The Latest Breaking News from The Conversation

Thanks, Trump: Why Canada may become the European Union’s first ever ‘associate member’

Can a country change continents? Canada seems set to try.

The Conversation · Sep 16

Rapid Houthi advances in Yemen pose massive strategic risks for Saudi Arabia in the Gulf

An advance by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which has included the targeting of Saudi cities and infrastructure, has quickly complicated a widening Middle East war.

The Conversation · Sep 16

Advertising is coming to AI chatbots — and it could influence the answers you get

When Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page were still university researchers, they warned that advertising could undermine the trustworthiness of search engines. In their landmark paper presenting Google, they also wrote:

The Conversation · Sep 16

Meta is changing Instagram and Facebook to protect teens’ mental health. Are the new measures backed up by science?

The recent landmark ruling against Meta in the United States was the result of a lawsuit filed in 2023 which went to trial in August 2026. It was brought by nearly fifty attorneys general, school districts and families, who alleged that the company’s social media platforms, which include Instagram and…

The Conversation · Sep 16

Your brain runs on 20 watts. Could brain-inspired computing do the same?

Right now, your brain is recognising the shapes of these letters, analysing their meaning, and holding a stream of thought together – all on about 20 watts of power. That’s roughly what it takes to run a lightbulb.

The Conversation · Sep 16

What the Bayeux tapestry reveals about medieval buildings on both sides of the Channel

For many, the Bayeux tapestry conjures up images of clinker-built ships, prancing horses, the Normans feasting on chicken on the eve of the battle of Hastings, and the arrow in King Harold’s eye that ended centuries of Anglo-Saxon rule.

The Conversation · Sep 16

How firelight may have shaped the origins of spoken language

When asked about the greatest innovation of humans, people will often say language or fire. A new paper suggests that these innovations may be more interlinked than we previously assumed.

The Conversation · Sep 16

AI can be more comforting than a person – our research shows why

Some of us now use generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) to talk through difficult feelings. We may ask a chatbot to write an email or plan a holiday, but we also tell it that we have had a rotten day or feel anxious about a presentation.

The Conversation · Sep 16

Why Yemen has returned to conflict

The dormant conflict in Yemen has erupted once more, with the Houthi rebel group seizing control of the Red Sea port city of Mocha and a number of islands from Yemeni government forces in recent weeks. This has given the Houthis a foothold close to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a…

The Conversation · Sep 16

UK government’s new ‘class unit’ promises to tackle inequalities – but it’s a risky strategy

Inequality has been debated in British politics for decades, often with a reluctance to address class issues. Bridget Phillipson, the minister for women and equalities, thinks this needs to change. Announcing the government’s new class unit, she argued that Britain has been “squeamish about class for too long”.

The Conversation · Sep 16