The Conversation

Scientists can’t agree on how fast the universe is expanding – why this matters so much for our understanding of the cosmos

Retrieved on: 
torsdag, juni 13, 2024
Vicent, University, Astronomy, Thought, Virginia Louise Trimble, James Webb Space Telescope, ARD International Music Competition, The Conversation, Physics, Science, Music, Observation, History, Research, Hubble Space Telescope, RSS, JWST, Telescope

Why two different methods used to calculate the rate at which the universe is expanding don’t produce the same result.

Key Points: 
  • Why two different methods used to calculate the rate at which the universe is expanding don’t produce the same result.
  • Known as the Hubble tension, the enigma suggests that there could be something wrong with the standard model of cosmology used to explain the forces in the universe.
  • Now, recent observations using the new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are shaking up the debate on how close the mystery is to being resolved.
  • In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, two professors of astronomy explain why the Hubble tension matters so much for our understanding of the universe.
  • It said that new observations of far-away stars using the JWST matched those obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope.
  • These stars, called Cepheids, are commonly used in one method of calculating the rate at which the universe is expanding.

Five of the biggest summer exhibitions around the UK – what you should see this week

Retrieved on: 
söndag, juni 2, 2024
Taste, Holburne Museum, Painting, Artemisia, Female, Studio Voltaire, Woman, Collection, The Conversation, Research, Another View, NSFW, Exhibition, Women artists, Politics, Environment

You might not know this, but the team at The Conversation is spread out across the UK and that includes the arts team.

Key Points: 
  • You might not know this, but the team at The Conversation is spread out across the UK and that includes the arts team.
  • We curate your cultural content from Yorkshire, London and the rural environs of Glasgow.
  • This week, however, we came together to catch up, celebrate our wins and see Something Good together.
  • So we decided to dedicate this newsletter to the shows our academic experts are most excited about.

Including women artists and reimagining landscapes

  • Another show in London attempting to right legacies and place artists back in the public eye is the Tate’s Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520–1920.
  • This might be one of the most comprehensive shows of its kind, and is the culmination of years of research in the Tate’s archives to recover lost works and histories of women artists.
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    Read more:
    Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520–1920 – stunning in scope but celebrating female artists with exhibitions isn't enough
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    In Liverpool, another show trying to showcase the women artists in their collection is Another View: Landscapes by Women Artistsat Lady Lever Art Gallery.
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    Read more:
    Another View: Landscapes by Women Artists – a rare chance to see our rapidly changing world from a purely female perspective
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Ugly no more

  • This is because they are monumental and moving, able to fill and give character to large open areas.
  • These wonderful miniatures are on show for the very first time at the Holburne Museum in Bath.
  • Considered a master now, when Degas’ work first showed in the UK some of it was criticised for its “distressing ugliness”.
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    Read more:
    Discovering Degas: new exhibition in Glasgow reveals boldness and foresight of early British collectors
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Can chameleons change colour in their sleep? The Conversation’s Curious Kids podcast

Retrieved on: 
söndag, juni 2, 2024
Partnership, Herpetology, Doctor of Philosophy, National Science Foundation, The Conversation, Ichthyology, Research, Cornell University, Arizona State University

MagicBloods/ShutterstockHave you ever wondered how chameleons change colour?

Key Points: 
  • MagicBloods/Shutterstock

    Have you ever wondered how chameleons change colour?

  • Join curious ten-year-old Ikechukwu from Lagos, Nigeria, as he takes all his questions to an expert!

What is ‘techno-optimism’? 2 technology scholars explain the ideology that says technology is the answer to every problem

Retrieved on: 
torsdag, april 25, 2024
Web browser, World War II, Technological utopianism, Bill, Education, Social media, Social Problems, Economic development, Entrepreneurship, Nature, Human, Poverty, Thought, City, Silicon, Invention, Utopian architecture, The Conversation, Uber, Netscape, Andreessen, Loneliness, Journalism, Tech, Nightclub

Nor is it in a state of decline, as Andreessen and other techno-optimists such as Elon Musk would have you believe.

Key Points: 
  • Nor is it in a state of decline, as Andreessen and other techno-optimists such as Elon Musk would have you believe.
  • As scholars who study technology and society, we have observed that techno-optimism easily attaches itself to the public’s desire for a better future.
  • The questions of how that future will be built, what that future will look like and who will benefit from those changes are harder to answer.
  • It suggests that technological progress can solve every problem known to humans – a belief also known as techno-solutionism.

Anthony Albanese puts interventionist industry policy at the centre of his budget agenda

Retrieved on: 
onsdag, april 10, 2024
CHIPS, Hydrogen, Speech, Government, Growth, Risk, Act, Research, Conversation, Policy, Private sector, Outline, Economy, Investment, Semiconductor, European, Heart, The Conversation, South Korea, Inflation, Renewable energy

Anthony Albanese will outline on Thursday a strongly interventionist role for government to make Australia competitive in a world requiring us to “break with old orthodoxies”.

