The Conversation Daily — September 7, 2026
10 stories · September 7, 2026
In this issue
- 1
Hiking canyons can be dangerous when storms hit – what you need to know to stay safe
theconversation.com · Anner Paldor, Professor of Hydrogeology, University of Tennessee
Mud and debris, including a mangled piece of construction equipment, remain after a flash flood in Grand Canyon National Park on Aug. 31, 2026. Katherine Hensel/National Park Service via AP Hiking a…
- 2
Legal wrangling over $12.5B Lakers sale shows how family trusts don’t guarantee a business stays in the family
theconversation.com · Reid Kress Weisbord, Distinguished Professor of Law, Rutgers University - Newark · Naomi Cahn, Professor of Law, University of Virginia
Jeanie Buss is fighting with her siblings over whether to sell their shared stake in the Los Angeles Lakers. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images The Buss family’s 47-year ownership of the…
- 3
Fish DNA in Ozark streams reveals region’s complex geologic history
theconversation.com · David Duvernell, Professor of Biological Sciences, Missouri University of Science and Technology
A student collects a water sample for DNA analysis. David Duvernell, CC BY My students and I encountered a mystery. We were partnering with the Missouri Department of Conservation to monitor for fish…
- 4
How do ice cubes cool a drink?
theconversation.com · Matthew Koss, Professor of Physics, College of the Holy Cross
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. How do ice cubes cool a drink? – Helen, age 12,…
- 5
Just as the world appears to be losing its appetite for books, William T. Vollmann pens a 3,000-page novel
theconversation.com · Christopher Coffman, Master Lecturer in Humanities, Boston University
William T. Vollmann has spent his career refusing to distill the world into dichotomies. Maria Moratti/Getty Images With forecasters of doom debating the end of reading, of publishing and of literacy…
- 6
Using thunderquakes to X-ray Earth – a new study shows urban seismology in action
theconversation.com · Nolan Roth, Postdoctoral Researcher in Marine Geology and Geohazards, The Ohio State University · Tieyuan Zhu, Associate Professor of Geophysics, Penn State
As lightning lights up apartment buildings, the thunder creates useful vibrations. Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images When lightning strikes, it superheats the air around it and creates a shock wave…
- 7
More protein in your breakfast or snacks won’t give you more muscle without more work – a biologist separates the science from the marketing
theconversation.com · Linda M. Boland, Professor of Biology, University of Richmond
Do you really need all those protein supplements in your diet? Djavan Rodriguez/Moment via Getty Images Growing up, my brothers were fascinated by the first “Rocky” movie. They were trying to get…
- 8
The importance of teaching students what AI can’t do
theconversation.com · Billy J. Stratton, Professor of English and Literary Arts, University of Denver
Emile Bernard's 'Madeleine in the Bois d'Amour' (1888). Art Media/The Print Collector via Getty Images It’s disconcerting to envision human thought becoming redundant or deemed inferior due to…
- 9
Antarctic krill fishing is now concentrated in the exact pattern conservation rules were designed to prevent
theconversation.com · Kim S. Bernard, Professor of Biological Oceanography, Oregon State University
A trawler fishes for krill in the Southern Ocean. AP Photo/David Keyton The companies fishing for Antarctic krill have harvested so much so quickly that the season had to close in August 2026, three…
- 10
A seemingly technical change to international student visas could disrupt teaching and research at US universities
theconversation.com · Abigail Boggs, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Education Studies, Wesleyan University
New visa changes for international students are the latest step the Trump administration has taken that can make it harder for students to come to the U.S. to complete their degrees. LVector/iStock…