The Conversation Daily — October 5, 2026
10 stories · October 5, 2026
In this issue
- 1
Why it’s more important than ever to jump-start entrepreneurial careers from the college classroom
theconversation.com · Raghupathy Sivakumar, Vice President of Commercialization and Chief Commercialization Officer, Georgia Institute of Technology
By teaching entrepreneurship, colleges can better prepare students for a fast-changing job market and technological disruption. Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Recent college…
- 2
Whether it’s banning books or preventing Macklemore from touring, silencing artists often backfires
theconversation.com · Naveen Basavaraj, Assistant Professor of Operations and Decision Technologies, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
Rapper Macklemore performs in Paris in July 2025. Kristy Sparow/Getty Images If the goal was to silence rapper Macklemore by preventing him from touring with singer Ed Sheeran, it clearly backfired.…
- 3
Why can’t people regenerate limbs like salamanders?
theconversation.com · Junsu Kang, Associate Professor of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Salamanders like axolotls are champions of regeneration. Jaouad.K/iStock via Getty Images Plus Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer,…
- 4
Florida’s limited ban on Flock cameras only scratches the surface of widespread surveillance concerns
theconversation.com · Abigail Hall, Professor of Economics, University of Tampa
Flock cameras have popped up all over Florida, particularly in metro areas. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Automated license plate readers like Flock cameras have been quietly appearing on roadsides all over…
- 5
Noise pollution is a serious but often forgotten public health problem
theconversation.com · Laura Coco, Associate Professor of Audiology, San Diego State University
Noise pollution is an occupational health hazard for many workers. urbazon/E+ via Getty Images The human body is remarkably good at getting used to the environment around it. You’ve probably…
- 6
As cities prepare for 2026’s super El Niño, some crucial blind spots can’t be ignored
theconversation.com · Bethany Tietjen, Research Fellow in Climate Policy, The Fletcher School, Tufts University
An affordable-housing crisis and a growing homeless population led Los Angeles to declared a shelter crisis during the 2015-16 El Niño. David McNew/Getty Images This year’s El Niño has the potential…
- 7
The higher your body fat percentage, the less accurate your smartwatch is at measuring calories you burn when exercising – new study
theconversation.com · Jason Kostrna, Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Florida International University
Study participants rode a recumbent bike while wearing four smartwatches and breathing into a metabolic analyzer. Taimy Alvarez/Florida International University Smartwatches have become an…
- 8
What Philly can – and can’t – do to reduce the number of people killed in car crashes
theconversation.com · D. Alex Quistberg, Associate Research Professor, Urban Health Collaborative, Drexel University
A long exposure photo shows traffic driving on Roosevelt Boulevard, one of the most dangerous roads for traffic accidents in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Matt Rourke Philadelphians die in traffic crashes…
- 9
How ‘To Catch a Predator’ indulged America’s appetite for humiliation and punishment
theconversation.com · Daniel LaChance, Associate Professor of History, Emory University · Paul Kaplan, Professor of Criminal Justice, San Diego State University
Robert Pattinson plays former 'To Catch a Predator' host Chris Hansen in 'Showtime.' A24 For a television show that was canceled nearly two decades ago, “ To Catch a Predator ” has been having quite a…
- 10
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…