-americans-debated-whether-public-executions-taught-a-lesson-or-just-showed-off-the-states-power-to-destroy-294211

Do public executions teach people about justice, or simply ...

2026-10-23T16:00:27Z

Do public executions teach people about justice, or simply showcase the government's power to kill? It’s a debate as old the United States.
https://theconversation.com/in-newly-independent-us-americans-debated-whether-public-executions-taught-a-lesson-or-just-showed-off-the-states-power-to-destroy-294211

A planned attack on a Hindu temple in Illinois was stopped before ...

2026-10-23T10:30:39Z

A planned attack on a Hindu temple in Illinois was stopped before anyone was hurt.

But it has raised concerns about growing hate toward Hindu and Indian Americans.

https://theconversation.com/what-the-failed-attack-on-an-illinois-temple-reveals-about-anti-hindu-hate-in-the-united-states-294688

Queer and trans audiences have long been drawn to horror films ...

2026-10-23T06:12:38Z

Queer and trans audiences have long been drawn to horror films that portray LGBTQ+ people as monstrous, finding in these troubling portrayals a mirror for their own complex experiences with identity and their bodies.

https://theconversation.com/horrors-monsters-find-new-meaning-with-queer-and-trans-audiences-how-teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-dissects-identity-291766

The Trump Administration has not said if the US will sign this ...

2026-10-23T03:12:40Z

The Trump Administration has not said if the US will sign this new international treaty.

https://theconversation.com/human-rights-could-improve-or-worsen-based-on-how-nations-use-the-un-treaty-against-cybercrime-269794

The destructive 1982-83 El Niño, then the strongest on record, ...

2026-10-23T01:02:38Z

The destructive 1982-83 El Niño, then the strongest on record, eroded cliffs, leaving homes hanging precariously over the edges.
https://theconversation.com/el-nino-is-threatening-californias-fragile-coast-again-the-1982-83-el-nino-opened-eyes-to-the-serious-erosion-risks-293298

Can $5,000 buy your vote? Trump has promised every American a ...

2026-10-22T22:16:43Z

Can $5,000 buy your vote?

Trump has promised every American a check if Republicans keep control of Congress.

But research from elections around the world suggests promises of cash rarely changes voters’ minds.

https://theconversation.com/offering-cash-for-votes-is-quite-common-but-heres-why-it-doesnt-work-293259

An AI chatbot submitted a fake tip about an unsolved murder to ...

2026-10-22T19:03:08Z

An AI chatbot submitted a fake tip about an unsolved murder to Philadelphia police. No human told it to.

It happened during a routine test, and the AI company didn't discover it until months later.

A closer look at the risks of AI agents acting on their own:
https://theconversation.com/an-ai-models-false-tip-to-philadelphia-police-reveals-how-digital-agents-can-do-as-theyre-told-and-still-cause-trouble-294228

The voting process is built to withstand presidential pressure. ...

2026-10-22T18:03:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…gkak
_________________________

The voting process is built to withstand presidential pressure. As he puts it, the process “doesn’t depend on the president. It depends on us.”
https://theconversation.com/ive-been-studying-election-integrity-for-26-years-and-heres-why-i-expect-a-normal-election-this-november-instead-of-chaos-294094

#election2026 #vote #midterms

But Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School Los Angeles ...

2026-10-22T18:02:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…xdex
_________________________

But Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School Los Angeles who has run a national voter protection program, says major disruptions are hard to make – and voters shouldn’t let viral videos showing armed federal officials at a FEW polling places scare them away.

Many people are worried about mayhem at the polls on Election ...

2026-10-22T18:02:55Z

Many people are worried about mayhem at the polls on Election Day.

The U.S. officially has a 64th national park: Chiricahua in ...

2026-10-22T17:15:44Z

The U.S. officially has a 64th national park: Chiricahua in Arizona.

What actually changes when a national monument becomes a national park? More than you might think.

https://theconversation.com/chiricahua-is-the-nations-newest-national-park-what-does-that-mean-293785

A massive federal spending law to combat climate change passed in ...

