The Conversation Daily — September 17, 2026
10 stories · September 17, 2026
In this issue
- 1
Iran war pushes diesel – the economy’s lifeblood – to record high prices, with no relief on the horizon
theconversation.com · Morgan Bazilian, Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Payne Institute, Colorado School of Mines · Jamie Webster, Fellow, Payne Institute for Public Policy, Colorado School of Mines
Diesel fuel prices are at all-time highs in the United States. Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Diesel fuel prices in the U.S. continue to break all-time records, hitting $6.28 a…
- 2
The story of Little Italy’s Feast of San Gennaro is the story of how Italian immigrants became American
theconversation.com · Clare Whitton, PhD Candidate in Medieval History, University of Oxford
Over the past century, New York City's Feast of San Gennaro has grown from a one-day, parochial affair into an 11-day event that draws more than a million visitors. Spencer Platt/Getty Images For two…
- 3
Your robotic vacuum is a witness: What home robots mean for evidence, privacy and the law
theconversation.com · Henry F. Fradella, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University · George Grispos, Associate Professor of Digital Forensics, Arizona State University · Jihun Joun, Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Forensics, Arizona State University
The camera on a robot vacuum cleaner captured this cat. What else did it capture around the house? voorts/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A husband in Taiwan suspected his wife of having an affair. In…
- 4
At an old steel site in Pittsburgh, bacteria evolved to survive – and eat – industrial pollution
theconversation.com · Catherine Armbruster, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University
The author works on gathering soil samples in a field near Mill 19 in Hazelwood. Kevin Lorenzi/Mellon College of Science via Carnegie Mellon University Across Appalachia and the Rust Belt region,…
- 5
Separating the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine could decrease access for Colorado parents
theconversation.com · Jennifer Reich, Professor of Sociology, University of Colorado Denver
Many Colorado families want to exercise choice over the pace of their children's vaccines. Cavan Images/Cavan via Getty Images Some parents in Colorado are uncertain about the safety and necessity of…
- 6
Do you need to worry about the Sun turning into a black hole?
theconversation.com · Anuradha Gupta, Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy, University of Mississippi
Black holes have a gravitational pull so strong that no objects close to them can escape. Victor de Schwanberg/Science Photo Library via Getty Images Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages.…
- 7
Stars and Stripes shows how government-funded journalism can work – if it’s free to report the truth
theconversation.com · Cindy Elmore, Professor of Journalism, East Carolina University
A drawing that appeared in an edition of Stars and Stripes depicts American troops participating in the predawn attack on Omaha Beach during D-Day on June 6, 1944. Ed Vebell/Getty Images As local and…
- 8
Compared to driving, flying is extraordinarily safe – but why doesn’t it feel that way?
theconversation.com · Mihhail Berezovski, Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University · Alex Chaparro, Professor of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Millions of people fly safely every day, but when plane crashes do happen, they can be catastrophic. RM Bulseco/Flickr, CC BY A commercial airplane crash can change how people behave long after the…
- 9
AI skin cancer detection tools are getting better – but only for people with light skin
theconversation.com · Mohamed Akrout, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee
Melanoma and other skin conditions can look different in people with darker versus lighter skin – but image databases include many more examples from people with lighter skin. SeventyFour/iStock via…
- 10
Satellite images show how penguins’ diets are changing in response to Antarctic climate change
theconversation.com · Casey Youngflesh, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Clemson University
An Adélie penguin swims through the ocean. Casey Youngflesh, CC BY The color of penguin poop, as seen from space, is offering a new window into how the ecology and the environment of Antarctica are…