Science site The Conversation

Political Participation and Trust in the Age of Generation Z. The image was prepared using DALEE and is not a scientific image.

If we listen to what Gen Z really thinks about democracy, they might stop saying they prefer authoritarianism

New UK research reveals worrying trend of growing support for strong leadership without parliament and elections – but a deeper understanding of the concerns of the younger generation could change that
Carl Sagan extends his palms to the universe, an attempt at creating an image using artificial intelligence.

Carl Sagan's scientific legacy goes far beyond the Cosmos series

From the revolutionary astronomical achievements to the social activism and inspiration for generations of scientists - how Carl Sagan shaped science and our understanding of the universe.
The competition for the preeminence in science between China and the USA, in preparation for the 2024 US presidential elections. The image was prepared using DALEE and is not a scientific image

Is the US about to lose its scientific preeminence?

A study published in Nature reveals that the US continues to lead in areas such as biomedical research, but China's continued investment in materials science, engineering and physical sciences poses a significant challenge to US dominance.
US elections in the shadow of artificial intelligence. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Four ways artificial intelligence could be misused in the 2024 election

From deep fake to external intervention - artificial intelligence will facilitate and streamline operations that were carried out even before its existence
A drone apparently engineers a hurricane and even arranges its clouds in a spiral pattern. The deniers of the climate crisis believe that it is not greenhouse gas emissions that make storms stronger, but the administration that wants Trump to lose the election. The image was prepared using DALEE and is not a scientific image.

Why do people believe in man-made hurricanes? Two conspiracy theorist psychologists explain

As Hurricane Milton battered the coast of Florida, conspiracy theories abounded, claiming that the forces controlling the weather were orchestrating the destruction. The researchers explain why people cling to these beliefs in the face of increasing natural disasters.
Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield, two of the main researchers in the field of artificial intelligence, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2024. The image was prepared using DALEE and is not a scientific image

Artificial intelligence plays a major role in two categories of the 2024 Nobel Prizes. This is a sign of things to come

It is likely that we will see more Nobel medals awarded to researchers who used AI tools. As this happens, we may find that the scientific methods honored by those Nobel Prize committees will move away from the simple categories of "physics," "chemistry," and "physiology."
By 2027, NASA aims to demonstrate a thermonuclear propulsion system that could cut the journey time to Mars in half using nuclear fission. Credit: NASA

Fast track to Mars: NASA's nuclear engines cut travel time in half 

By 2027, NASA aims to demonstrate a thermonuclear propulsion system based on nuclear fission of low-enriched uranium fuel
Aliens abduct a human into their flying saucer. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Belief in alien visits to Earth is getting out of control - here's why it's so dangerous 

In an article accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, Tony Milligan, a researcher in the philosophy of ethics, King's College London, argues that the belief in alien visitation is no longer a whim, but a widespread social problem
A green city, for mental health. Credit: The Science website. The image was produced using DALEE for illustrative purposes and is not a scientific image

Human culture is changing at a rate too high for evolution to catch up - so it could affect each of us

Some problematic trends can be understood from a mismatched evolutionary fit. For example, competition and anxiety about social status have been linked to obsessions with studies, competing for prestigious positions and materialism. There is a growing trend of "being poor longer".
An illustration of Columbus predicting a lunar eclipse to trick the Taino people into providing his crew with food and supplies. Credit: Popular Astronomy (1879) by Camille Palmerion, via Wikimedia

"The ghost took the wind of the moon": this is how the residents of the Torres Strait predict eclipses.

Early in the morning a lunar eclipse is visible from Israel. In two weeks, a total solar eclipse will be visible from the US. As eclipse season begins, researchers explain the use of knowledge about them in ancient cultures
Steve Jobs announcing the iPhone 4 in 2010. From Wikipedia

The "visionaries" in Silicon Valley prefer profits over technological advances

A management researcher from the University of Essex argues that true discovery and progress cannot rely on the minds and motivations of a few famous men. This involves investing in institutions that are anchored in democracy and sustainability - not only because
Fertilization process illustration: depositphotos.com

Eggs from men and sperm cells from women: How stem cells may change the way we reproduce

In theory, a male skin cell can be turned into an egg and a female skin cell into a sperm cell. There is also the possibility of a child genetically connected to several parents, or only to one parent
The march of the kidnapped families. Photography: Yael Gadot, Thiel Stock

The Israeli abductees are expected to face a difficult task in order to regain a sense of control over their daily lives - an expert explains

The hostage situation can have profound psychological effects on people for many years. The psychological impact varies depending on the duration of captivity, the conditions endured, personal resilience and coping mechanisms
Artist illustration of asteroid 16 Psyche. Credit: Maxar/ASU/P.Rubin/NASA/JPL-Caltech

The Psyche spacecraft helps scientists understand what asteroids are made of and prepares the ground for commercial reactors

The composition of asteroid Psyche can tell scientists more about Earth's core because the two objects may have a similar structure. Both probably contain platinum, nickel, iron and maybe even gold - rich materials
Horror Movie. Illustration: depositphotos.com

