Politics & Society

Politics, sociology, current affairs

The ICJ prepares a landmark ruling on the Rohingya genocide case against Myanmar

The International Court of Justice is expected to deliver its ruling in the genocide case against Myanmar next month.

San Beauchemin, Doctoral Researcher, School of Political Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaSep 27, 2026

The Conversation

One of Canada’s worst invasive species may have arrived naturally

Researchers have discovered the spiny water flea may have existed in North America far longer than previously thought.

Danai Kontou, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Invasion Ecology, University of LeedsSep 27, 2026

The Conversation

From ‘Fear Factor’ to Beast Games: Why watching people suffer for money still makes compelling TV

Reality competitions once used money to motivate the game. MrBeast puts the money itself at the centre of the spectacle.

Tiara Sukhan, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Information & Media Studies, Western UniversitySep 27, 2026

The Conversation

How routines, rituals and rites of passage are foundations of an inclusive classroom

Creating structures and routines in the classroom means providing children with predictability about what is expected, when it is expected and how.

Cornelia Schneider, Professor, Education, Mount Saint Vincent UniversitySep 27, 2026

The Conversation

Should you cut off your friend? How to tell when a friendship needs repair, change or an ending

Friendships are complicated relationships that can require more than an all-or-nothing choice. A therapist explains how to distinguish between conflict, change and genuine harm.

Gio Dolcecore, Assistant Professor, Social Work, Mount Royal UniversitySep 27, 2026

The Conversation

Online attacks on Kenyan journalists: what makes audiences join in, push back or stay silent

Whether the public rallies to defend journalists can depend on whether audiences believe they deserve that support.

Shitemi Khamadi, PhD Student, Indiana UniversitySep 27, 2026

The Conversation

Africa’s mineral strength is wasted if countries don’t work together – new report

Africa has the minerals to power the green transition. Capturing more value means countries must pool market power and build shared capabilities.

Woubet Kassa, Economist, American UniversitySep 27, 2026

The Conversation

Xenia Fedorova, or how Russian propaganda turns free thinking on itself

The Fedorova case is emblematic of a rhetorical method used by Russian propaganda: appealing to the targeted public’s critical thinking to convince them to disregard sources seen as “official” and “dominant.”

Maxime Audinet, Assistant Professor in International Relations and International Communication, Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (Inalco)Sep 27, 2026

Persuasion

Episode 192: Maya Kornberg on How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress

Bookstack at Persuasion is delivered to you every other Sunday at 6am EST.

Richard AldousSep 27, 2026

The Conversation

Stripped titles? Compensating rivals? How the Manchester City cheating scandal could play out

Manchester City could be facing enormous sanctions for cheating – and the fallout may spread to its 13 teams around the world, from New York to Melbourne.

Danny F Hill, Assistant Professor Finance, Providence CollegeSep 26, 2026

ProPublica

What Does Your Data Reveal About Sports Betting Apps? Help ProPublica Find Out.

The post What Does Your Data Reveal About Sports Betting Apps? Help ProPublica Find Out. appeared first on ProPublica.

Ellis SimaniSep 26, 2026

ProPublica

I Deliberately Bet Like a Problem Gambler. DraftKings Made Me a VIP.

The post I Deliberately Bet Like a Problem Gambler. DraftKings Made Me a VIP. appeared first on ProPublica.

Chris AlcantaraSep 26, 2026

The Conversation

In ‘NAZA,’ Israeli whistleblowers’ revelations about civilian deaths in Gaza reflect a longer history of Palestinian isolation

Barriers, checkpoints and surveillance have made the plight of Palestinians easier to keep hidden. But thanks to films like ‘NAZA,’ that’s starting to change.

Drew Paul, Professor of Arabic, University of TennesseeSep 25, 2026

The Conversation

Trump frames unregulated AI as a way to keep ahead of China – but in fact, it harms US national security

An unregulated sector has risks in itself but will also aid the rapid advancement of AI in China.

Stephen Collins, Professor of Government and International Affairs, Kennesaw State UniversitySep 25, 2026

The Conversation

Trump has gotten rid of many of the checks and balances that could stop him from demolishing the Kennedy Center

A hierarchy of oversight for the iconic arts venue has essentially collapsed.

E. Andrew Taylor, Associate Professor and Director of Arts Management, American UniversitySep 25, 2026

ProPublica

Colorado Marijuana Company Voluntarily Recalls Dozens of Contaminated Products Amid State Regulatory Delays

The post Colorado Marijuana Company Voluntarily Recalls Dozens of Contaminated Products Amid State Regulatory Delays appeared first on ProPublica.

Christopher OsherSep 25, 2026

The Conversation

What the differences between Danish and British humour can teach us about laughter

Why we laugh at different things – and what that tells us about humour

Marc Hye-Knudsen, PhD Candidate in the Department of Management, Aarhus UniversitySep 25, 2026

The Conversation

Ancient virus hunters: how we discovered sheeppox DNA hidden in medieval gospels

DNA can survive in parchment for well over a thousand years.

Louis L'Hôte, PhD Candidate in ancient pathogen genetics, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College DublinSep 25, 2026

The Conversation

Feeling the burn? It’s not lactic acid

The myth that lactic acid causes the ‘burn’ we feel during exercise is actually a long-lasting misunderstanding.

Shaun Phillips, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Physiology, University of EdinburghSep 25, 2026

The Conversation

Why Indiana Jones is the best and worst thing to happen to archaeology

The idea of archaeology as adventure predates the discipline itself.

Stephan Blum, Research Associate, Institute for Prehistory and Early History and Medieval Archaeology, University of TübingenSep 25, 2026

The Conversation

There’s something you can do now to cool your home next summer – and it’s far cheaper than air conditioning

Plants can help homes stay cooler in a variety of ways.

Ross Cameron, Professor of Environmental Horticulture, University of SheffieldSep 25, 2026

The Conversation

Nigella Lawson and the fantasy of Bake Off – what to watch and read this week

Bake Off is back and Nigella is judging. We’re also recommending a host of books from non-fiction on British food history to a fiction book about gay Jamaicans.

Naomi Joseph, Arts + Culture Editor, The ConversationSep 25, 2026

The Conversation

Push for Creole courses in schools stokes historic anti-Haitian feeling in Dominican Republic

Haitians have moved to the neighboring Dominican Republic in large numbers over the last century, which has made Creole the second-most widely spoken language there.

Kendall Medford, Postdoctoral Scholar at the Africana Research Center, Penn StateSep 25, 2026

The Conversation

An overlooked era of cosmology is stealing the show in the quest to understand the cosmos

The early universe was kind of like a big game of musical chairs – scientists are figuring out how many particles were able to find ‘seats’ to understand the cosmos.

Cara Giovanetti, Postdoctoral Researcher in Physics, University of California, BerkeleySep 25, 2026