Chile’s new president is the country’s most right-wing leader in decades. Beyond ideology, the vote points to something else: deep voter frustration and a habit of punishing incumbents.
The Conversation
Chile elects most right-wing leader since Pinochet – in line with regional drift, domestic tendency to punish incumbents
José Antonio Kast, who has run for the presidency several times, successfully seized on widespread dissatisfaction over issues like crime and immi...
Weak crypto regulation is creating new pathways for rogue states like North Korea and Russia and militant groups like Hamas to finance weapons programs.
The Conversation
How rogue nations are capitalizing on gaps in crypto regulation to finance weapons programs
North Korea was behind a $1.5 billion digital bank heist in February 2025. Other countries are similarly stealing crypto to fund nefarious activities.
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At the top, U.S.-China tensions run hot. Inside government offices, things look familiar. A new analysis shows bureaucrats on both sides respond to the same pressures and manage difficulties in similar ways.
The Conversation
2 superpowers, 1 playbook: Why Chinese and US bureaucrats think and act alike
The men and women tasked with implementing policy are governed by the same incentives and constraints − whether in Beijing or Washington.
The magnetic North Pole is drifting (up to 34 miles a year!) 🌍 That affects compasses, smartphones and navigation worldwide (including Santa’s sleigh). Here’s why it moves and how your devices adjust:
The Conversation
The North Pole keeps moving – here’s how that affects Santa’s holiday travel and yours
There are actually two North Poles. One has been wandering over northern Canada and north of there for years. An earth scientist explains why and w...
A genetic researcher who has spent a decade studying how new drugs are developed (after decades doing it himself) writes that NIH funding is crucial to the process, and has been a huge driver of innovation and economic growth. The White House has proposed a 40% budget cut for 2026.
The Conversation
How the NIH became the backbone of American medical research and a major driver of innovation and economic growth
The agency’s budget has grown steadily since the 1960s, fueling an industry that creates lifesaving medicines and attracts billions of dollars in...
How China’s President Xi’s does diplomacy with pandas, pingpong and ancient canals. A cultural historian of modern China explains:
The Conversation
Pandas, pingpong and ancient canals: President Xi’s hosting style says a lot about Chinese diplomacy
During a recent visit to China, French President Emmanuel Macron was given the diplomatic works.
Coup contagion? A rash of African power grabs suggests copycats are taking note of others’ success
The Conversation
Coup contagion? A rash of African power grabs suggests copycats are taking note of others’ success
Since 2020, there have been 11 successful coups across Africa, and five thwarted attempts.
2025’s extreme weather had the jet stream’s fingerprints all over it, from flash floods to hurricanes. An environmental geosciences professor explains these unusual patterns:
The Conversation
2025’s extreme weather brought intense flash flooding, but no hurricane landfalls in the US – the jet stream is a big reason why
The US had a rare year without a hurricane make landfall, but it saw too much extreme rainfall and flash flooding across the country.
Sir Isaac Newton's followers turned abstract mathematics into coffeehouse spectacles, selling tickets and branded instruments. It wasn’t so different from what scientists do today on TikTok, explains a marketing scholar trained in economic sociology.
The Conversation
Science has always been marketed, from 18th-century coffeehouse demos of Newton’s ideas to today’s TikTok explainers
Science has always been part of a marketplace of ideas, where claims vie for audiences, resources and belief, and where power, persuasion and statu...
92% of Gen Z workers want jobs where they can discuss mental health openly. A new study reveals what employers need to do to keep high performers with chronic mental illness engaged and productive.
The Conversation
Best way for employers to support employees with chronic mental illness is by offering flexibility
Employers that don’t support employees with mental illness risk missing out on the talents and skills that such employees can provide.