The Conversation: In-depth analysis, research, news and ideas from leading academics and researchers.

The latest news and research, analyzed by experts

A man glowers with one hand raised as he stands behind a podium at a press briefing.

From Wulfstan of York to Pete Hegseth, fake Bible verses have often been politicized

Mo Pareles, University of British Columbia

An old man's face between two beams of blue light.

How Donald Trump taps into America’s enduring appetite for destruction

Ronald W. Pruessen, University of Toronto

smoke stacks at an industrial plant silhouetted by an orange sky at sunset

Here’s what to expect from the first Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

Kyla Tienhaara, Queen's University, Ontario and Christina Frendo, Queen's University, Ontario

Did NASA’s Curiosity rover find signs of ancient life on Mars? An astrobiologist explains how we determine ‘life’

Allyson Brady, Carleton University

NASA's Curiosity rover robot on the brown, rocky surface of Mars

Legal categories for animals still divide — and limit — animal rights

Daphnée B. Ménard, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

A Black person's hand seen holding a pen to paper.

A historian of Black Canada gives a report card on Ontario’s new mandated Black history education

Natasha Henry-Dixon, York University, Canada

Two graduates seated doing a fist bump and smiling at one another, one wearing a brightly couloured woven stole.

Why I celebrate Black graduation magic: An anti-racist perspective

Clare Warner, McMaster University

A teal sofa showing the legs and feet of a person lying on it

Not getting enough physical activity may be harming your health: Here’s what being sedentary does to your body

Scott Lear, Simon Fraser University

Cash cows, scapegoats and now global talent: Asian international students want to be seen for who they are

Elizabeth Buckner, University of Toronto; Ashley Manuel, University of Toronto; Eun Gi (Cathy) Kim, University of Toronto, and Sophie Xiaoyi Liu, University of British Columbia

A person seen silhouetted near an escalator walking past a plane behind glass windows.

Erectile disorder: How science is moving beyond viagra

Franklin Calazana, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM); David Lafortune, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), and Éliane Dussault, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

How emoji use at work can determine how competent your colleagues think you are

Erin Leigh Courtice, Toronto Metropolitan University

A series of yellow emojis on a smartphone screen.

a hospital sign directing people to EMERGENCY CHILDREN / URGENCE ENFANTS

World Immunization Week: Why postal codes shouldn’t determine RSV protection in Canada

Sophie Webb, Simon Fraser University and Cora Constantinescu, University of Calgary

The way primates parent their young shows how strict labels like parenting styles miss the mark

Libby Ware, Université de Montréal

A non-human primate looks at and cuddles its infant.

Paris has successfully cut noise pollution, but urban birds still can’t sing at their natural pitch

Dan Mennill, University of Windsor

A great tit with a black head and yellow belly, against a pink-orange backdrop.

Help us deliver facts, not fiction, to a global audience

Donate now

a young man stands in a misty field with a drone in his hand and his head tossed back

Ukraine is countering the impact of the war in Iran by attacking Russian energy facilities

James Horncastle, Simon Fraser University

Forty years after the Chernobyl disaster, its legacy still resonates

David Roger Marples, University of Alberta

A statue of open hands holding a cube in front of a large metallic dome structure

Hungary turns the page into uncertainty after Péter Magyar ends Viktor Orbán’s enduring rule

Alexandre Massaux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Cities helping cities rebuild: How local partnerships are shaping Ukraine’s recovery

Tamara Krawchenko, University of Victoria

An expanse of blue sky shows through a giant hole in a destroyed apartment building.

A slender man with short grey hair waves and smiles as he walks down a staircase with three women walking behind him.

Mark Carney’s new majority government should spark renewed calls for electoral reform

Julie Simmons, University of Guelph

Public grocery stores won’t fix Canada’s food affordability crisis

Michael von Massow, University of Guelph

A person seen from the elbows down carries reuable shopping bags

Slanguage: Why AI’s stylistic negation — ‘it’s not X, it’s Y’ — is both annoying and doesn’t work

Joshua Gonzales, University of Guelph

A simulation of a robot sitting at a desk and typing on a keyboard while they look at a computer screen.

When a spouse starts a business, the other partner pays a hidden price

Kanwal Bokhari, University of Calgary; Jia Bao, City University of Macau; Seok-Woo Kwon, University of Calgary, and Wei Yu, National University of Singapore

A man speaks on the phone in a kitchen while a woman looks through the fridge behind him

A group of older adults and a younger woman in scrubs with a stethoscope and clipboard

Why measuring dignity matters in Canada’s long-term care system

Andrea D. Foebel, University of Waterloo

Is Alberta really ‘following the science’ on trans healthcare?

Corinne L. Mason, Mount Royal University and Leah Hamilton, Mount Royal University

A middle-aged woman with shouulder-length hair and a poppy on her blazer's lapel speaks into a microphone

New research finds few improvements for British Columbia’s endangered wildlife

Peter R. Thompson, Simon Fraser University

A star cluster is shown inside a large nebula of many-coloured gas and dust.

