The Conversation Daily — August 19, 2026

10 stories · August 19, 2026

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In this issue

1

Nearly 1 in 4 students are chronically absent from school – kids who feel happy and safe are less likely to miss class

theconversation.com · Jerome A. Graham, Assistant Professor of K-12 Educational Administration, Michigan State University · Su Yon Choi, Assistant Professor of School Leaders, Florida Atlantic University · Yi-Chih Chiang, Assistant Professor of P-12 Educational Administration, Idaho State University

Close to 1 in 4 students in the U.S. do not attend school for at least 10% of the academic year. Antonio Hugo Photo/Moment via Getty Images Chronic absenteeism – referring to students who miss 10% or…
2

The CDC has a new director – now comes the hard part

theconversation.com · Syra S. Madad, Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School · Nahid Bhadelia, Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases, Boston University

After nearly a year-long gap, the CDC again has a permanent director. James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via Wikimedia Commons The new director of the Centers for Disease…
3

Traumatic memories are often fragmented – a psychologist explains how and why that happens

theconversation.com · Michele Patterson Ford, Lecturer in Psychology, Dickinson College

Traumatic memories are not recalled the same way pleasant memories are. Filmstax/E+ via Getty Images When survivors of trauma recount their experiences, they are often questioned because of how they…
4

Just because the bill is low doesn’t mean energy is affordable

theconversation.com · Destenie Nock, Alex Hills Career Development Associate Professor of Engineering and Public Policy, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

To keep energy bills manageable, people often set heating and cooling temperatures to uncomfortable levels. Olga Dobrovolska/Moment via Getty Images One light bulb. That was what electrification…
5

El pueblo indígena wounaan ha hecho frente a la tala ilegal de palo de rosa y a siglos de explotación con sabiduría y belleza

theconversation.com · Julie (Julia) Velásquez Runk, Professor of Environment and Sustainability Studies, Wake Forest University; Smithsonian Institution; University of Michigan · Chenier Carpio Opua, Member of Wounaan Podpa Nʌm Pömaam (Wounaan National Congress), Indigenous Knowledge · Doris Cheucarama Membache, Member of Wounaan Podpa Nʌm Pömaam (Wounaan National Congress), Indigenous Knowledge

En una gran pila se apilan troncos de palo de rosa cortados. Estos troncos, cuya especie exacta se desconoce, se encuentran en Madagascar, uno de los puntos clave del comercio mundial de palo de rosa.…
6

Climate change may be making us lonelier: How heat waves and extreme weather disrupt social connections everyone relies on

theconversation.com · Fiona Doherty, Assistant Professor of Social Work, University of Tennessee

During miserable heat waves, people tend to stay inside if it's cooler there, limiting social connection. AP Photo/Nathan Howard Severe storms, heat waves and wildfires can shut down the social life…
7

Wounaan Indigenous people have opposed illegal rosewood logging and centuries of exploitation with wisdom and beauty

theconversation.com · Julie (Julia) Velásquez Runk, Professor of Environment and Sustainability Studies, Wake Forest University; Smithsonian Institution; University of Michigan · Chenier Carpio Opua, Member of Wounaan Podpa Nʌm Pömaam (Wounaan National Congress), Indigenous Knowledge · Doris Cheucarama Membache, Member of Wounaan Podpa Nʌm Pömaam (Wounaan National Congress), Indigenous Knowledge

Cut rosewood logs sit in a large pile. These logs, the exact species of which are unknown, are in Madagascar, one of the hot spots of global rosewood trade. Maky via Wikimedia Commons Leer en español.…
8

SpaceX aims to use rockets to quickly transport cargo across the Earth and into orbit – moves that would expand the global cargo system

theconversation.com · Euihyeon Choi, Ph.D. Student in Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology · Koki Ho, Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

SpaceX aims to use rockets like its Falcon 9 to bring cargo to and from orbit, as well as between different points on Earth. AP Photo/John Raoux You might think about rockets as powerful vehicles that…
9

Philadelphia’s failing air quality hits hardest in neighborhoods near industry and highways, where asthma rates soar

theconversation.com · Qian He, Assistant Professor of Geography, Planning and Sustainability, Rowan University · Mahbubur Meenar, Professor of Urban & Regional Planning, Rowan University · Sean Olcese, Graduate Research Fellow, Rowan University

A view from a bridge overlooking the Harrowgate neighborhood of North Philadelphia. Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images Philadelphians who live near industrial land and major roads – those who live in the…
10

What critics of college athletes making money get wrong about name, image and likeness policies

theconversation.com · Brennan Berg, Professor of Sport Management, University of Mississippi

Haley and Hanna Cavinder, who played college basketball for the Miami Hurricanes, were among the first student-athletes to sign major deals over their name, image and likeness. AP Photo/Darron…