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Happy Sunday – and welcome to the best of The Conversation.
First, here are a couple of our recently published stories:
As a nonscientist, I’m intrigued by the notion of a meta-analysis. This type of study gives researchers the opportunity to read and evaluate a large number of studies on a specific topic and analyze the evidence collected by their peers. It’s a tool that can help scientists zoom out and get the big picture, and the results can sometimes support emerging science in a way that one-off studies can’t.
This week we had a story about a meta-analysis performed at Boston University by Shrey Grover and his colleagues at the Reinhart Lab. The memory and cognition researchers compiled and reviewed data from over 100 studies on transcranial alternating current stimulation. Known as tACS, this therapy involves wearing a cap embedded with electrodes that send weak, oscillating electrical currents to the scalp. Whether it has the capacity to change mental function by altering electrical pulses in the brain has been a topic of debate for decades.
So what did the meta-analysis reveal? The researchers found that tACS can enhance a person’s mental capacity, especially when it comes to executive function. It’s a big-picture perspective that lends support to the potential of this therapy.
Later this week, we’ll bring you stories about the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season, how hip-hop challenged racism in Europe and how to raise a spelling bee champion.
Also: We just launched a newsletter series on artificial intelligence explaining what you need to know about AI and how it’s changing society. Sign up here to receive four emails over the course of a week.
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Emily Costello
Managing Editor
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Readers' picks
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While blue, Democratic states are becoming bluer, red, Republican-leaning states are becoming more conservative.
Matt Champlin
Robert Samuels, University of California, Santa Barbara
Idaho, Montana and Florida had the highest population growth among US states between 2020 and 2022.
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Tara Sonenshine, Tufts University
As the drone market continues to expand, a set of rules or standards that can help determine how they are used in warfare is needed, writes a former US diplomat.
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Chad Hanna, Penn State
Upgrades to the hardware and software of the advanced observatory should allow astrophysicists to detect much fainter gravitational waves than before.
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Iain Boyd, University of Colorado Boulder
China’s newest hypersonic missile, the DF-27, could sideline US aircraft carrier groups in the Pacific, while missiles in the works in China, Russia and the US threaten global security.
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Graig Klein, Leiden University; Scott Boddery, Gettysburg College
Invading, attacking and killing adversaries abroad can boost the political prospects of leaders doing poorly at home.
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Editors' picks
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Former President Donald Trump’s many missteps made him an easy target for amateur jokesters.
Ron Adar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Sophia A. McClennen, Penn State
While derision and mockery permeate airwaves and social media feeds, satire holds the key to creating a more informed, engaged electorate.
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Shrey Grover, Boston University
Transcranial alternating current stimulation, or tACS, is a type of brain stimulation that can change neural activity and improve memory, attention and executive function.
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Gale Sinatra, University of Southern California; Barbara K. Hofer, Middlebury
Generative AIs may make up information they serve you, meaning they may potentially spread science misinformation. Here’s how to check the accuracy of what you read in an AI-enhanced media landscape.
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Patrick Parenteau, Vermont Law & Graduate School; John Dernbach, Widener University
Honolulu, Baltimore, Charleston, S.C. and several other cities harmed by rising seas and extreme weather are suing the oil industry. At stake is who pays for the staggering costs of climate change.
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Derek P. Siegel, UMass Amherst
Trans motherhood showcases the unique joys of being transgender, be it through developing a deeper connection with one’s own child or caring for others in one’s community.
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News Quiz 🧠
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Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. Questions this week about late greats Tina Turner and Jim Brown, Coca-Cola and corn dogs, farmers, unions, the Chinese, and chatbots
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Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to helping academic experts share ideas with the public. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. Donate now to support research-based journalism
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