Are aliens real? Scientists have been hunting for extraterrestrial life since the time of Aristotle

Robert William Smith, University of Alberta

A young woman browsing shelves in a library

Is reading your favourite hobby? A new era of book clubs is reshaping how we read

Joanna Pozzulo, Carleton University

What Canada, the U.K. and other G7 nations learned about building resilient education systems during the COVID-19 pandemic

Louis Volante, Brock University; Kristof De Witte, KU Leuven; Luca Salmieri, Sapienza University of Rome, and Orazio Giancola, Sapienza University of Rome

Children in a school hallway wear face masks while others put clothing items into a hallway cloakroom area.

What Ontarians need to know about reforms that will run school boards like businesses

Sachin Maharaj, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa; Beyhan Farhadi, University of Toronto, and Vidya Shah, University of Toronto

A person seen at the far end of a school hallway lined with hanging children's coats and snowpants and an orange pylon.

Netflix’s ‘The Dinosaurs’ rehashes a very old story of empire and conquest

Frederick Oliver Beeby Maglaque, University of British Columbia and Kirsten F. Hodge, University of British Columbia

A large dinosaur emerges form the ocean.

The transactional — and optimizable — connections of ‘cozy video games’

Christina Fawcett, University of Winnipeg and Andrea Braithwaite, Ontario Tech University

A screenshot of a video game about catching fantasy charcters.

A black and white photo of a man holding a young boy.

The Lewis dynasty makes a third bid to shape democratic socialism in Canada

Roberta Lexier, Mount Royal University

Canada is producing more graduates than ever — so why is it harder to find a job?

David J Finch, Mount Royal University; University of Calgary

A crowd of people wearing graduation robes and hats

Why is alcohol use declining in Canada?

Timothy Naimi, University of Victoria

A blurred person walking past a display of bottles

An armed soldier stands outside a building.

Inside Southeast Asia’s scam compounds: A trafficked worker tells of fraud, coercion and torture

Randall Hansen, University of Toronto

Guns over people: Rising military spending is eroding quality of life around the world

Ruolz Ariste, Carleton University

A fireman on a ladder in the foreground with destroyed buildings and a bulldozer behind him.

Failed peace deal: The Iran war has inflicted a cascade of losses that may never be recovered

Kawser Ahmed, University of Manitoba

A man sits on a bench. Behind him a mural reads 'America killed 165.'

How ‘books for development’ campaigns reveal an unjust global order

Jody Mason, Carleton University

Diaspora communities carry the burden of watching war from afar

Lara El Mekaui, Toronto Metropolitan University

A young girl wrapped in a flag and holding another during a protest.

A man in a parka shakes hands with and talks to a group of people in red parkas.

Canada urgently needs a civilian defence strategy — before the next crisis forces one

William Michael Carter, Toronto Metropolitan University

Mark Carney secures majority after ‘unwinnable’ 2025 election victory, building new momentum

Allison Harell, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM); Daniel Rubenson, University of Toronto; Laura Stephenson, Western University, and Lewis Krashinsky, University of Toronto

A smiling woman in a headscarf raises her hands in front of a canadian flag

Another MP jumps to Carney’s Liberals, igniting concerns about the health of Canada’s democracy

Travis Leicher, Queen's University, Ontario

A slender man with short grey hair shakes hands with a taller woman with dark blonde hair. Both are smiling.

A person with their hair in a ponytail faces away from the camera toward shelves of fresh produce, holding an orange in their outstretched hand

Food prices are already high in Canada. Will the Iran war make them worse?

Michael von Massow, University of Guelph and Alfons Weersink, University of Guelph

Canada cannot afford to lose international research talent — here’s what needs to change

Evren Altinkas, University of Guelph and Christina Clark-Kazak, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

A maple leaft flag flying over a roof with tower peaks.

‘Canadian experience’ keeps skilled immigrants out of the labour market

George Kofi Danso, Queen's University, Ontario

Three workers sitting in a factory during their break and drinking beverages.

Everyday sexist online language is not random, and that’s the problem

Sepita Hatami, Western University

Two young women sitting on a couch looking at a laptop screen together.

Do beaver dams really make flooding worse? Research casts doubt on beavers as flood culprits

Pascale Biron, Concordia University; Maxime Boivin, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), and Thomas Buffin-Bélanger, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)

The Cascadia Subduction zone isn’t shutting down – but it’s more complicated than we thought

Alexander Lewis Peace, McMaster University

An aerial photo of a beach with trees and inlets and mountains in the background.

Understanding how plants pause and restart growth can help develop climate-resilient crops

Arif Ashraf, University of British Columbia and Olivia Hazelwood, University of British Columbia

From ‘sustainable’ to ‘regenerative’ agriculture: What’s in a name?

