Scientists estimate that 100 million (yes, million) sharks and rays are killed each year for food, liver oil and other trade. But the seas could be made safer for sharks: this month, 184 countries voted to protect more than 70 species through international trade restrictions.
The Conversation
Sharks and rays get a major win with new international trade limits for 70+ species
Sharks have had a tough time since the 1970s, when overfishing, habitat loss and a growing trade in their fins began to cut their populations. ‘J...
The Bible says little about Jesus’ childhood – but that didn’t stop medieval Christians from enjoying tales of him as holy ‘rascal’
The Conversation
The Bible says little about Jesus’ childhood – but that didn’t stop medieval Christians from enjoying tales of him as holy ‘rascal’
Legends about Jesus’ early years that circulated in medieval Europe often drew on apocryphal texts.
"Restorative reproductive medicine," an approach to treating infertility rooted in Catholic teaching, is gaining traction among conservatives opposed to IVF. Medical organizations say it's a rebranding of standard treatment with ideological restrictions that could limit patient care.
The Conversation
How a niche Catholic approach to infertility treatment became a new talking point for MAHA conservatives
Mainstream medical organizations have criticized ‘restorative reproductive medicine,’ but some Catholics who follow church teachings consider i...
Donor-advised funds support fringe hate and antigovernment charities at 3.5x the rate of other donors. For rich people, these charitable funds may help them hide their support for controversial causes.
The Conversation
Donor-advised funds have more money than ever – and direct more of it to politically active charities
When foundations make grants to DAFs, the digital trail normally created instead becomes a dead end.
A sample NASA brought back from an asteroid contained amino acids, yet showed no signs of life. But how will we know what is alien life? A new machine learning approach could help scientists distinguish between chemistry that merely looks alive and chemistry that actually is.
The Conversation
Can scientists detect life without knowing what it looks like? Research using machine learning offers a new way
A new machine learning model explores the boundary between biological and nonbiological chemistry.
Warner Bros. Discovery's three-year track record shows what happens with consolidation in the media industry: canceled shows, gutted newsrooms and higher prices. An acquisition by Netflix or Paramount would lead to more of the same, according to a media studies professor.
The Conversation
Whether Netflix or Paramount buys Warner Bros., entertainment oligopolies are back – bigger and more anticompetitive than ever
Hollywood has seen this movie before.
Data centers can be built in under a year, but the power plants needed to supply them take two to three years. State regulators are now grappling with who should foot the bill when those timelines don't align.
The Conversation
Data centers need electricity fast, but utilities need years to build power plants – who should pay?
How many data centers will be built – and how much electricity they’ll need – is uncertain. Being prepared costs money, but so does being unp...
A new executive order directs the US Attorney General to challenge state laws regulating #AI. Big Tech companies have been lobbying to have one set of federal rules. Here’s a look at some of the initiatives that states have taken, in the absence of federal regulation:
Pregnant women who work night shifts face 3-4x greater risk for preterm birth, according to psychologists who study sleep behavior. The connection between disrupted sleep and #mentalhealth during pregnancy has serious implications for mothers and their babies.
The Conversation
Sleep problems and depression can be a vicious cycle, especially during pregnancy − here’s why it’s important to get help
Inadequate sleep can have negative downstream effects on everyday cognitive functioning and mental health, which can then lead to even worse sleep.
Researchers studying gifts for cancer patients found a massive disconnect: People are buying fuzzy socks and coloring books while patients actually want practical gifts like meals, laundry help and grocery delivery. Our story from a sociologist who was diagnosed with cancer in her early 30s, in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/12/03/gifts-cancer-patients/