2026-10-22T16:01:31Z

A massive federal spending law to combat climate change passed in 2022 without a single Republican vote in the U.S. House or the Senate. But the billions of dollars it authorized benefited Republicans who opposed it as well as the Democrats who championed it.
https://theconversation.com/federal-spending-on-climate-change-before-2024-election-boosted-incumbents-of-both-parties-293791

Students take up to 88 standardized tests before high school. ...

2026-10-22T14:01:16Z

Students take up to 88 standardized tests before high school. With school ratings on the line, teachers face pressure to prepare students.
https://theconversation.com/students-take-up-to-88-standardized-tests-before-high-school-but-more-testing-doesnt-improve-learning-294123

The US and Canadian energy systems and markets are so intertwined ...

2026-10-22T10:30:41Z

The US and Canadian energy systems and markets are so intertwined that tariffs on electricity, oil and gas would devastate both economies, a management scholar explains.
https://theconversation.com/why-and-how-us-and-canadian-energy-markets-are-so-deeply-intertwined-292090

From domesticated foxes to tuskless elephants, humans have ...

2026-10-22T08:00:43Z

From domesticated foxes to tuskless elephants, humans have directly and indirectly influenced the evolution of a wide range of animals. A biologist explains why there won’t be a chicken uprising anytime soon.
https://theconversation.com/why-havent-farm-animals-evolved-against-humans-a-biologist-explains-why-there-wont-be-a-chicken-uprising-anytime-soon-291839

Access to federal funds in the US is highly dependent on the ...

2026-10-22T06:00:42Z

Access to federal funds in the US is highly dependent on the political influence of individual legislators. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is both criticized and praised for her success in this system.
https://theconversation.com/maine-sen-collins-success-bringing-home-federal-funds-is-a-perfect-example-of-the-thin-line-between-political-favoritism-and-effective-representation-294132

A “kill switch” to shut down dangerous AI systems seems like ...

2026-10-22T04:00:40Z

A “kill switch” to shut down dangerous AI systems seems like a sensible precaution, but the metaphor hides how the models work – and how they get out of control in the first place.
https://theconversation.com/why-calling-for-a-kill-switch-is-the-wrong-way-to-think-about-reining-in-ai-293329

Armenian culture marks major events such as birth and death with ...

2026-10-22T02:00:39Z

Armenian culture marks major events such as birth and death with a special period of 40 days, called ‘karasunk,’ as people transition from one state to another.
https://theconversation.com/40-days-to-arrive-40-days-to-leave-how-armenian-culture-honors-lifes-most-important-moments-288870

Colorado voters will vote this year on whether to make penalties ...

2026-10-21T22:00:39Z

Colorado voters will vote this year on whether to make penalties for the use of illicit fentanyl even harsher.

The last attempt to do that in 2022 did not reduce overdose deaths, or get more people into treatment.
https://theconversation.com/fentanyl-is-fueling-overdose-deaths-in-colorado-what-voters-need-to-know-about-proposition-132s-attempt-to-stiffen-penalties-292870

(PS: If you’d like to give us a birthday present, please share ...

2026-10-21T18:17:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…jrzy
_________________________

(PS: If you’d like to give us a birthday present, please share https://theconversation.com with a friend or family member who’d appreciate our trustworthy, fact-based journalism)

We are profoundly grateful to everyone who has made this growth ...

2026-10-21T18:17:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…c8cw
_________________________

We are profoundly grateful to everyone who has made this growth possible:

⭐ you, our dedicated readers
⭐ our talented team of editors and staff (three have been with us since 2014!)
⭐ our generous donors, foundations, and universities
⭐ and over 18,000 academic experts who have shared their knowledge with the public through articles and videos.

Today our team is gathered for an off-site to celebrate and plan for our continued growth.
https://theconversation.com

🎂🎉 Happy Birthday to us! 🎂🎉 12 years ago today, The ...

2026-10-21T18:17:30Z

🎂🎉 Happy Birthday to us! 🎂🎉

12 years ago today, The Conversation U.S. launched with a team of 9 housed in a basement at Boston University.

We had 2,360 pageviews on our website that day – about the number we have every 20 minutes today, as we are the most-read nonprofit news site in the nation.

A Virginia mother was placed on the child abuse registry after ...

