The Conversation Daily — September 1, 2026
10 stories · September 1, 2026
In this issue
- 1
Before the infinity nets, there was ‘The Pacific Ocean’ – what origin stories focusing on Yayoi Kusama’s mental illness miss about her art
theconversation.com · Audrey Storm, Ph.D. Candidate in Art History, University of Southern California
Yayoi Kusama reached toward the concept of infinity through polka dots. Y. Cheng/South China Morning Post via Getty Images Stories of Yayoi Kusama’s life often begin after she moved to New York City…
- 2
Data center projects in Pennsylvania face stronger local scrutiny after Shapiro’s executive order
theconversation.com · Michael Helbing, Adjunct Professor of Law, Penn State
The cooling towers of an electric station are seen beyond an Amazon Web Services data center construction project in Berwick, Pa. Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Governors across…
- 3
The greenest building is the one still standing after a disaster
theconversation.com · Fernanda Cruz Rios, Assistant Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Drexel University
Construction choices are often the difference between a house surviving a hurricane or being torn apart. Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images When Hurricane Michael tore through the Florida Panhandle in 2018,…
- 4
What is public interest technology? An expert on data and policy explains how it helps people in need
theconversation.com · Rayid Ghani, Distinguished Career Professor of Machine Learning and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University
Public interest technology can be used to help keep people from being exposed to lead paint. The Washington Post via Getty Images Every year, millions of people who qualify for food assistance never…
- 5
Many space missions are searching for life beyond Earth – but are we prepared for the fallout if they succeed?
theconversation.com · Margaret E. Kosal, Associate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology · Dayana Alagirova, Ph.D. Student in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology · Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano, Research Fellow for Future Issues and Technology, Nanyang Technological University
Several space missions are searching for extraterrestrial life, which could come in the form of microbes. ClaudioVentrella/iStock via Getty Images Plus Microbes from space have fueled the plots of…
- 6
Online mental healthcare is here to stay: Here’s how to navigate your options and find the right clinician
theconversation.com · Shari Harding, Associate Professor of Nursing, UMass Chan Medical School
Virtual access to mental healthcare is now very common, but figuring out how to choose a provider can be confusing. Alisa Zahoruiko/iStock via Getty Images Plus As a mental health nurse practitioner…
- 7
Biological sex is neither binary nor a spectrum – a biologist explains how it’s multidimensional
theconversation.com · Ari Berkowitz, Professor of Biological Sciences; Director of the Cellular and Behavioral Neurobiology Graduate Program, University of Oklahoma
Some people may veer more typically female for some traits, more typically male for others, and intermediate for still others. aelitta/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images Many people recognize that…
- 8
US government is pushing to gain unprecedented access to your medical records – as data protections are weakening
theconversation.com · Jennifer D. Oliva, Professor of Law, Indiana University
You might assume that what you tell a doctor stays between you, your physician and perhaps your insurer. But the reality is more complicated. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act,…
- 9
The real reason many Americans are cutting ties with their parents and siblings
theconversation.com · Rin Reczek, Professor of Sociology, The Ohio State University
The path to estrangement is usually gradual, marked by mounting tensions and unresolved conflicts. Nick Lehr/The Conversation via ChatGPT Luna, 26, no longer speaks to her father. There was no single…
- 10
AI companies look to the ocean as a place to put more data centers
theconversation.com · Nir Kshetri, Professor of Management, University of North Carolina – Greensboro
Underwater data centers will accumulate sea life, like this Microsoft data center testing module, which in two years underwater attracted algae, barnacles and sea anemones. Microsoft The artificial…