The Conversation Daily — August 20, 2026
10 stories · August 20, 2026
In this issue
- 1
Puerto Rico is rationing water, but many residents stopped trusting the tap long before the drought
theconversation.com · Ivis García, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University
Residents collect water from a tanker truck amid government-imposed water rationing in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in August 2026. Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images Imagine turning on your kitchen…
- 2
Colorado River water conservation efforts get only halfway to a solution
theconversation.com · Sarah Porter, Director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy, ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona State University
A view over Lake Mead shows how far the lake's level has fallen. AP Photo/Ty ONeil In August 2026 the nation’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, both on the Colorado River, hit their…
- 3
Cursive is making a comeback. But does it deserve one?
theconversation.com · Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, Clinical Professor of Literacy Studies, Drexel University
More than 25 states currently require students to learn cursive. PeopleImages/iStock via Getty Images Plus Learning to read and write cursive was once a rite of passage for practically every American…
- 4
New therapies help people with schizophrenia – but access is woefully inadequate
theconversation.com · Matthew Kurtz, Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, Wesleyan University
Schizophrenia is among the top 10 leading causes of disability, according to the World Health Organization. ATHVisions/E+ via Getty Images It’s common to hear casual descriptions of “schizophrenic”…
- 5
Why social media algorithms send you posts you don’t like
theconversation.com · Ziv Epstein, Postdoctoral Associate in Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) · Farnaz Jahanbakhsh, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and of Information, University of Michigan · Michael Bernstein, Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University
X may feed you content you're into, but it may feed you even more that riles you up. Nicole Amidon Do your social media accounts feed you content that reflects your core beliefs and guiding…
- 6
First mRNA flu shot approved by FDA bodes well for improving drugs of the future – though a few hurdles remain before mRNA can move beyond vaccines
theconversation.com · Li Li, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School
Two hurdles mRNA drugs face are a short half-life and impurities that trigger immune responses. Christoph Burgstedt/Science Photo Library via Getty Images Vaccines have been reliably and affordably…
- 7
Why Christopher Nolan turned Circe into a vindictive witch
theconversation.com · Bailey Sincox, Lecturer in Comparative Literature, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Nolan's Circe, played by Samantha Morton, is more like a fairy-tale witch than an ancient goddess. Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures I’ve taught “The Odyssey” to college students for over a…
- 8
Just weeks before devastating wildfires hit, Spokane practiced a mass evacuation – the drill paid off
theconversation.com · Ashley Bosa, Postdoctoral Researcher, The Resilience Institute at Boise State University, Boise State University
Police create evacuation corridors to quickly move vehicles out of a neighborhood threatened by a wildfire on Aug. 1, 2026. AP Photo/Young Kwak When a wildfire is headed your way, evacuating may sound…
- 9
Taxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer’s – how complex mental maps and spatial reasoning protect your brain
theconversation.com · Hatim Sharif, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio
Figuring out a circuitous route between point A to point B can strengthen your brain. justhavealook/iStock via Getty Images Plus Taxi and ambulance drivers are less likely than workers in almost any…
- 10
What is emotional regulation? A child psychologist explains
theconversation.com · Jessica Griffin, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, UMass Chan Medical School
Everyone engages in emotional regulation – and there are more healthy and less healthy ways to do so. Dimitri Otis/Stone via Getty Images If you’ve followed mental health topics on TikTok or Instagram…