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DARK SECRETS: 6 | Vintage Vibes

Stored water can develop slimy bacterial films: nanotechnology may be a solution

When drinking water is stored in containers, a thin layer of microorganisms can grow at the interface of the container and water. This thin layer is called a biofilm. It’s made up of bacteria that make the water unsafe to drink. Slimy biofilms are harder to kill with ordinary disinfectants…

The Conversation

Does it help to report poor government service in South Africa? Study finds what’s missing

Across South Africa, there are various ways for people to report issues like broken infrastructure, unreliable water supply, failing clinics and poor municipal services. The channels include ward meetings, hotlines, and digital platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and X. Complaints are often shared publicly and sometimes gain traction.

The Conversation

The public isn’t bored with economists, management scholars and sociologists but engaging people has conditions

For years, we’ve been told a familiar story: social scientists such as economists, management scholars, sociologists, talk and the public shrugs. The claim goes that people don’t find our work interesting, that our expertise is fuzzy compared with “hard” sciences, and that journalists and readers will always prefer the crisp…

The Conversation

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In our deep oceans, evolution is supercharged – this diversity of life could help unlock humanity’s greatest challenges

Far beneath the surface of the ocean lies the largest and least explored habitat on Earth. The deep sea is cold, dark, highly pressurised – and home to a huge amount of undiscovered life.

The Conversation

UK ‘only’ contributes 1% global emissions – but alongside many other countries, that all adds up

The UK represented just 0.81% of global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and industry in 2024. That’s a small proportion of the global total, so perhaps it’s easy to suggest that the responsibility to cut emissions should instead lie with bigger emitters like China, the US and India.

The Conversation

Nato summit will reveal how alliance plans to manage European security as US cuts back its support

Two massive Russian attacks on Kyiv in less than a week, renewed Iranian threats in the Strait of Hormuz, and a security crackdown in Turkey are just three of the immediate issues shaping the context of the Nato summit in Ankara on July 7-8.

The Conversation

Climate change means an earlier spring, which can be disorienting and threatening for migrating birds

Spring migration has taken flight, but with rising temperatures and shifting seasons, birds are adjusting when and how they migrate to keep up with a rapidly warming climate.

The Conversation

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Why are our fingers different lengths?

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.

The Conversation

From ancient texts to modern practices, Daoism provides a profound framework for understanding the world not as broken but as naturally seeking balance

Daoism, China’s indigenous religion, is one of the country’s five officially recognized religions today. Practiced by millions of people in China and around the world, Daoism takes on many forms, stretching back from ancient roots to the modern world.

The Conversation

How Russia turned to medieval saints in its push for ‘traditional values’ – and more babies

One Saturday afternoon in May 2026, families gathered on Poklonnaya Gora, a hilltop war memorial park in western Moscow. They came for a procession and a “moleben,” an Orthodox prayer service, for the well-being of Russian families. Church media billed it as the first Day of the Sanctity of the…

The Conversation

It may be almost impossible to make data centers pay their ‘fair share’ of electricity costs

Many major tech companies have pledged to pay their fair share of the costs associated with generating and transmitting more electricity to serve large data centers. But ratepayers across the United States are worried about the potential costs they might have to bear. That’s because it’s not immediately clear how…

The Conversation

Why only 13% of surplus food gets donated by US supermarkets and other retailers to help hungry people – and how food pantries are trying to gather more

Low-income Americans need more help getting enough to eat, but not much of the food retailers that sell groceries could potentially donate is given away. Only 13% of it ends up at food banks, according to a 2026 report produced by ReFED, a nonprofit that studies and tries to prevent…

The Conversation

For the 1 in 4 teens with ‘problematic smartphone use,’ Pennsylvania’s proposed bell-to-bell cellphone ban might not be a simple solution

Pennsylvania is moving toward a statewide “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban in public schools.

The Conversation

Florida’s school choice program offers universal vouchers but cannot show systemwide academic improvement

The Florida Department of Education cannot account for US$270 million it has spent through its school choice program. That’s according to a November 2025 state audit of the department.

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The Conversation

The ‘navalization’ of economic warfare sees trade routes become zones of force rather than rules

With more than 80% of global trade by volume being transported by sea, maritime shipping lanes are indispensable to the world economy. That fact was starkly illustrated by the war in Iran, which saw Tehran effectively close the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic and Washington respond with a blockade…

The Conversation

Exposure to everyday chemicals can add up – a toxicologist offers simple steps to reduce your dose

Imagine an ordinary Tuesday. You wash your hair, put on deodorant, drink coffee, pack lunch in a plastic container and commute through traffic to get to work. At work, the custodial staff wipes down a shared table with disinfectant. At home, you cook dinner, clean the kitchen and run the…

The Conversation

Why reports Trump pressed FIFA to overturn a decision are so alarming

United States star striker Folarin Balogun will join the US men’s national team on Monday night (Tuesday morning AEST) as they face Belgium in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16.

The Conversation

Heatwaves: expert tips on redesigning UK homes to cope with hotter temperatures

As the UK prepares for the third heatwave of 2026, most people will be hoping to try and keep cool at home.

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The Conversation

The UK government has kept its promises on parental leave, but they weren’t bold enough

When Labour won the 2024 general election, parental leave reform was one of its promises to working families. The manifesto committed to reviewing the parental leave system within the first year of government and making parental leave a right from the first day of employment.

The Conversation

New virus catalogue reveals which pathogens pose the greatest threat

In a typical year, scientists discover two or three viruses that have never been seen in people before. The number fluctuates, but the trend has been fairly steady since the 1960s.

The Conversation

How the BBC’s Learn Cornish podcast could help boost this minority language

Cornish is part of the Celtic family of languages, traditionally spoken in Cornwall in the south-west of Great Britain. From the medieval period onwards, speakers in the region gradually shifted to English, leaving only a handful with knowledge of Cornish in the far west of Cornwall by the 18th and…

The Conversation

Your summer reading list: five of the best non-fiction reads of 2026 so far, according to our experts

The best summer companion is a good book. This year has already given us some truly brilliant ones, making it really hard to whittle down the best. These five non-fiction reads will also transport you all over the world – from 1960s India and Afghanistan to Ancient Greece and Hitler’s…

The Conversation

View from The Hill: WA state byelection within Hastie’s seat another ‘real time’ test for One Nation

One Nation will be tested soon in a Western Australian byelection for a state seat lying predominantly within the federal electorate of Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie, a ferocious critic of the party.

The Conversation

Victorian Redbridge poll has One Nation just ahead of Labor and the Coalition

With less than five months until the Victorian state election, a large-sample Redbridge poll has One Nation on 27% of the primary vote, with Labor and the Coalition tied at 26%. Right-wing parties are likely to win a majority in the upper house.

The Conversation

ABC will trial using AI for journalism. What are the risks and benefits?

Earlier today, the ABC flagged a shift in their position on generative artificial intelligence (AI) use in their news production. Despite previous caution, a recent deal with US tech company Anthropic has opened the door for ABC staff to bring Claude AI into their broadcasting news work.

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