The Conversation Daily — August 27, 2026
10 stories · August 27, 2026
In this issue
- 1
Galápagos corals show El Niño events are more extreme now than in past 1,000 years – here’s how my team made the discovery
theconversation.com · Julia Cole, Professor of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Michigan
A NOAA scientist takes a coral sample in the Galapagos Islands. The process does not injure the colony, which grows back. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory - NOAA Temperatures have…
- 2
Why the US-Canada trade war could change how American farmers grow their crops for years
theconversation.com · Jayash Paudel, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Oklahoma
Most healthy soybean fields like this one in Minnesota rely on fertilizer. Richard Hamilton Smith/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war…
- 3
Dementia care navigators help Coloradans get the support they need
theconversation.com · Hillary Lum, GUIDE Medical Director/Practitioner, University of Colorado Anschutz
Latino Americans are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than white Americans, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. In Colorado, nearly a quarter of the overall population…
- 4
‘Mad honey’ that can stop your heart is now being sold online worldwide
theconversation.com · Prayan Pokharel, Research scientist, University of Hohenheim
Honey hunters in Nepal scale incredible heights to harvest the honey of the Himalayan cliff bee. Skanda Gautam/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images A few months ago, a friend of mine told me that…
- 5
NASA is gearing up to launch its next flagship space telescope – combining spy technology with sophisticated infrared detectors
theconversation.com · Don Figer, Professor and Director of the Rochester Imaging Detector Laboratory, Rochester Institute of Technology
This illustration shows what the Roman telescope will look like in space. NASA NASA plans to soon launch a new space telescope that will survey a billion galaxies to trace how the universe evolved…
- 6
Mars rovers give scientists a ground-level view of the red planet – peek inside their NASA control room
theconversation.com · Ashwin R. Vasavada, Project Scientist, Mars Science Laboratory, NASA
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used two cameras to create this selfie in front of Mont Mercou, a tall rock outcrop. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Lights blink on as I enter the Rover Operations Center at NASA’s…
- 7
Extreme heat is taking a toll on firefighters as wildfires stretch crews to the limit
theconversation.com · Julian L. Gallegos, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Purdue University
Wildland firefighters light a backfire while battling a fire near Mariposa, Calif., in 2022. David McNew/AFP via Getty Images When a wildfire threatens a community, most people don’t think to ask…
- 8
Changes to Facebook and Instagram are key part of Meta’s $17B settlement with the states over harm to teens
theconversation.com · Carolina Rossini, Professor of Practice and Director for Program, Public Interest Technology Initiative, UMass Amherst
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg chose to settle a landmark lawsuit against his company. Jon Putman/Anadolu via Getty Images Meta has agreed to pay up to US$17 billion over 10 years to settle claims brought…
- 9
Disappearing lakes and AI are helping scientists map Arctic permafrost thaw in near-real time
theconversation.com · Anna Liljedahl, Affiliated Professor in Arctic Hydrology, University of Alaska Fairbanks · Ingmar Nitze, Postdoctoral Research in Polar Geoscience, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Thermokarst ponds, or trough ponds, typically form when the ice in permafrost melts. They can also drain quickly. Anna Liljedahl Florida gets a lot of attention for its sinkholes, especially when they…
- 10
Layoffs tied to AI hurt worker productivity – and the reason may surprise managers
theconversation.com · Mark Ma, Professor of Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh
When companies announce layoffs as a result of AI, they overlook the damaging effect on workers' morale. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Business leaders and investors face a deepening paradox: Companies…