Kate Congreves, University of Saskatchewan

New research shows how forests can prevent floods of all sizes

Samadhee Kaluarachchi, University of British Columbia and Younes Alila, University of British Columbia

flood waters cover part of a highway and the surrounding area

A view of large buildings housing an AI data centre.

Does ‘federated unlearning’ in AI improve data privacy, or create a new cybersecurity risk?

Abbas Yazdinejad, University of Regina and Ann Fitz-Gerald, Balsillie School of International Affairs

People stand with protest signs, one that says 'my degree shouldn't come with a mortgage' outside a large stone building.

How Ontario’s post-secondary student funding changes echo Ronald Reagan reforms

Susan Dianne Brophy, University of Waterloo

A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered surface of the moon.

How the Artemis II crew trained to observe and photograph the moon: A NASA science team geologist explains

Gordon Osinski, Western University

How our research led to a privacy complaint that pushed the World Anti‑Doping Agency to change its rules

Marcus Mazzucco, University of Toronto and Jensen Brehaut, York University, Canada

Driven by social media, masculinism has moved from the fringes to the mainstream

Léa Clermont-Dion, Concordia University

The RCMP’s surveillance of Indigenous groups exposes a centuries-long pattern in Canada

Daniel Sims, University of Northern British Columbia

Two armed police officers stand on a roof, both looking through binoculars.

Just how bad are generative AI chatbots for our mental health?

Alexandre Hudon, Université de Montréal

A boy holds a smartphone so it obscures his face.

A woman takes a selfie near a statue of a large cat.

Want to talk comics? Today, that often means going online

J. Andrew Deman, University of Waterloo

Children climb on a ropes and playground structure outdoors.

What are motor skills? Evidence-based ways to support children’s fine and gross motor development

Sophie M Phillips, Western University; Dan Jones, Teesside University, and Trish Tucker, Western University

Policing the grocery store checkout won’t fix Canada’s food retail crisis

Alissa Overend, MacEwan University

A man standing in a mall faces away from the camera wearing a vest that says 'security' across the back

The pseudoscientific attractiveness scale that grew out of incel forums and is now making money for looksmaxxing influencers

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

Young man looking at himself in the mirror.

Artificial intelligence and biology: AI’s potential for launching a novel era for health and medicine

James Colter, University of Calgary

computer wiring in the form of a human hand reaching out against a dark background

A hulking older man with fluffy white-blond hair grimaces as he speaks.

Donald Trump’s apocalyptic and profane threats against Iran expose the unhinged language of war

Henry Giroux, McMaster University

A thin man with short grey hair shakes hands with a dark-haired woman in a blue dress. both are smiling.

Canada and Mexico must work together to help Cuba survive its dire humanitarian crisis

Amelia M. Kiddle, University of Calgary

Blood vials and safety goggles on a blue background

Treating previously untreatable cancers: How CAR-T cell therapy could be made accessible to more patients

Nolan Maugourd, Université Laval

Neuroscience explains why teens are so vulnerable to Big Tech social media platforms

Salima Kerai, University of Toronto

Canada’s cybersecurity sector has a pipeline problem — and a glass ceiling

Sepideh Borzoo, Toronto Metropolitan University; Atefeh (Atty) Mashatan, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Rupa Banerjee, Toronto Metropolitan University

Two white men staring at a computer monitor and discussing what they see.

Effective storytelling can encourage climate action from policymakers and the public

Snigdhodeb Dutta, Concordia University

Why workplace harassment persists despite policies — and what leaders can do

Sandy Hershcovis, University of Calgary; Ivana Vranjes, Tilburg University; Lilia M. Cortina, University of Michigan, and Zhanna Lyubykh, Simon Fraser University

A woman sitting at a desk in an office with her head resting against her hand

Israel isn’t just responding to threats – it’s reshaping the Middle East

Spyros A. Sofos, Simon Fraser University

A commercial jetliner flies through black smoke over a city at night.

AI pragmatists: How language teachers are navigating AI with nuance

Martine Rhéaume, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

A person holds a notebook in front of a computer and glasses and chocolate are seen nearby.

A green sign says Algonquin College in front of trees.

Local music scenes across Canada depend on post-secondary music programs

Duncan McCallum, Western University

What The Bachelorette cancellation reveals about gendered expectations and violence

Julia Yates, Western University; C. Nadine Wathen, Western University, and Tara Mantler, Western University

A woman dressed up in an evening gown stands still as she is being photographed by event photographers.

As a ‘book scientist’ I work with microscopes, imaging technologies and AI to preserve ancient texts

Christina Dinh Nguyen, University of Toronto

An ancient parchment leaf with calligraphy and colourful illustrations sits under a microscope.

A Queen bumblebee is seen on a plant with pink flowers.