2026-10-21T18:00:39Z

A Virginia mother was placed on the child abuse registry after letting her 5-year-old collect goose feathers on his own, not long after the state had amended its neglect law to permit childhood independence. A family lawyer explores how overly broad child neglect laws can fail families.
https://theconversation.com/a-pregnant-mom-let-her-5-year-old-stay-outside-to-collect-goose-feathers-and-was-placed-on-the-child-abuse-and-neglect-registry-293189

Voters have many weighty issues on their minds this year, but ...

2026-10-21T16:00:40Z

Voters have many weighty issues on their minds this year, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worried about climate change. Climate communication scholars explain how candidates are (quietly) talking about the environment:
https://theconversation.com/how-candidates-are-quietly-talking-about-climate-change-3-election-strategies-youll-see-across-the-us-293687

Many popular nicotine vapes are now banned in Pennsylvania. A ...

2026-10-21T14:00:41Z

Many popular nicotine vapes are now banned in Pennsylvania. A health law professor explains how the new law works and what to expect as enforcement begins.
https://theconversation.com/many-vapes-and-e-cigarettes-are-now-banned-in-pennsylvania-heres-what-philly-consumers-and-businesses-need-to-know-294103

Palestinian citizens make up about 1 in 6 eligible voters in ...

2026-10-21T10:30:39Z

Palestinian citizens make up about 1 in 6 eligible voters in Israel and could help decide next week’s election.

They face a painful choice: Vote to protect their rights in a political system they feel excludes them, or boycott an election that could shape their future.
https://theconversation.com/palestinian-citizens-face-a-painful-choice-in-israels-election-to-vote-or-not-294000

We're really good at finding reasons to buy new things, even ...

2026-10-21T08:00:39Z

We're really good at finding reasons to buy new things, even when our old stuff works perfectly fine.
https://theconversation.com/a-scuff-on-your-bag-a-dent-in-your-mug-and-suddenly-it-feels-like-time-for-a-new-one-293689

There are 1 million species threatened with extinction. But which ...

2026-10-21T06:00:39Z

There are 1 million species threatened with extinction. But which ones should we save first? At a U.N. summit this week, world leaders are debating who should pay and who gets a say.
https://theconversation.com/who-should-have-a-say-in-which-species-are-saved-the-california-condor-offers-lessons-for-a-global-biodiversity-treaty-294659

What happens when Texas takes control of struggling public ...

2026-10-21T04:00:50Z

What happens when Texas takes control of struggling public schools?

Teachers leave, enrollment drops and student test scores often barely improve.

Fresh research: https://theconversation.com/state-takeovers-of-struggling-texas-school-districts-come-at-a-high-cost-with-little-evidence-of-success-288256

Are ultraprocessed foods as evil as their reputation suggests? A ...

2026-10-20T22:00:59Z

Are ultraprocessed foods as evil as their reputation suggests? A researcher who studies social movements explores the panic over them and looks at the science.
https://theconversation.com/the-science-and-politics-behind-the-panic-over-ultraprocessed-foods-292661

Treating pregnant women’s depression with a short course of ...

2026-10-20T18:01:00Z

Treating pregnant women’s depression with a short course of talk therapy doesn’t just improve their health – it can also shape how their babies’ brains develop before birth.
https://theconversation.com/treating-depression-during-pregnancy-may-benefit-babys-brain-development-new-research-291260

Pennsylvania’s aging prisons weren’t built for today’s ...

2026-10-20T16:01:00Z

Pennsylvania’s aging prisons weren’t built for today’s extreme weather – leaving women and seniors especially at risk of illness and death. An epidemiologist who studies the health of incarcerated people explains:
https://theconversation.com/pennsylvanias-aging-prisons-werent-built-for-todays-extreme-weather-leaving-women-and-seniors-especially-at-risk-of-illness-and-death-293079

Sexual violence concepts launched in the manosphere are spilling ...

2026-10-20T14:00:59Z

Sexual violence concepts launched in the manosphere are spilling into the real world.
https://theconversation.com/sexual-violence-concepts-launched-online-are-spilling-into-the-real-world-harming-women-and-young-men-and-overwhelming-counselors-287049

You don’t hear much about them, but state “secretaries of ...

