@TheConversationUS@newsie.social
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TheConversationUS

@TheConversationUS@newsie.social

A nonprofit news organization dedicated to sharing the knowledge of experts with the public, in accessible, trustworthy articles drawing on their research.

Pictured: just a few of our recent writers.

Free to read, without paywalls or ads (and free to republish, too, under Creative Commons license).

We combine academic rigor with journalistic flair.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

TheConversationUS, to Texas
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#Juneteenth was the start of a long arc of history for the 182,566 enslaved African Americans in Texas who were told they had finally won their freedom.

One of them was Joshua Houston.

He had long served as the enslaved servant of Gen. Sam Houston, the most well-known military and political leader in Texas.

Here he is leading a Juneteenth Parade in Huntsville, Texas, in a photo circa 1900. (1 of 4)
#BlackMastodon #BlackHistory #Texas

https://theconversation.com/juneteenth-jim-crow-and-how-the-fight-of-one-black-texas-family-to-make-freedom-real-offers-lessons-for-texas-lawmakers-trying-to-erase-history-from-the-classroom-207678

TheConversationUS,
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Joshua Houston opened a blacksmith shop in Huntsville, Texas, and helped found a church and a freedman’s school.
In 1878 and 1882, a Republican coalition elected Houston as the county’s first Black county commissioner.
But in the 1880s, attacks on Black elected officials, their white allies and Black voters escalated dramatically.
Soon changes in state election laws, including the introduction of the poll tax, effectively disenfranchised most Black voters and many poor whites as well. (2 of 4)

TheConversationUS,
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Joshua’s son Samuel Walker Houston founded a school that encouraged a practical education for Black Texans, but he also believed that young Texans of all races needed to learn an account of history that differed from the white supremacist narrative that dominated Southern history.

He joined with two white teachers to evaluate Texas public school textbooks during the 1930s. Unsurprisingly, they found the books had racist views and ignored Black history.
(3 of 4)
#Juneteenth

TheConversationUS, to random
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How a camera connected a son to his father battling Alzheimer’s, over 16 years and thousands of photographs taken:

https://theconversation.com/holding-on-and-holding-still-a-son-photographs-his-father-with-alzheimers-141010

#FathersDay #Dad #Alzheimer's

TheConversationUS, to history
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Laws restricting the teaching of controversy have a chilling effect – and interfere with #holocaust education:

“Many educators have been shying away from sensitive issues…As a result, research shows, students may be deprived of vital lessons such as the global persistence of crimes against humanity and the factors that give rise to genocides.”

https://theconversation.com/im-an-educator-and-grandson-of-holocaust-survivors-and-i-see-public-schools-failing-to-give-students-the-historical-knowledge-they-need-to-keep-our-democracy-strong-203868

#histodons #history #education #Florida

TheConversationUS, to Archaeology
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You’ve learned about the Mayans and the Aztecs. But the real ‘mother culture’ of ancient Mesoamerica was that of the Olmec, “a civilization where particular types of monumental architecture, sculpture and gods originated.“

https://theconversation.com/aztec-and-maya-civilizations-are-household-names-but-its-the-olmecs-who-are-the-mother-culture-of-ancient-mesoamerica-206380

#Archeology #archaeology

TheConversationUS, to news
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For the 20th time since 1933, Congress is writing a multiyear farm bill that will shape what kind of food U.S. farmers grow, how they raise it and how it gets to consumers.

And even if you don’t live near farm country, you’ve got a stake in the new bill – including what kind of farms and what kind of farming hundreds of millions of your tax dollars support.

#news #food #agriculture

https://theconversation.com/these-four-challenges-will-shape-the-next-farm-bill-and-how-the-us-eats-202555

TheConversationUS, to news
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Daniel Ellsberg, the Vietnam War whistleblower and peace activist, died today at age 92.

His decision to leak thousands of pages of government documents was not a quick or easy one.