Queen bumblebees can breathe underwater — for days. We discovered how

Sabrina Rondeau, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa; Charles-Antoine Darveau, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa, and Nigel Raine, University of Guelph

An orange and black monarch butterfly standing on a sunflower

A global butterfly index could advance insect conservation worldwide

Federico Riva, Carleton University

Immunity & Society

a red capsule split open to reveal a strand of DNA separating into two single strands, against a background of blue capsules

How nanomedicine gets inside your cells and treats you from the inside out

Suiyang Liao, University of British Columbia

How vaccines give our immune systems a home advantage

Anthony Wong, University of British Columbia

Online harassment is silencing Canada’s health experts — institutions need to do more to protect them

Heidi J. S. Tworek, University of British Columbia; Chris Tenove, University of British Columbia, and Netheena Neena Mathews, University of British Columbia

People are watching from a window above as a man protests with a sign below.

More dialogue, less debate: At an ‘Ethics Bowl,’ students learn to handle tough conversations

Rackeb Tesfaye, Simon Fraser University and Nicolas Fillion, Simon Fraser University

A young man speaks into a microphone and two other young men are listening.

From COVID to cancer: Why Canada’s RNA vaccine leadership matters more than ever

Anna Blakney, University of British Columbia and Pieter Cullis, University of British Columbia

Why Canada’s next big infrastructure investment should be in biomanufacturing

Megan Levings, University of British Columbia and Robert A. Holt, Simon Fraser University

A dose of a vaccine sits beside a needle

The Grey Revolution

A man with gray hair comforting a woman with gray hair who is resting her forehead on her hand

When everyday tasks become harder: Early clues to Alzheimer’s disease

Maryam Ghahremani, University of Calgary and Zahinoor Ismail, University of Calgary

Bringing the dance studio home can improve balance and reduce the risk of falls for older women

Emma Hsiaowen Chen, Concordia University

Cropped photo of a dancer's feet in ballet slippers

Midlife adults are overextended with multiple roles

Gail Low, MacEwan University and Gloria Gutman, Simon Fraser University

A woman with partly gray hair wearing a striped shirt looking pensive

Busting brain myths: The evolving story of menopause hormone therapy and cognitive health

Zahinoor Ismail, University of Calgary; Jasper Crockford, University of Calgary, and Maryam Ghahremani, University of Calgary

A woman with dark hair in a blue shirt looking at a pill

Ending dementia stigma could change its trajectory: Cancer’s history shows why

Saskia Sivananthan, McGill University

A health care worker showing a man with grey hair a tablet displaying brain scans

How low can you go (and still build muscle)? Why strength training matters at any age

Tom Janssen, McMaster University and Matthew Lees, McMaster University

A man and a woman with grey hair using green resistance bands

Retaining employees as they age is possible with more flexibility

Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay, Université TÉLUQ

How to adapt our pension schemes to longer life expectancy

François L'Italien, Université Laval

In case you missed it

The Earth seen from a distance in space. Only a crescent of it is visisble; the rest is in shadow

I watched Artemis II lift off — and witnessed the first humans venture to the Moon since 1972

Gordon Osinski, Western University

Critical minerals and energy will be integral to the CUSMA review

John P. Hayes, University of Calgary

canadian mexican and US flags drapped over a wall

Danielle Smith’s immigration referendum fuels an ‘us versus them’ divide in Alberta

Esra Ari, Mount Royal University and Bronwyn Bragg, University of Lethbridge

As oil shortages deepen, wartime rationing offers a guide for today’s governments

Henri Chevalier, University of Waterloo

A closeup of a person's hair dyed in blue with a small trans flag pinned to it.

Counting trans people: Why better data collection is essential for better policy

Elizabeth Baisley, Queen's University, Ontario; Francesco MacAllister-Caruso, Concordia University, and Quinn M. Albaugh, Queen's University, Ontario

The return of sex testing in sport risks harming women athletes rather than protecting them

Marcus Mazzucco, University of Toronto; Sarah Teetzel, University of Manitoba, and Silvia Camporesi, KU Leuven

Two boxers in the ring as one swings at the other.

Abuse in Canadian sport is systemic — a landmark report calls for sweeping reform

Kyle Rich, Brock University and Laura Misener, Western University

Women soccer players gathered around the goalkeeper trying to score.

Neighbourhoods are changing as cities prioritize diversity, connectivity and livability

Christina Bouchard, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Aerial view of a densely populated neighborhood

Canada becomes testing ground for FIFA’s proposed ‘daylight’ offside rule

Taylor McKee, Brock University and Michael Van Bussel, Brock University

Two soccer players in white jerseys chase after a third in a purple jersey, who is dribbling a soccer ball

A rotund man with blond-ish white fluffy hair blowing in the breeze disembarks from an aircraft down a set of stairs that reads miami-dade fire rescue

Why Donald Trump will try to declare victory in Iran well before November

John Duncan, University of Toronto

Iran’s attacks drone on, with the U.S. at risk of losing the war

Michael J. Armstrong, Brock University

A man with his hands on his hips looks at rubble from an explosion.