How morbid curiosity can lead people to conspiracy theories

Morbid hypocrisy is not inherently bad, but an increased interest in learning about the dangers presented in conspiracy theories can reinforce beliefs that the world is a much more dangerous place than it actually is.
Shafra Buchris, a police officer who rescued ten of the party participants in the bad guys. The massacre in the Gaza Strip is considered a war crime. Screen shot Channel 11

How do the 'laws of war' apply to the conflict between Israel and Hamas

Prof. Robert Goldman, an expert on the laws of war at the American University, explains how the laws of war apply to the current conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip
One of the dozens of children and babies kidnapped to Gaza during the invasion and massacre by Hamas terrorists in Israeli settlements on October 7, 2023. From the social networks

How did Israeli intelligence miss Hamas' preparations for an attack? An American counter-terrorism expert explains how Israeli intelligence works

Javed Ali, Associate Professor of Counterterrorism, Domestic Terrorism, Cyber, and National Security at the University of Michigan answers questions THE CONVERSATION
Autonomous orientations are linked to each other. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The new technology that makes cars easier to steal or crash by criminals

The automotive industry is talking about the "Internet of Vehicles" (IoV), a network that can help vehicles detect roadblocks, traffic jams and pedestrians. She can help with the location of the vehicle on the road
A model of a greenhouse intended for use on the Moon and Mars. Credit: University of Arizona

The amount of space debris in Earth's orbit and on the moon will increase, but no one is responsible for its removal

As the number of spacecraft flying to the moon increases, people here on Earth will have to think about what happens to all the landings and debris left on the lunar surface and in orbit. The problem: private companies are excluded from coaching
Simulation of the landing of the Chandrayaan 3 spacecraft on the moon. Image: ISRO

India's Chandrayaan-3 Landing at the South Pole of the Moon - Space Policy Expert Explains the Context

The fact that so many nations - the United States, Russia, China, India, Israel - and even commercial entities are interested in landing on the moon means that there are many opportunities to create new partnerships
Artist illustration of asteroid 16 Psyche. Credit: Maxar/ASU/P.Rubin/NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA's 'Psyche' mission to a metallic world may reveal the mystery of Earth's core

The Psyche spacecraft is launched to the metallic asteroid of the same name to understand what a planet's core looks like
A "ghost" heart is a pig heart that has been prepared so that it can be transplanted into humans. Provided by Doris Taylor

"Ghost" hearts from a pig and the patient's stem cells will replace the need for heart donations

Today, patients needing a heart transplant have to join a waiting list, and hearts become available when someone else dies. Because there are not enough hearts, only critically ill patients are put on the waiting list
Gemini series spacecraft. Image: NASA

65 years of NASA - an astrophysicist reviewed the legacy of the agency

The teachers who explained to him as a child the first Hillel flights led Stephen Alexander to fall in love with space, when the space agency was created when he was 3 years old and the first flight to the moon when he was 14 years old
This artist's impression shows NASA's Voyager spacecraft against a field of stars in the darkness of space. The two Voyager spacecraft are moving farther and farther from Earth on their journey into interstellar space, eventually orbiting the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Credit : NASA/JPL-Caltech

Voyager 2 has lost contact with Earth. Only one radio dish in the world can help her "call home"

A human error in the commands sent to her caused her antenna to tilt at an angle of two degrees from the Earth. The radio antenna engineers of the deep space network in Australia will try to contact her
Oppenheimer movie poster. By UNIVERSAL - Instagram SERTTOV, fair use poster, https://he.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2220162

The Soviets vigorously courted Oppenheimer but he refused to spy for them

The Soviets did manage to plant spies who provided the secrets of the atomic bomb to the Kremlin and allowed them to detonate the first bomb in August 1949, it was a copy of the bomb built in Los Alamos and dropped by the Americans
The genetic code in DNA. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The genetic code contains many synonymous 'words' - information theory may help explain the redundancies

New research suggests that there may be two other significant factors that natural systems weigh: the information-theoretic nature of the genetic code and the principle of maximum entropy
political polarization. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Six ways artificial intelligence can make political campaigns trickier than ever

A time series chart shows a peak about 125,000 years ago and indicates today's glaciers, showing temperatures close to the 1C warming level.

Is it really hotter now than at any other time in 100,000 years?

M: Lak yes. Even under the most optimistic future scenarios—in which humans stop burning fossil fuels and reduce other greenhouse gas emissions—the average global temperature will almost certainly remain at least
Demonstrators against the coup in Tel Aviv, 2023. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Four ways populists endanger democracy

The populists are lying when they claim they want to empower us all by denying judges the authority to oversee democracy. They really want to break through the strongest constitutional barrier against authoritarianism
Betelgeuse dims over time, with an interstellar cloud seen in the last panel. NASA, ESA and E. Wheatley (STScI)

Beetlejuice: The star continues to behave mysteriously - here's what will happen if it explodes

At the end of 2019, the light of the star dimmed and went from the brightest in the Orion group to the third brightest. Since then it has returned and become even brighter than before
The European Union and artificial intelligence. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The European Union has approved a draft law to regulate artificial intelligence - this is how it will work

On Wednesday, June 14, the European Parliament voted to approve its own draft proposal for the Artificial Intelligence Law, legislation that has been two years in the making, aiming to shape global standards in the regulation of artificial intelligence
Investigating reports of sightings of unidentified objects - UFOs. Illustration: depositphotos.com

UFOs for dinner

What can be learned from the NASA panel that investigates observations that until now were not clear what was seen in them
ruined city Illustration: depositphotos.com

If humans become extinct, what will the earth look like a year later?

