The Conversation Daily — August 28, 2026
10 stories · August 28, 2026
In this issue
- 1
Dolly Parton took control of her career by making men the butt of the joke
theconversation.com · Stephanie Vander Wel, Associate Professor of Music, University at Buffalo
Dolly Parton was fond of saying, 'It takes a lot of money to look this cheap.' Paul Natkin/Getty Images Of all the moments that capture Dolly Parton’s musical talents, fierce intelligence and driving…
- 2
‘Must I take all my antibiotics?’ Why infectious disease experts are rethinking this longstanding rule
theconversation.com · Amy J. Mathers, Associate Professor of Medicine and Pathology, University of Virginia
For decades, researchers thought that bacteria become resistant to antibiotics if patients stopped taking these drugs early. Liudmila Chernetska/iStock via Getty Images Plus You’ve probably heard it…
- 3
Communicating uncertainty in research is hard, so we worked on how best to do it – here’s what you can watch out for
theconversation.com · Matthew Facciani, Research Scientist, Yale University · Aleeza Gerstein, Associate Professor in Microbiology and Statistics, University of Manitoba · Kristi Heather Kenyon, Associate Professor of Human Rights, University of Winnipeg · S. Michelle Driedger, Professor of College of Community and Global Health, University of Manitoba
Uncertainty is inherent in science, but communicating it effectively requires more than explaining how much error is present in graphs. Tom Werner/DigitalVision via Getty Images Earlier this summer,…
- 4
Professional gaming is brutal on the body – inside the growing field of treating esports injuries
theconversation.com · Erica D. Henn, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Temple University
A Taiwanese gamer from the esports team Flash Wolves takes pills during a training session for the 'League of Legends' World Championship at a boot camp in Shanghai. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty…
- 5
Dementia care navigators help Latino 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…
- 6
Ancient forests took 100,000 years to recover from the last global warming period similar to today – Wyoming fossils reveal what happened
theconversation.com · Regan E. Dunn, Associate Curator at La Brea Tar Pits and Museum; Adjunct Professor of Earth Sciences, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Fifty-six million years ago, Earth’s forests reached a tipping point. They had grown dense, lush canopies at the start of one of Earth’s most intense episodes of greenhouse warming. But those canopies…
- 7
Controlling wild pigs can work if it’s a group effort
theconversation.com · Chris Boyer, Professor and Department Head, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee · Aaron Smith, Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee · Eunchun Park, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, University of Arkansas
Feral swine are found in at least 35 states in the U.S. CRobertson/iStock/Getty Images Plus The federal government is injecting millions of dollars into efforts to combat feral hogs – and it’s…
- 8
Teens are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support – here’s how to keep kids safe
theconversation.com · Phoebe S. Moore, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School · Megan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School · Yael Dvir, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School
Chatbots were designed to emulate empathy, but not to provide meaningful mental health support. Chebotkevich/iStock via Getty Images Plus It’s 2 a.m., and a teenage girl, worrying about a friend…
- 9
Wildfire-damaged historic buildings may not be as ruined as they appear, but saving them means acting fast
theconversation.com · Rebecca Napolitano, Associate Professor of Architectural Engineering, Penn State · Giorgia Giardina, Associate Professor of Geo-Monitoring and Data Analytics, Delft University of Technology · Tiago Miguel Ferreira, Assistant Professor in Structural Mechanics and Structures, Universidade de Lisboa
Fires burned across Spain in summer 2026. Acting quickly to shore up old stone walls when buildings burn can help preserve a region's history. Jose Jordan/AFP via Getty Images In a summer of wildfires…
- 10
‘Hello, just circling back!’ Not responding to emails is common across higher education but bad for morale
theconversation.com · Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College
No one likes sending an email and never receiving a response, but it's not uncommon. Lightcome/iStock/Getty Images Plus As a challenging academic year drew to a close in May 2026, I sent an email to…