After the Iran war: 5 possible outcomes and 4 ways Canada can flex its middle-power muscle

Kawser Ahmed, University of Manitoba

Male protesters in front of several green white and red flags raise their fists.

A child at a table looking through some writing utensils and a pencil case.

Say my name: For newcomer and racialized children, belonging begins with classroom greetings

Amina Yousaf, University of Guelph-Humber

Smart glasses with facial recognition could be devastating to sex workers and other vulnerable people

Brynn Colledge, University of Waterloo

Two men examine smart glasses at a trade show in China.

Reality TV is testing age-gap relationships — but the real issue runs deeper

Tiara Sukhan, Western University

An older man has an arm around a younger woman.

More evidence doesn’t mean more justice: The limits of visual technologies in human rights cases

Kamari Maxine Clarke, University of Toronto; Jennifer Burrell, University at Albany, State University of New York, and Sara Kendall

Six surveillance cameras hanging on a wall.

Trading rights for efficiency: Why Bill C-12’s restrictive asylum measures will likely backfire

Nicholas A. R. Fraser, University of Toronto

An airport arrivals sign in French and English.

an aerial view of a green landscape with bodies of water throughout

Water flow in prairie watersheds is increasingly unpredictable — but AI could help

Ali Ameli, University of British Columbia

A deforested area in a forest, a tree stump is in the foreground

Why forest loss is making our watersheds leak rain

Adam Wei, University of British Columbia and Ming Qiu, University of British Columbia

A man in a blue suit speaking with his arm raised, with people seated behind him

Ontario is closing its supervised consumption sites, calling them a failure. So what counts as ‘success?’

Daniel Eisenkraft Klein, Harvard University

Truth, or misinformation? A statistician explains the challenge of assessing evidence

Mu Zhu, University of Waterloo

A raw steak with potatoes and fresh vine tomatoes.

Sovereignty over stereotypes: The data behind false Cherokee identity claims in Canada

Daniel Heath Justice, University of British Columbia

A man standing behind a podium delivering a speech.

The real truth about stories: Book recommendations from the Indigenous Literatures Lab

Jennifer Brant, University of Toronto; Erenna Morrison, University of Toronto; Gayatri Thakor, University of Toronto; Jasmine Rice, University of Toronto, and Miyopin Cheechoo, University of Toronto

A bookshelf on a windowsill with an orchid and one book displayed with what looks like a female face and the words spirit & intent.

A man looks at an exchange office sign showing the currency exchange rates of the Russian ruble, U.S. dollar, and euro

Can countries replace SWIFT? Evidence from Russia suggests not easily

Mesbah Sharaf, University of Alberta and Abdelhalem Shahen, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University

Two women stand as a thick plume of black smoke rises behind them.

The economics of war extend far beyond energy prices and stock markets

Junaid B. Jahangir, MacEwan University

The raccoon raiding your garbage bin might just be solving a puzzle — for the fun of it

Hannah Griebling, University of British Columbia and Sarah Benson-Amram, University of British Columbia

Do you love sleeping with your pet? Science reveals there’s a tricky trade-off

Renata Roma, University of Saskatchewan

Importing queen bees won’t solve Canada’s beekeeping problems

Brendan Daisley, University of Guelph and Elizabeth Mallory, University of Guelph

a man holding up part of an artificial beehive with bees moving across honeycomb

smal blue fish swim near coral in the sea

What does China’s host bid mean for the High Seas Treaty?

Philippe Le Billon, University of British Columbia and Zelda Ladefoged, University of British Columbia

World Water Day: Three steps towards gender equity in water governance

Sadaf Mehrabi, Iowa State University and Lauren Keira Marie Smith, Royal Roads University

Canada’s migratory caribou are under threat. Will we act before it’s too late?

Benjamin Larue, University of Montana; Allen Niptanatiak, and Amanda Dumond

Migratory tundra caribou on the move on their calving grounds in Nunavut

Why saving power makes economic sense in the transition era

Michel Denault, HEC Montréal

A power station with a dry spillway leading to it.

A bulldozer in front of an ornate, heavily damaged apartment building.

U.S. actions in Iran are politically motivated, not the result of intelligence failures

James Horncastle, Simon Fraser University and Jack Adam MacLennan, Park University

Fact check: Pierre Poilievre’s misinformation on Joe Rogan’s podcast disrespects Canadians

Jaigris Hodson, Royal Roads University; Brianna I. Wiens, University of Waterloo; Nick Ruest, York University, Canada, and Shana MacDonald, University of Waterloo

A dark-haired man speaks at a podium against a backdrop of large American and Canadian flags.