What will happen to all our stuff? What will happen to our homes, our schools, our neighborhoods, our cities? Who will feed the dog? Who will cut the grass? Although this is a common theme in movies, shows
Initial photograph of the flooding in the Ukrainian territory as a result of the explosion of the dam by Russia. Photo: Website of the President of Ukraine

The war in Ukraine: what we know about the Nova Khakhovka dam and who benefits from its demolition

The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam came just as it seemed that Ukraine's counterattack was about to begin. It's probably not a coincidence. The operation was designed to engage the Ukrainian army in evacuating residents and block the
A decrease in the happiness index of employees due to the use of artificial intelligence and robotics in workplaces. Figure using DALEE 2. Definitions Avi Blizovsky

Anti-human workplaces. Automation could create a two-tiered workforce of those with skills and those without

In recent years there has been an unprecedented increase in technological disruption. At the same time, a Gallup poll revealed a global increase in unhappiness. Gallup's latest Positive Experiences Index showed a decline in happiness
Will artificial intelligence cause the extinction of the human race? Figure using DALEE 2. Definitions: Avi Blizovsky

If we are going to label artificial intelligence as a cause of extinction, we need to clarify how this will happen

Along with many benefits, this technology comes with risks that we need to take seriously. But none of the above scenarios seem to provide a specific roadmap for extinction, claims an artificial intelligence researcher from the UK
Beauty care products. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The dark secret of the beauty industry: toxic substances in cosmetics and personal care products

Studies conducted in Canada found that some of these products contain per- and polyfluoroalkyls (PFAS), some of which are prohibited for marketing, in concentrations significantly higher than the threshold proposed in the standards. Frequent use of these products corresponds to high concentrations of these substances
Robots work in a dangerous area. The image was created using Midgerani's ATSSY software. Definitions: Avi Blizovsky

We need to discuss which jobs to assign to robots, before the decision is made for us

Society now faces an increasing number of decisions about our relationship with technology. For example, do we want our workforce needs to be filled by automation, migrant workers or
A soldier in science fiction. Illustration: depositphotos.com

How governments use science fiction to predict potential threats

There are many topics that science fiction deals with that will undoubtedly feed defense research around warfare and ways to reduce risk. While we can never predict the future completely, we can only
Glacier in the Antarctic Peninsula, Palmer Islands area. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Earth Day: New study shows how fast Antarctic glaciers are melting

Glaciers that stand on flat areas melt at a higher rate than those on mountains, there is a fear that the Thwaites Glacier will soon reach a flat area and then its melting will accelerate
Sending Jews from one of the ghettos in Poland to Auschwitz. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Defiance against the Holocaust does not mean only uprising and rebellion: remember the daily resistance of the Jews

Every Holocaust survivor had countless moments in which the story could have ended. The mutual aid - starting with food smuggling, and even in successful local resistance events
A monument to the memory of Janusz Korczak, who perished in the gas chamber in the Treblinka extermination camp in 1942, together with the children of the Jewish orphanage he ran in the Warsaw ghetto. Illustration: depositphotos.com

"By policing history, the Polish government distorts the Holocaust"

This is what the Polish historian Jan Grabowski writes. The article was published on The Conversation Canada website on February 14, 2023
The movement of three tectonic plates "acting in opposite directions causes frequent seismic activity in this region. Meng, J., Sinofelo, A., Zhou, Z., et al. Greece and Turkey shaken by African tectonic retreat. Sci Rep 11, 6486 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86063-y, CC BY-NC

The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria were deadly because they occurred close to the ground

Two strong earthquakes within a few hours and the fact that there was no thick layer of soil that reduces the intensity of earthquakes, in addition to the construction conditions, and the destruction of the infrastructure - especially in Syria. Also for the time of the earthquake 4:17
Honey bees in the hive. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The life expectancy of the honey bee may be half of what it was 50 years ago

The researchers estimate that this figure is the cause or at least strongly related to the beehive collapse syndrome
A "selfie" photo of the Orion capsule on the Artemis 1 mission, taken during a routine inspection of the spacecraft on the third day of the journey - 18/11/2022. Photo: NASA

NASA's Artemis 1 mission to the moon sets the stage for routine space exploration beyond Earth orbit

An astronomer explains what to expect and why it's important and how technological developments in the last 50 years have made the moon a much more accessible place
Elon Musk and his vision of manned flight to Mars. Image: depositphotos.com

Elon Musk: How being autistic can make him think differently

Musk recently revealed this, and autism researchers seek to use it to advance understanding of the unique traits and different minds of people on the autistic stream
Earth's population. Image: depositphotos.com

8 billion people: why trying to control population is often futile - and harmful

"Instead of wondering if we have too many or too few people, we should ask how we can sustainably meet the needs of the people who are already alive"