U-M sustainability experts regularly contribute to The Conversation, a free and independent source of news and views from the academic and research community. This Blog has received international praise for promoting content from university scholars and researchers with deep expertise in their subject.
3/23/2026
Can you survive inside a tornado? This scientist did by accident – he’s lucky to be alive
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Read More.
3/19/2026
Global copper demand outstrips supply, threatening electrification and industrial growth
Demand for copper is surging because of demand from new technologies, but suppliers are struggling to keep up, and they are likely to fall further behind in the coming years, resulting in shortfalls globally. Even though copper prices are at historically high levels, the financial risk involved in mining means that prices will need to go much higher before mining companies see profit in addressing the supply shortage. Read More.
2/25/2026
The cost of casting animals as heroes and villains in conservation science
Scientists are philosophers, explorers, data collectors and number crunchers. They are also storytellers, placing data within a broader scientific and societal context. How they tell these stories matters. Read More.
What began as a straightforward question from one water-quality advocate has morphed into a high-stakes battle over an oil pipeline at the highest levels of the U.S. government – with implications that go far beyond the fate of a technical legal conflict. Read More.
When you look out across a snowy winter landscape, it might seem like nature is fast asleep. Yet, under the surface, tiny organisms are hard at work, consuming the previous year’s dead plant material and other organic matter. Read More.
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