Ukraine’s stolen children expose the lies at the heart of Russia’s four-year military assault

Vincent Artman, University of Ostrava and Tamara Krawchenko, University of Victoria

Schoolchildren pose for a photo, one with sunflowers in her hair.

Vietnam ruined Lyndon B. Johnson’s political career. Will Donald Trump face the same fate over Iran?

Ronald W. Pruessen, University of Toronto

A man in the street holding an upside down photo of Donald Trump; another man beside him holds an Iranian flag.

War in Iran: Why destroying cultural heritage is such a foolish strategic move in any conflict

Costanza Musu, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Heart cut outs in a garden, including one that says every child matters.

The crisis of youth aging out of care is why Canada needs a children and youth commissioner

Jacquie Gahagan, Mount Saint Vincent University; Dale Kirby, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Dr. Melanie M. Doucet, McGill University, and Mary Rita Holland, Mount Saint Vincent University

Do enhanced pre-sentence reports protect Black youth or expose bias?

Camisha Sibblis, University of Windsor

All stories from The Conversation Canada

Facts matter. Support our fact-based journalism.

Donate

Join The Conversation Canada on Bluesky

Quarter Life

Quarter Life, a series for people in their 20s and 30s

A young woman in roller skates helping up a man from the ground, who is also in roller skates

Why starting a hobby as an adult can feel so hard — and why you should embrace beginnerhood

Jenna Hepp, Adler University

A person working out while a camera films them

How to protect your hobbies in a culture that wants to exploit them

Aly Bailey, University of Waterloo

A woman sitting in bed resting her forehead against her hand as she scrolls on her phone

Digital media is using negativity to steal our attention — here’s how to reclaim it

Megan Shipman, Royal Roads University and Zachary Pierce-Messick, Johns Hopkins University

When friendship is treated as essential, what happens to young adults who don’t have any?

Laura Eramian, Dalhousie University and Peter Mallory, St. Francis Xavier University

Silhouette of a person sitting on a bench against a sunset sky

A robot stole my internship: How Gen Z’s entry into the workplace is being affected by AI

Melise Panetta, Wilfrid Laurier University

Two young adults, seen from behind, sit at a desk using laptops

How rising living costs are changing the way we date, live and love

Melise Panetta, Wilfrid Laurier University

Two people hold hands on top of a small dining table in a restaurant

How to deal with racism in an intimate relationship

Maya A. Yampolsky, Université Laval; Iman Sta-Ali, Université Laval; Libera Amadiwakama Mochihashi, University of Calgary, and Renaud Dion-Pons, Université Laval

A woman sitting on a couch with a thoughtful expression

A person resting their head down on their arms while sitting at a desk

Gen Z is burning out at work more than any other generation — here’s why and what can be done

Nitin Deckha, University of Guelph-Humber

The future of work — according to Generation Z — is purposeful, digital and flexible

Eddy Ng, Queen's University, Ontario

A group of four young office workers gathered around a computer.

Is it wrong to date a coworker? Not necessarily — but it can get complicated

Leda Stawnychko, Mount Royal University and Shawna Boyko, Mount Royal University

A woman in a hijab smiles at a man above a cubicle divider

Why in-person dating is making a comeback — and why Gen Z is struggling with it

Treena Orchard, Western University

Two young people stand smiling in front of a carnival ride

4 research-backed ways to beat the winter blues in the colder months

Gio Dolcecore, Mount Royal University

Podcasts

Three people at a demonstration. One person is holding a megaphone while another speaks into the microphone. Another person in the frame is taking a sip of water. Two of the people have masks on, but not covering their faces.

The world is in crisis – what role should our universities play?

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

Food as a tool of oppression - Podcast episode

Ateqah Khaki, The Conversation and Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

This black and white photos shows a tent and trees and corn drying on a line between two tall trees.

Israel-Gaza conflict: Home and away

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

Listen

A collage showing images of two groups rallying in front of the Parliament building in Ottawa. The image on the left shows pro-Palestinian protestors with Palestinian flags, a keffiiyeh and a protest sign, and the image of the right shows a group of pro-Israel protesters holding Israeli flags.

Silicon Valley’s bet on AI defence startups and what it means for the future of war – podcast

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

Listen

Warfare analytic operator using virtual reality glasses checking coordination of the military team with tablet device augmented device.

a group photo of past contributors for the Don't Call Me Resilient podcast

Listen

Some of our favourite episodes you may have missed: Don’t Call Me Resilient podcast

Ateqah Khaki, The Conversation; Dannielle Piper, The Conversation; Jennifer Moroz, The Conversation, and Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

As war rages in Sudan, community resistance groups sustain life

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

Listen

In India, film and social media play recurring roles in politics

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

Listen

A movie poster shows a woman holding an automatic rifle. A man walks beside the film poster.