Key Points: 
  • Anthony Albanese will outline on Thursday a strongly interventionist role for government to make Australia competitive in a world requiring us to “break with old orthodoxies”.
  • In a major pre-budget address that puts industry policy at the heart of this agenda, the Prime Minister will declare his government “will not be an observer or a spectator – we will be a participant, a partner, an investor and enabler”.
  • To underpin the case for the government’s direction, Albanese highlights comparable countries that are investing in their industrial base, manufacturing capability and economic sovereignty.

‘Not old-fashioned protectionism’

  • Australia continued to champion global markets, but “equally, we must recognise that the partners we seek are moving to the beat of a new economic reality”.
  • “All these countries are investing in their industrial base, their manufacturing capability and their economic sovereignty.
  • And – critically – none of this is merely being left to market forces or trusted to the invisible hand.
  • "The heavy lifting of economic transition and industrial transformation is not being done by individuals, companies or communities on their own.
  • "It is being facilitated, enabled and empowered by national Governments from every point on the political spectrum.
  • Ramping up a rhetoric of urgency, Albanese says: “We need to be clear-eyed about the economic realities of this decade.


Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Wayfinder Family Services Honors The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

Retrieved on: 
tisdag, april 9, 2024
The Conversation, Health, Education, Thought, Aspen, World War II, Wayfinder, Wayfinder Family Services, Aspen Institute, History, Nursing

LOS ANGELES, April 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wayfinder Family Services recently honored The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation at The Conversation.

Key Points: 
  • LOS ANGELES, April 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wayfinder Family Services recently honored The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation at The Conversation.
  • Over 200 guests gathered for the luncheon and panel discussion co-presented by Wayfinder Family Services and the Aspen Institute.
  • The Wayfinder Award recognizes dedication and commitment to children and families at Wayfinder and the communities it serves.
  • This year, Wayfinder recognized the foundation for its responsive grantmaking and tremendous impact in Los Angeles County.

Camilla Walker Receives Wayfinder Award

Retrieved on: 
onsdag, mars 27, 2024
City National Bank, Mental, University, Aspen, Wayfinder Family Services, Child, Volunteering, Organic, Wayfinder, Walker, Disability, The Conversation, Aspen Institute

LOS ANGELES, March 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wayfinder Family Services recently honored banking executive Camilla Walker at The Conversation.

Key Points: 
  • LOS ANGELES, March 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wayfinder Family Services recently honored banking executive Camilla Walker at The Conversation.
  • Over 200 guests gathered at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles for the luncheon and panel discussion co-presented by Wayfinder Family Services and the Aspen Institute.
  • Walker is a senior vice president and senior relationship manager within the commercial banking division of City National Bank and an alumna of the University of Georgia, where she graduated summa cum laude.
  • Walker shared her passion for Wayfinder, "There are a lot of charities in Los Angeles that you can give your time and donations to, but what sets Wayfinder apart is that it all-encompassing … from child welfare and disabilities to mental health services.

Wayfinder Family Services Honors Harold A. Davidson

Retrieved on: 
torsdag, mars 21, 2024
Harold Davidson, Longevity, Davison's, Paratriathlon, Aspen, Wayfinder Family Services, The Conversation, Aspen Institute, Parent

LOS ANGELES, March 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wayfinder Family Services, formerly known as Junior Blind, recently honored one of its longest-standing board members, Dr. Harold A. Davidson, at The Conversation.

Key Points: 
  • LOS ANGELES, March 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wayfinder Family Services, formerly known as Junior Blind, recently honored one of its longest-standing board members, Dr. Harold A. Davidson, at The Conversation.
  • The luncheon and panel event, co-presented by Wayfinder Family Services and the Aspen Institute, gathered over 200 guests at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles.
  • Philanthropist and president of Los Angeles investment counseling firm Harold Davidson & Associates, Inc., Davidson has served on the Wayfinder board of directors for nearly 35 years, continuing the legacy of his parents, Charlotte and Davre Davidson.
  • Jay Allen, Wayfinder's president and chief executive officer, presented Harold A. Davidson with the Wayfinder Award and shared, "Wayfinder wouldn't be who we are today without Harold and his family … I'm proud to present this award on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Wayfinder families the Davidson family has helped throughout the years."

Wayfinder Family Services and Aspen Institute Present Moderated Panel on Loneliness

Retrieved on: 
tisdag, mars 12, 2024
Health, Mental health, Isolation, Wayfinder Family Services, Loneliness, Wayfinder, Progress, Smoking, The Conversation

The panel discussion presented by Wayfinder Family Services and The Aspen Institute Society of Fellows explored the topic of loneliness and highlighted U.S.

Key Points: 
  • The panel discussion presented by Wayfinder Family Services and The Aspen Institute Society of Fellows explored the topic of loneliness and highlighted U.S.
  • Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's advisory: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, which warned that the health risks of loneliness are comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.
  • The engaging panel explored the problem and state, county, school and philanthropic solutions.
  • The event also honored Harold A. Davidson, Camilla Walker and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation for their commitment to children, youth and families in Los Angeles County and beyond.