The Conversation Daily — June 15, 2026
10 stories · June 15, 2026
In this issue
- 1
What we misunderstand about absent fathers
theconversation.com · Matthew Alemu, Special Advisor, Poverty Solutions, University of Michigan; Northeastern University
Dads aren't always in the picture. Motortion/iStock via Getty Images “What do dads do on Tuesdays?” This wasn’t a rhetorical question when I posed it to my wife as our daughter’s birth approached.…
- 2
This successful Arctic fishing treaty has kept Russia, China, the US and others working together for 5 years – it could be a model for future diplomacy
theconversation.com · David Balton, Senior Fellow of the Arctic Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School
An Arctic cod (_Boreogadus saida_) swims under the ice. Erling Svensen/Artsdatabanken, CC BY Lately, much of the news about the Arctic has been bleak. The far north is warming three to four times…
- 3
Paving paradise: Dismantling the US Roadless Rule threatens to disrupt wildlife, water and peace in the last quiet places in America
theconversation.com · Mariah Meek, Associate Professor of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University · Travis Belote, Assistant Professor of Landscape Ecology, Montana State University
A sign on a dirt hiking trail in the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska points to naturalist John Muir's cabin. Wanderluster/iStock/Getty Images Pause for a moment and listen. What do you…
- 4
US immigration policies interfere with prenatal care and parenting choices, hurting people and communities
theconversation.com · Jallicia Jolly, Assistant Professor of Black Studies and American Studies, Amherst College
The threat of family separation has been linked to anxiety and chronic conditions such as hypertension during pregnancy, which can affect children's development. OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images…
- 5
Sonic booms from meteors can release the energy of hundreds of tons of TNT – here’s how they work
theconversation.com · Shawn Laatsch, Director of the Versant Power Astronomy Center, University of Maine
The Chelyabinsk asteroid left a vapor trail as it hit the Earth's atmosphere in 2013. M. Ahmetvaleev/European Space Agency As humans, we live out our lives on a planet that is constantly sweeping…
- 6
Who was the first transgender person?
theconversation.com · Ky Merkley, Senior IT Specialist, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Nick Winters, Assistant Professor of Classics, Northwestern University
Hatshepsut (c. 1505–1458 B.C.E.) was Egypt's second female ruler. She often is depicted as a sphinx or wearing a beard, a traditional sign of pharaonic authority. G. Dagli Orti/De Agostini Editorial…
- 7
FIFA’s Haiti jersey ban echoes the long campaign to discredit and downplay the Haitian Revolution
theconversation.com · Julia Gaffield, Professor of History, William & Mary
FIFA banned Haiti's original jersey due its nod to the Haitian Revolution on the right hip of the jersey. Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images Ahead of its first match in the 2026 World Cup, the Haitian…
- 8
AI schools like Alpha promise efficiency, but can’t replicate the messy process that helps kids learn
theconversation.com · W. Ian O'Byrne, Associate Professor of Literacy Education, College of Charleston
Students often learn best when they take risks and struggle to get it right, including on the playground. Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images A child at a playground…
- 9
How window-mounted heat pumps can give tenants efficient heating and cooling
theconversation.com · Moncef Krarti, Professor of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder
Many U.S. apartments have individual heating and cooling systems that are less efficient than current technology. Spencer Platt/Getty Images People who rent their homes, or don’t have enough money to…
- 10
Black teachers improve outcomes for all students, but the profession remains largely white
theconversation.com · David Blazar, Associate Professor of public policy and education, University of Maryland
Kareem Neal, a teacher at Maryvale High School in Phoenix, poses in his classroom in October 2022. Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images Having Black teachers and other educators of color improves…