Talking to election deniers about the upcoming vote

+ What is dirt? US Edition - Today's top story: What is dirt? There's a whole wriggling world alive in the ground beneath our feet, as a soil scientist explains [View in browser]( US Edition | 31 March 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation U.S. Here are a couple of our recently published stories: - [Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years − how he went from $30B crypto CEO to prison inmate]( - [With Beyoncé’s foray into country music, the genre may finally break free from the stereotypes that have long dogged it]( If the rain moves out, I’ll likely spend part of this Easter Sunday digging compost to enrich the soil in my vegetable garden. If the compost is warm and wet enough, I’ll see plenty of worms – a sight that helps transform this laborious job into a joy. I’m a big admirer of those industrious little decomposers. But [worms aren’t all that’s alive in soil](, explains Brian Darby, an associate professor of biology at the University of North Dakota, in one of the stories from last week that readers liked the most. “If you scooped up a small spoonful of soil in your backyard, it would likely contain at least 10,000 species,” Darby writes in a piece edited by environment + climate editor Stacy Morford. Scientists don’t understand what most of these often nameless species do in soil, but they likely play a role in keeping the complex food web beneath our feet in balance. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Managing editor Bryan Keogh will be back with you next Sunday. Emily Costello Director of Collaborations + Local News Readers' picks [What is dirt? There’s a whole wriggling world alive in the ground beneath our feet, as a soil scientist explains]( Brian Darby, University of North Dakota Rock dust is only part of the story of soil. Living creatures, many of them too tiny to see, keep that soil healthy for growing everything from food to forests. - [Bridges can be protected from ship collisions – an expert on structures in disasters explains how]( Sherif El-Tawil, University of Michigan A civil engineer explains why ships taking out bridges is rare, and describes how bridge builders protect the structures from ship collisions. - [How to have the hard conversations about who really won the 2020 presidential election − before Election Day 2024]( Robert A. Strong, University of Virginia What does someone like me, who believes that the last presidential election was legitimately won by Joe Biden, say to those who think the 2020 election was stolen? - [How Moscow terror attack fits ISIS-K strategy to widen agenda, take fight to its perceived enemies]( Sara Harmouch, American University; Amira Jadoon, Clemson University At least 137 people were killed in the Moscow attack – the latest in a a series of ISIS-K operations outside its traditional stronghold. - [Politicians may rail against the ‘deep state,’ but research shows federal workers are effective and committed, not subversive]( Jaime Kucinskas, Hamilton College; James L. Perry, Indiana University Years of research about the people who work in the federal government finds that most of them are devoted civil servants who are committed to civic duty without regard to partisan politics. Editors' picks [Israel’s ‘Iron Wall’: A brief history of the ideology guiding Benjamin Netanyahu]( Eran Kaplan, San Francisco State University The destructive force that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has unleashed in Gaza is rooted in a century-old ideology that says overwhelming power is how Israel should deal with Palestinians. - [I’ve captained ships into tight ports like Baltimore, and this is how captains like me work with harbor pilots to avoid deadly collisions]( Allan Post, Texas A&M University Two ship pilots were on board the large cargo vessel that hit Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. A veteran ship captain describes the role these pilots play in close-quarter maneuvering. - [DNA says you’re related to a Viking, a medieval German Jew or a 1700s enslaved African? What a genetic match really means]( Shai Carmi, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Harald Ringbauer, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Genealogical and genetic ancestors aren’t the same thing. A DNA match − or a lack of one − may not tell you what you imagine it does about your family tree. - [An annual pilgrimage during Holy Week brings thousands of believers to Santuario de Chimayó in New Mexico, where they pray for healing and protection]( Brett Hendrickson, Lafayette College Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the Santuario de Chimayó throughout the year, but the pilgrimage during the week before the celebration of Easter is the high point. - [For over a century, baseball’s scouts have been the backbone of America’s pastime – do they have a future?]( H. James Gilmore, Flagler College; Tracy Halcomb, Flagler College Even with teams’ embrace of analytics, the number of scouts employed by MLB teams had stayed remarkably consistent. That all changed with the COVID-19 pandemic. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation This week, name ships, drugs, countries and a chef's nemesis - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Giving Today]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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