To millions of Americans who opposed the war, his whistleblowing was an act of patriotism — but millions of others regarded it as treason.

https://theconversation.com/courage-is-contagious-daniel-ellsbergs-decision-to-release-the-pentagon-papers-didnt-happen-in-a-vacuum-204244
#News @histodons #Ellsberg #DanielEllsberg

TheConversationUS, to Health
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As you rub cosmetic products onto your skin, breathe in their scents or use them to brush your teeth, the chemicals found within can travel throughout your body, targeting your endocrine, nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Endocrine disruptors, such as phthalates and PFAS, can mimic naturally produced hormones or block hormone receptors. And that’s hazardous to your #health – potentially interfering with #fertility, and fetal development.

https://theconversation.com/the-ugly-side-of-beauty-chemicals-in-cosmetics-threaten-college-age-womens-reproductive-health-206572

#womenshealth #toxins

jebba, to random

Unfortuantely @TheConversationUS has an open-washing article promoting AI piracy.

The Harvard/MIT authors make it sound like it is unclear if illegally copying peoples' works and using it is a copyright violation. As if "fair use" would allow scraping and copying millions of documents. Both Andy Warhol and Shepard Fairey's cases show you can't even do this with one image.

One of the authors has even received money from OpenAI.

TheConversationUS,
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@jebba Thank you for the feedback.

TheConversationUS, to news
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#Mastodons roamed across North America when the first humans arrived.

So did mammoths and saber-toothed cats.

An archeologist employed the technique used by CSI teams to detect blood residue on ancient spearpoints to develop new clues as to why those megafauna disappeared.

https://theconversation.com/forensic-evidence-suggests-paleo-americans-hunted-mastodons-mammoths-and-other-megafauna-in-eastern-north-america-13-000-years-ago-205556
#News #Science #Mastodon #Mammoth #Archaeology

TheConversationUS, to news
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LBJ knew that changing laws was only part of the solution to racial disparities and systemic racism.

“Freedom is not enough,” he declared. “You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, ‘you are free to compete with all the others,’ and still justly believe that you have been completely fair.”

The #SupremeCourt feels otherwise.

https://theconversation.com/supreme-court-is-poised-to-dismantle-an-integral-part-of-lbjs-great-society-affirmative-action-201247
#News #AffirmativeAction #BlackMastodon

TheConversationUS, to news
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#Trump has gotten special treatment -- but 2 national security law experts say it's the exact opposite of what his supporters claim:

"If Trump were anyone other than a former president, he would not have been given the luxury of a summons to appear in court. There would be a team of armed FBI agents outside his door at 6:30 in the morning, he would have been arrested and the government would be immediately moving to detain."

https://theconversation.com/if-you-want-to-die-in-jail-keep-talking-two-national-security-law-experts-discuss-the-special-treatment-for-trump-and-offer-him-some-advice-207482

#News #trumpindictment

TheConversationUS, to random
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Of all the contributions for which #HarryBelafonte will be remembered, perhaps none is more enduring than the celebrated entertainer’s lifelong support for youth #activism.

From the 1960s until Belafonte’s passing, Belafonte was sought out by young people across several generations for wisdom and guidance

https://theconversation.com/harry-belafonte-leveraged-stardom-for-social-change-his-powerful-voice-always-singing-a-song-for-justice-204500

#civilrights #BlackLivesMatter #History #Histodons #BlackFriday

(edit: Fixed link. TGIF)

TheConversationUS, to politics
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The reported federal #indictment of Donald #Trump brings up confusing issues of where he will face trial first.

A criminal law expert explains the precedents on how these conflicts are decided:

https://theconversation.com/do-federal-or-state-prosecutors-get-to-go-first-in-trying-trump-a-law-professor-untangles-the-conflict-207402

#politics #trumpindictment #trumpindicted #news #breakingnews

TheConversationUS, to random
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The Conversation is #hiring an Associate Editor, Economy and Business to find experts to write about business news and new research, and work with them to craft understandable and interesting, jargon-free articles.

It’s an exciting time to join our #newsroom. Thank you for sharing with your network if you know somebody who’s a good fit!

