The Conversation Daily — October 4, 2026
10 stories · October 4, 2026
In this issue
- 1
Annie Dillard brought poetry into prose, pioneering a mystical form of creative nonfiction that critics both admired and misunderstood
theconversation.com · Amy Cannon, Associate Professor of Writing, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Annie Dillard is rightly celebrated as a pioneer in creative nonfiction after her death on Sep. 15, 2026, at age 81. But the dazzling, disorienting feel of Dillard’s work might be best understood as…
- 2
At-home drug disposal products can play an important role in keeping rural Coloradans safe
theconversation.com · Sunny Linnebur, Professor of Geriatric Pharmacy, University of Colorado Anschutz
Unused medications can become a hazard when not disposed of safely. mediaphotos/iStock via Getty Images Plus Some Coloradans have a drug problem: old prescription medications clogging their medicine…
- 3
Black moms and pregnant women forced out of their homes in metro Detroit face health and safety threats
theconversation.com · Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson, Associate Professor of Social Epidemiology, The Ohio State University
Is everyone entitled to a fair process before being forced out of their home? The state of Michigan says “yes,” but the reality is often very different and the consequences are severe. In Michigan,…
- 4
Does my kid have COVID-19 or just a cold? A pediatric nurse explains how to tell – and why it matters
theconversation.com · Ann Sheehan, Assistant Dean for Practice, Innovation, and Professional Education and Associate Professor of Nursing, Michigan State University
Seasonal illnesses like the cold and COVID-19 have many overlapping symptoms. Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/DigitalVision via Getty Images Fall and winter mark the peak season for common respiratory infections…
- 5
How to know if you can trust an AI’s answer to your question
theconversation.com · Leo S. Lo, Dean, University of Virginia
An AI answer to a search query can fit one of several types. Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto via Getty Images I recently typed a simple question into Google search: How much screen time is too much for…
- 6
Learning another language may be one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy as you age
theconversation.com · Karen Stollznow, Senior Research Fellow of Linguistics, University of Colorado Boulder; Griffith University; University of New England
Age changes the way languages are learned, but adults remain capable of learning new languages throughout life. DrAfter123/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images Learning another language is a highly…
- 7
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…
- 8
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…
- 9
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…
- 10
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,…