The Conversation Daily — July 22, 2026
10 stories · July 22, 2026
In this issue
- 1
Why 78 degrees isn’t the right thermostat setting for everyone during a heat wave
theconversation.com · Destenie Nock, Associate Professor of Engineering and Public Policy, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
Elbert Yazzie adjusts his air conditioning unit in Tuba City, Ariz., in 2025. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images Across the U.S., it’s a hot summer, and electricity prices are high. Various public…
- 2
Why Americans seeking affordable doctor visits and medicines abroad may misjudge healthcare quality
theconversation.com · Kelli Frias, Provost Associate Professor of Marketing, American University · Deidre Popovich, Associate Professor of Marketing, Texas Tech University
With the cost of health insurance rising, Americans are increasingly shopping around for healthcare deals over the border. Nadzeya Haroshka/iStock via Getty Images Plus As healthcare costs continue to…
- 3
Why are some animals considered ‘pests’? It comes down to culture and convenience
theconversation.com · Elan Abrell, Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Wesleyan University
After wild turkeys attacked an 83-year-old woman in May 2026, sending her to the emergency room for stitches, police warned residents of Alameda, California, to avoid interacting with the animals.…
- 4
Rescuing satellites is harder than it looks – a growing space junk problem will make doing so more important
theconversation.com · Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, Ph.D. Candidate in Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida
An illustration of the plan for the European Space Agency's ClearSpace mission, where a servicing spacecraft will deorbit an ESA satellite. ClearSpace/ESA, CC BY-NC A commercial robotic spacecraft…
- 5
New genetic approaches raise hopes for restoring the American chestnut to its former glory
theconversation.com · Steve Strauss, University Distinguished Professor of Forest Biotechnology, Oregon State University
American chestnuts were known as the 'redwoods of the East.' National Archives and Records Administration, NAID: 7030668 The American chestnut tree was a dominant and iconic species in many…
- 6
The National Climate Assessment is broken – appointing Matthew Wielicki to lead it won’t help
theconversation.com · Joe Árvai, Professor of Psychology, Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Days of heavy downpours flooded Frankfort, Ky., and other communities across the Midwest in spring 2025. Leandro Lozada/AFP via Getty Images In early July 2026, the Trump administration quietly tapped…
- 7
Reading for pleasure builds empathy in children, but fewer kids are picking up books just for the fun of it
theconversation.com · William Dee Nichols, Professor of Literacy, Language and Culture, University of Maine · Michelle Kearney, Professor of Literacy, University of Maine
In 2023, 14% of 13-year-olds read for fun, a decrease from the 27% of teens this age who said they did so in 2012. Jorm Sangsorn/iStock via Getty Images Plus Reading allows children to live in a…
- 8
Electric companies don’t need to black out customers to prevent wildfires – here are 3 relatively fast, affordable solutions
theconversation.com · Jasmine Garland, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Colorado Boulder
A severe winter snow drought has left snowpack levels far below normal across the American West in 2026. Without a slow-melting blanket of snow to keep the soil and forests moist, alpine vegetation is…
- 9
Nearly 20% of new moms have anxiety or depression, but a promising psychedelic treatment is on the horizon
theconversation.com · Camille Hoffman, Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz
Women with postpartum depression and anxiety have a higher risk of birth complications and death by suicide. Justin Paget/DigitalVision via Getty Images About 1 in 5 women will experience depression…
- 10
Fishing for DNA – how a cup of river water can reveal secrets about human health, pollution and biodiversity
theconversation.com · Jenny Whilde, Adjunct Research Scientist in Marine Bioscience, University of Florida
Hidden in the water is a wealth of genetic information. Jenny Whilde, CC BY-ND The DNA in a single cup of water can track wildlife, monitor pollution and survey pathogens in waterways and their…