From stereotypes to sovereignty: How Indigenous media makers assert narrative control

Ateqah Khaki, The Conversation; Dannielle Piper, The Conversation, and Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

Listen

Man wearing olive green jacket side hugs a woman wearing a brown-colored trench coat.

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ transmits joy, honours legends and challenges a segregated industry

Ateqah Khaki, The Conversation and Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

Listen

A different way to address student encampments

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

Listen

Asylum seekers from Gaza and Sudan face prejudiced policies and bureaucratic hurdles

Ateqah Khaki, The Conversation and Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

Listen

The chilling effects of trying to report on the Israel-Gaza war

Dannielle Piper, The Conversation and Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

Listen

Starvation is a weapon of war: Gazans are paying the price

Ateqah Khaki, The Conversation; Husein Haveliwala, The Conversation, and Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

Listen

Dive into conversations with experts and real people to make sense of the news, from an anti-racist perspective

Follow our podcast

All episodes of Don't Call Me Resilient

All episodes of The Conversation Weekly

La Conversation Canada

Élections hongroises : un tournant européen aux accents nationaux

Alexandre Massaux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Les neurosciences permettent de comprendre ce que la nature provoque dans notre cerveau

Mar Estarellas, McGill University

Nature et mouvement : un duo essentiel pour la santé mentale des jeunes

Corentin Montiel, Université de Montréal; Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Isabelle Doré, Université de Montréal

Un couple fait de la course à pied dans un parc

Zones inondables : la nouvelle cartographie piège des milliers de propriétaires

Bernard Deschamps, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Michel Leclerc, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)

Lutter contre les violences conjugales et familiales : unir savoirs et expériences

Geneviève Lessard, Université Laval; Aline Thiry, Université de Liège; Caroline Robitaille, Université Laval; Célyne Lalande, Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), and Fabienne Glowacz, Université de Liège

Des missiles du Dôme de fer interceptent des vecteurs ennemis

Les armes à énergie : le futur de la défense ?

Alexandre Massaux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Décarboner, mais à quel prix ? La transition énergétique face aux droits autochtones

Emmanuelle Champion, Université TÉLUQ

Pourquoi l’indépendance est-elle devenue un enjeu politique en Alberta ?

Daniel Béland, McGill University and André Lecours, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

« Nos dix sous sont-ils vraiment allés en Chine ? » : ce que racontent les archives de la Sainte-Enfance

Catherine Larochelle, Université de Montréal; Ariane Marcheterre-Pina, and David Vaillant, Université de Montréal

La Sainte-Enfance dans le diocèse de Québec (septembre 1930)

La guerre en Iran ne se limite pas aux frappes : elle fracture la vie civile et la diaspora, et met à mal la recherche de vérité

Mina Fakhravar, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

La tension de Hubble : peut-on résoudre l’un des plus grands mystères de l’univers grâce aux champs magnétiques ?

Levon Pogosian, Simon Fraser University; Karsten Jedamzik, Université de Montpellier, and Tom Abel, Stanford University

Une image représentant un ensemble de galaxies et d'étoiles dans l'espace

Les communautés autochtones sont touchées de manière disproportionnée par les incendies de forêt. Voici ce que peuvent faire les gouvernements

Tara McGee, University of Alberta and Amy Cardinal Christianson

De hautes flammes et une fumée noire s'élèvent au-dessus des arbres dans une forêt.

Face aux violations de droits en itinérance : soutenir la participation démocratique des personnes marginalisées

Michel Parazelli, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Des policiers discutent avec un itinérant qui lève les bras pour leur bloquer le passage

Diagnostiquer l’Alzheimer et le Parkinson avant les premiers symptômes : les sons du corps, une piste prometteuse

Rachel Bouserhal, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS)

Il y a assez de nourriture pour nourrir tout le monde. Alors, pourquoi l’insécurité alimentaire persiste ?

Norrin Halilem, Université Laval and Kouassi Marius Honoré Aké Ph.D., Université Laval

La religion et les allégeances politiques ont-elles un impact sur l’appui à l’enseignement de certaines matières à l’école ?

Frédérick Guillaume Dufour, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

La Conversation Canada homepage

The Conversation: In-depth analysis, research, news and ideas from leading academics and researchers.

Top stories

The latest news and research, analyzed by experts

From Wulfstan of York to Pete Hegseth, fake Bible verses have often been politicized

How Donald Trump taps into America’s enduring appetite for destruction

Here’s what to expect from the first Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

Did NASA’s Curiosity rover find signs of ancient life on Mars? An astrobiologist explains how we determine ‘life’

Legal categories for animals still divide — and limit — animal rights

A historian of Black Canada gives a report card on Ontario’s new mandated Black history education

Why I celebrate Black graduation magic: An anti-racist perspective

Not getting enough physical activity may be harming your health: Here’s what being sedentary does to your body

Cash cows, scapegoats and now global talent: Asian international students want to be seen for who they are

