The Conversation Daily — August 29, 2026
10 stories · August 29, 2026
In this issue
- 1
When a mountain falls: How ice and rock triggered Nepal’s catastrophic flood – and why climate change is raising the risks
theconversation.com · Umesh Haritashya, Professor of Earth, Environment and Sustainability, and Director of Sustainability Programs, University of Dayton
A massive rockfall in the Himalayas led to a surge of flood water than swept through villages, killing hundreds of people, on Aug. 26, 2026. Prabin Ranabhat/AFP via Getty Images The catastrophic flood…
- 2
One of the most common brain disorders is one of the most misunderstood – how functional neurological disorder is both ‘all in your head’ and beyond it
theconversation.com · Mackenzi Moore, Program Manager, University of Colorado Anschutz
From hysteria to conversion disorder, to psychogenic or psychosomatic illness, functional neurological disorder has gone by many names. anilakkus/iStock via Getty Images Plus “It’s all in your head.”…
- 3
Staying hopeful and true to oneself is a lesson these 5 kids books offer to kindergartners and other children
theconversation.com · Liz Rosenberg, Professor of English, General Literature and Rhetoric, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Reading can be a way for children to safely try out experiencing something new, or possibly stressful, like starting school. Jorm Sangsorn/iStock/Getty Images Plus What does a child need to prepare…
- 4
Small businesses at the gateways to America’s national parks face 4 big risks – including changing boundaries and extreme weather
theconversation.com · Nancy Forster-Holt, Clinical Associate Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Rhode Island
Rafting on the Colorado River is one of the outdoor activities available at the Red Cliffs Lodge near Moab, Utah. George Rose/Getty Images A record 332 million people visited U.S. national parks in…
- 5
Radio telescopes help scientists map molecules in space and uncover where and how stars form
theconversation.com · Olivia Harper Wilkins, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Dickinson College
ALMA, a powerful radio telescope in the Atacama Desert of Chile. J.F. Salgado (ESO), CC BY You may have heard the phrase “ we are made of star-stuff.” This statement by the astronomer Carl Sagan…
- 6
Quitting alcohol changes the brain and can increase the risk of compulsive drinking – new research in mice
theconversation.com · Danny G. Winder, Professor and Chair of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School · Marie Doyle, Instructor in Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School
Activity in certain areas of the brain may drive alcohol cravings. Yana Iskayeva/Moment via Getty Images For some, abstaining from alcohol can subsequently increase compulsive drinking. Our research…
- 7
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…
- 8
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…
- 9
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…
- 10
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…