Learn more or apply here:

https://www.journalismjobs.com/1680764-associate-editor-economy-and-business-the-conversation-us

#journalismjobs #business

TheConversationUS, to histodons
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Two Southerners serving in the U.S. Army in 1861 made different choices when the Civil War began.

Robert E. Lee has been looked on as a source of pride by White Southerners.

But perhaps, according to historian Christopher Einolf, a better source of pride today would be Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas – another Virginian, who honored his oath to defend the Constitution.

https://theconversation.com/us-army-maj-gen-george-h-thomas-journey-from-enslaver-to-union-officer-to-civil-rights-defender-205950

#History #BlackHistory #Histodons @histodons

TheConversationUS,
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@ekknappenberger @histodons Because, as the article points out, he actually changed his ways

TheConversationUS, to science
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It doesn’t add up:

Math teachers who believe women no longer face discrimination tend to be biased against girls’ ability in math. And effects of bias like this can snowball over time.


https://theconversation.com/math-teachers-hold-a-bias-against-girls-when-the-teachers-think-gender-equality-has-been-achieved-202921

TheConversationUS, to random
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3 factors increase the chances of meaningful conversation, in politics and life:

  1. Give reasons for your belief. This sets a good foundation and gives better odds of success

  2. Be open to learning. Listen well and find the truths in what the other person is saying.

  3. Mind your business. You shouldn't interfere in people’s lives, even if you believe they are wrong.

Lessons from Kantian philosophers:

#philosophy #relationships #debate

https://theconversation.com/respectful-persuasion-is-a-relay-race-not-a-solo-sprint-3-keys-to-putting-it-in-practice-201749

TheConversationUS, to random
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Despite hard-fought victories, women’s rights are threatened again in many parts of the world.

♀️ In the U.S., the Supreme Court overturned women’s right to abortion a year ago.

♀️ Women often disproportionately bear the burden to care for children and elderly relatives.

♀️ Women are heavily affected by climate change.

In Ancient Greece, women in myths spoke truth to power and fiercely resisted injustice and oppression in a way that can inspire us today.
https://theconversation.com/what-greek-mythology-teaches-us-about-womens-resistance-and-rebellion-200519

TheConversationUS, to ai
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AI algorithms are helping astronomers tame massive data sets and discover new knowledge about the #universe.

They’re also helping refine past findings.

For example, the team that first captured a groundbreaking photo of a black hole in 2019 used #AI to generate a sharper version of the image, showing the black hole to be much larger than originally thought.

🌌⬇️
https://theconversation.com/ai-is-helping-astronomers-make-new-discoveries-and-learn-about-the-universe-faster-than-ever-before-204351

TheConversationUS, to random
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A nice read for Friday afternoon:

made a distinction between three kinds of : utility-based, pleasure-based and character-based friendships. Each arises from what is valued in the friend: their usefulness, the pleasure of their company or their good character.

Learn more of his lessons on friendship as you consider whether you have true friends – and are being the best kind of friend you can be:
https://theconversation.com/three-lessons-from-aristotle-on-friendship-200520

TheConversationUS, to random
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Research shows that orphanage founders, tour companies and mission organizations often benefit most when the goal of serving vulnerable children is not accomplished.

Further, Western missionaries and volunteers are encouraged to behave toward “orphans” in ways that further increase their risk of abuse.

Here's more about what experts call the “orphan industrial complex”:

#nonprofits #evangelicals #religion #charity
https://theconversation.com/whether-or-not-a-man-convicted-of-abusing-african-orphans-is-exonerated-the-missionary-system-that-brought-him-to-kenya-was-always-deeply-flawed-199934

TheConversationUS, to random
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The more powerful the AI, the more energy it takes.

Making generative AI more efficient is the subject of research currently, but the good news is that AI can run on renewable energy. And as a consumer, you can do your part to put pressure on companies and research labs to publish the carbon footprint of their AI models, as some already do.

#technology #artificialintelligence #greenenergy #renewableenergy

https://theconversation.com/is-generative-ai-bad-for-the-environment-a-computer-scientist-explains-the-carbon-footprint-of-chatgpt-and-its-cousins-204096

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