2026-10-20T10:30:58Z

You don’t hear much about them, but state “secretaries of state” are at the center of growing conflict over how election authority should be divided between states and the federal government. There are 26 little-publicized elections for the job this November.
https://theconversation.com/why-the-26-secretary-of-state-races-this-november-matter-more-than-they-did-before-trumps-drive-to-assert-federal-authority-over-elections-293751

For centuries, bird migration was a mystery. A tech revolution is ...

2026-10-20T08:00:59Z

For centuries, bird migration was a mystery. A tech revolution is changing that, and could help save these amazing creatures
https://theconversation.com/for-centuries-bird-migration-was-a-mystery-a-tech-revolution-is-changing-that-and-could-help-save-these-amazing-creatures-294345

An Oregon school shooting comes weeks before midterms, when young ...

2026-10-20T06:00:59Z

An Oregon school shooting comes weeks before midterms, when young voters could break turnout records.

A generational fear of mass shootings doesn’t mean shared views on guns.
https://theconversation.com/young-voters-fear-mass-shootings-like-the-one-in-oregon-but-that-fear-divides-them-on-gun-control-294620

Americans do want EVs, but automakers aren't making enough of ...

2026-10-20T04:02:10Z

Americans do want EVs, but automakers aren't making enough of them. Production cuts have left buyers with fewer options and higher prices, even as gas prices soar.
https://theconversation.com/americans-want-electric-cars-they-just-cant-find-them-293901

Americans do want EVs, but automakers aren't making enough of ...

2026-10-20T04:01:35Z

Yuo can sitll raed tihs, rghit? 🧠 Your brain is surprisingly ...

2026-10-20T02:37:42Z

Yuo can sitll raed tihs, rghit? 🧠

Your brain is surprisingly good at making sense of scrambled words.

That’s because your brain doesn’t read every letter one by ...

2026-10-20T02:37:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…he33
_________________________

That’s because your brain doesn’t read every letter one by one. It uses familiar patterns, sentence context and predictions about what comes next to fill in the gaps.
https://theconversation.com/sramcbled-wrods-the-real-reason-you-can-still-read-jumbled-text-280457
#science #funscience #reading #read

Ukraine's military relies on Starlink's satellite system ...

2026-10-20T02:00:58Z

Ukraine's military relies on Starlink's satellite system to counter Russian attacks, but this week the service was temporarily restricted without warning, disrupting critical defense operations during a period of intense vulnerability.
https://theconversation.com/starlink-slowdown-underscores-ukraines-reliance-on-the-us-in-the-battle-for-the-skies-294446

Got the dreaded “Someone in class has lice” message? 😳 ...

2026-10-19T16:00:12Z

Got the dreaded “Someone in class has lice” message? 😳

Lice aren't dangerous, and having them doesn't mean your child is dirty. And yes, your child can still go to school while being treated.

A pediatrician explains what actually works to get rid of them.
https://theconversation.com/im-a-pediatrician-and-a-mom-heres-how-to-treat-lice-without-stigma-291279

If Democrats win control of the Senate in November, Republicans ...

2026-10-19T14:00:13Z

If Democrats win control of the Senate in November, Republicans could rush to confirm another Trump Supreme Court nominee before the new Congress takes office in January.
https://theconversation.com/republicans-can-confirm-a-supreme-court-justice-if-democrats-take-the-senate-but-at-what-cost-293778

The Supreme Court decide whether religious preschools can accept ...

2026-10-19T10:30:12Z

The Supreme Court decide whether religious preschools can accept public funding while refusing to follow nondiscrimination rules protecting LGBTQ+ families and staff.
https://theconversation.com/religious-preschools-want-public-funding-but-exemptions-from-nondiscrimination-rules-the-supreme-court-will-decide-if-thats-constitutional-281965

Nostr event nevent1qqs9z7zyq38n0tm2f7dvyf656gyun42qqfaquyf8n24k5j9cny8chcgzypq89yftxlhuke2ln537cr4cm5y3em89psghg7uh7xyn5j4cg2c0z4dqd62

2026-10-19T08:00:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…nrzg
_________________________

https://theconversation.com/that-brightly-packaged-sexual-enhancement-pill-at-the-gas-station-might-be-laced-with-dangerous-drugs-293413