Erectile disorder: How science is moving beyond viagra

How emoji use at work can determine how competent your colleagues think you are

World Immunization Week: Why postal codes shouldn’t determine RSV protection in Canada

The way primates parent their young shows how strict labels like parenting styles miss the mark

Paris has successfully cut noise pollution, but urban birds still can’t sing at their natural pitch

Help us deliver facts, not fiction, to a global audience

Ukraine is countering the impact of the war in Iran by attacking Russian energy facilities

Forty years after the Chernobyl disaster, its legacy still resonates

Hungary turns the page into uncertainty after Péter Magyar ends Viktor Orbán’s enduring rule

Cities helping cities rebuild: How local partnerships are shaping Ukraine’s recovery

Mark Carney’s new majority government should spark renewed calls for electoral reform

Public grocery stores won’t fix Canada’s food affordability crisis

Slanguage: Why AI’s stylistic negation — ‘it’s not X, it’s Y’ — is both annoying and doesn’t work

When a spouse starts a business, the other partner pays a hidden price

Why measuring dignity matters in Canada’s long-term care system

Is Alberta really ‘following the science’ on trans healthcare?

New research finds few improvements for British Columbia’s endangered wildlife

Are aliens real? Scientists have been hunting for extraterrestrial life since the time of Aristotle

Is reading your favourite hobby? A new era of book clubs is reshaping how we read

What Canada, the U.K. and other G7 nations learned about building resilient education systems during the COVID-19 pandemic

What Ontarians need to know about reforms that will run school boards like businesses

Netflix’s ‘The Dinosaurs’ rehashes a very old story of empire and conquest

The transactional — and optimizable — connections of ‘cozy video games’

The Lewis dynasty makes a third bid to shape democratic socialism in Canada

Canada is producing more graduates than ever — so why is it harder to find a job?

Why is alcohol use declining in Canada?

Inside Southeast Asia’s scam compounds: A trafficked worker tells of fraud, coercion and torture

Guns over people: Rising military spending is eroding quality of life around the world

Failed peace deal: The Iran war has inflicted a cascade of losses that may never be recovered

How ‘books for development’ campaigns reveal an unjust global order

Diaspora communities carry the burden of watching war from afar

Canada urgently needs a civilian defence strategy — before the next crisis forces one

Mark Carney secures majority after ‘unwinnable’ 2025 election victory, building new momentum

Another MP jumps to Carney’s Liberals, igniting concerns about the health of Canada’s democracy

Food prices are already high in Canada. Will the Iran war make them worse?

Canada cannot afford to lose international research talent — here’s what needs to change

‘Canadian experience’ keeps skilled immigrants out of the labour market

Everyday sexist online language is not random, and that’s the problem

Do beaver dams really make flooding worse? Research casts doubt on beavers as flood culprits

The Cascadia Subduction zone isn’t shutting down – but it’s more complicated than we thought

Understanding how plants pause and restart growth can help develop climate-resilient crops

From ‘sustainable’ to ‘regenerative’ agriculture: What’s in a name?

New research shows how forests can prevent floods of all sizes

Does ‘federated unlearning’ in AI improve data privacy, or create a new cybersecurity risk?

How Ontario’s post-secondary student funding changes echo Ronald Reagan reforms

How the Artemis II crew trained to observe and photograph the moon: A NASA science team geologist explains

How our research led to a privacy complaint that pushed the World Anti‑Doping Agency to change its rules

Driven by social media, masculinism has moved from the fringes to the mainstream

The RCMP’s surveillance of Indigenous groups exposes a centuries-long pattern in Canada

Just how bad are generative AI chatbots for our mental health?

Want to talk comics? Today, that often means going online

What are motor skills? Evidence-based ways to support children’s fine and gross motor development

Policing the grocery store checkout won’t fix Canada’s food retail crisis

The pseudoscientific attractiveness scale that grew out of incel forums and is now making money for looksmaxxing influencers

Artificial intelligence and biology: AI’s potential for launching a novel era for health and medicine

Donald Trump’s apocalyptic and profane threats against Iran expose the unhinged language of war

Canada and Mexico must work together to help Cuba survive its dire humanitarian crisis

Treating previously untreatable cancers: How CAR-T cell therapy could be made accessible to more patients

Neuroscience explains why teens are so vulnerable to Big Tech social media platforms

Canada’s cybersecurity sector has a pipeline problem — and a glass ceiling

Effective storytelling can encourage climate action from policymakers and the public

Why workplace harassment persists despite policies — and what leaders can do

Israel isn’t just responding to threats – it’s reshaping the Middle East

AI pragmatists: How language teachers are navigating AI with nuance

Local music scenes across Canada depend on post-secondary music programs

What The Bachelorette cancellation reveals about gendered expectations and violence

As a ‘book scientist’ I work with microscopes, imaging technologies and AI to preserve ancient texts

Queen bumblebees can breathe underwater — for days. We discovered how