Water wells are at risk of going dry in the US and worldwide

Debra Perrone, University of California Santa Barbara; Scott Jasechko, University of California Santa Barbara

The US has one of the highest groundwater use rates in the world. When wells run dry, households may opt to conserve water, find new sources or sell and move.

A metropolis arose in medieval Cambodia – new research shows how many people lived in the Angkor Empire over time

Sarah Klassen, Leiden University; Alison Kyra Carter, University of Oregon

Combining archaeological evidence, aerial scans and machine learning algorithms, researchers modeled how this medieval city grew over time.

DNA ‘Lite-Brite’ is a promising way to archive data for decades or longer

Will Hughes, Boise State University; George David Dickinson, Boise State University; Luca Piantanida, Boise State University

DNA has been storing vast amounts of biological information for billions of years. Researchers are working to harness DNA for archiving data. A new method uses light to simplify the process.

4 reasons business school faculty lack diversity

Sonya A. Grier, American University Kogod School of Business

Professors of color are few and far between at America's business schools. Hidden obstacles in the search process help explain why.

States pick judges very differently from US Supreme Court appointments

Joshua Holzer, Westminster College

Many states have found ways to remove partisan politics from their court systems.

Haitians protest their president in English as well as Creole, indicting US for its role in country’s political crisis

Tamanisha John, Florida International University

Haitian president Jovenel Moïse is accused of overstaying his term, embezzling funds and dismantling parliament. Protests are a hallmark of his presidency – but the language of them has changed.

The state of the union: what these elections mean for the future of the UK

Jonathan Bradbury, Swansea University

Nicola Sturgeon wants Scotland out, Boris Johnson hopes to hold it all together and Mark Drakeford believes in the best of both worlds.

US support for waiving COVID-19 vaccine patent rights puts pressure on drugmakers – but what would a waiver actually look like?

Dalindyebo Shabalala, University of Dayton

The process will take months, if it's even approved. But just the threat of waiving intellectual property rights could spur faster action.

Women-dominated child and home care work is critical infrastructure that has long been devalued

Mignon Duffy, University of Massachusetts Lowell

President Biden wants to use his $2.25 trillion infrastructure plan to shore up child and home care. A scholar explains why that kind of care is just as critical as roads and bridges.

How much sleep do you really need?

Dana McMakin, Florida International University

Getting a good night's sleep on a regular basis can help you do well in school or at work. It might even make you better-looking.

How effective is the first shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine?

William Petri, University of Virginia

The vaccine rollout is underway, but what happens if there is a supply disruption? Would it be feasible to change strategy and give more people a first dose? An expert analyzes the data.

Massive flare seen on the closest star to the solar system: What it means for chances of alien neighbors

R. O. Parke Loyd, Arizona State University

Astronomers just measured the largest flare ever from Proxima Centauri, humanity's closest neighboring star. These flares could be bad news for life trying to develop on a planet orbiting the star.

Early humans used fire to permanently change the landscape tens of thousands of years ago in Stone Age Africa

Jessica Thompson, Yale University; David K. Wright, University of Oslo; Sarah Ivory, Penn State

Combining evidence from archaeology, geochronology and paleoenvironmental science, researchers identified how ancient humans by Lake Malawi were the first to substantially modify their environment.

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