The Conversation

The Conversation

The Conversation

The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, funded by the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public. The Conversation launched in Australia in March 2011.
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'Public Trust Doctrine' - How Lawyers Use Children To File Climate Change Lawsuits

'Public Trust Doctrine' - How Lawyers Use Children To File Climate Change Lawsuits

An ancient legal principle has become a key strategy of American children seeking to reduce the effects of climate change in the 21st century. A defeat at the U.S. Supreme Court in March 2025 has not stopped the effort, which has several legal actions continuing in the courts.The legal basis for these cases is called the “public trust doctrine,” the principle that certain natural resources – historically, navigable waters such as lakes, rivers and streams and the lands under them – must be maintained in government ownership and held in trust for present and future generations of the public.

How Does Streaming Technology Work?

How Does Streaming Technology Work?

Live and on-demand video constituted an estimated 66% of global internet traffic by volume in 2022, and the top 10 days for internet traffic in 2024 coincided with live streaming events such as the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match and coverage of the NFL. Streaming enables seamless, on-demand access to video content, from online gaming to short videos like TikToks, and longer content such as movies, podcasts and NFL games.

US Government Wants To End 54 Years Of Subsidized Media

US Government Wants To End 54 Years Of Subsidized Media

The Trump administration’s drive to slash government spending on everything from the arts to cancer research also includes efforts to carry through on the Republican Party’s long-standing goal of ending federal funding for NPR, the nation’s public radio network, and PBS, its television counterpart.

Life-Size Sculptures Uncovered In Pompeii Debunk Myths About Ancient Women

Life-Size Sculptures Uncovered In Pompeii Debunk Myths About Ancient Women

Visitors to the site of Pompeii, the ancient Roman town buried (and so preserved for thousands of years) by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD, don’t often think to look beyond the city walls. And it’s easy to understand why: there’s plenty on offer within this monumentally well-preserved town, from jewel-like wall paintings of myths and legends like Helen of Troy, to the majestic amphitheater and sumptuously stuccoed baths.But step outside the gates for a moment, and you’re in a very different – yet no less important – world.

Is Canadian Patriotism Why Religion Is So Unpopular In The Country?

Is Canadian Patriotism Why Religion Is So Unpopular In The Country?

In 1961, less than one per cent of Canadians identified as having no religion. In 2021, 43 per cent of those between 15 and 35 considered themselves religiously unaffiliated. Organized religion — and especially Christianity — is in decline. Secularization is advancing apace. Most sociologists of religion agree on this. What they disagree about, however, is why.

Red Alert Fatigue - Why Americans Are Getting Immune To Political Hysteria

Red Alert Fatigue - Why Americans Are Getting Immune To Political Hysteria

“I am definitely not following the news anymore,” one patient told me when I asked about her political news consumption in the weeks before the 2024 U.S. presidential election. This conversation happened around the time I talked with a local TV channel about why we saw fewer political yard signs during this year’s election season, compared with past ones.

She's Not Going To Propose This Holiday And Here's Why

She's Not Going To Propose This Holiday And Here's Why

The Christmas period isn’t just for presents, sparkling lights and too much festive food – it’s also prime time for couples to get engaged. And for heterosexual couples, this is likely to happen in a specific way. The man will do the asking. Traditional views around marriage are changing. In 2021 in England and Wales, more babies were born to unmarried than married parents for the first time. And many women keep their own surname rather than changing it to their husband’s when they tie the knot. But wedding proposals are still considered a man’s job.

Correlation: Sitting Is Bad For Your Health And Exercise Won't Help

Correlation: Sitting Is Bad For Your Health And Exercise Won't Help

Advances in technology in recent decades have obviated the need and desire for humans to move. Many of the world’s population sit for long periods throughout the day, whether in front of a computer at work or in front of a TV at home. Given that the human body is made to move, all this sitting is clearly bad for our health. A new study from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), confirmed this – and then some.A total of 5,856 female participants aged 63 to 99 years were asked to wear an activity monitor on their hip for seven days at the start of the study. The researchers then followed them for a decade, during which 1,733 participants died.

Why Does Anyone Still Search For The Loch Ness Monster?

Why Does Anyone Still Search For The Loch Ness Monster?

Hugh Gray was taking his usual post-church walk around Loch Ness in Scotland on a November Sunday in 1933. His amble was disrupted when he saw something bobbing above the water two or three feet from him. He quickly snapped several pictures of what he described to the Scottish Daily Record as “an object of considerable dimensions”.

Will Solar Power Be Viable By 2050?

Will Solar Power Be Viable By 2050?

In pursuit of the ambitious goal of reaching net-zero emissions, nations worldwide must expand their use of clean energy sources. In the case of solar energy, this change may already be upon us.