Take care of your pearly whites

+ media nods to the end of the world US Edition - Today's top story: Healthy teeth are wondrous and priceless – a dentist explains why and how best to protect them [View in browser]( US Edition | 5 May 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation U.S. Here are a few of our recently published stories: • [Media coverage of campus protests tends to focus on the spectacle, rather than the substance]( • [On its 125th anniversary, W.E.B. Du Bois’ ‘The Philadelphia Negro’ offers lasting lessons on gentrification in Philly’s historically Black neighborhoods]( “Take care of your teeth and your teeth will take care of you.” I’ve always remembered that line, uttered by Sam Seaborn on the TV show “The West Wing.” And I’m not sure why, since I was not particularly good at brushing my teeth when I was younger. Samer Zaky, a dentist and oral researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, had a [similar message to share]( in one of our articles last week that readers found most engaging. “Teeth are amazing little miracles. They light up our smiles, we use them to speak and we chew with them more than 600 times at every meal,” he explains. “Once destroyed by decay or broken by misuse such as ice chewing, nail biting or bottle opening … that part of our priceless enamel is gone for good.” Teeth are durable enough to last a lifetime, Zaky writes, but only if we practice proper dental hygiene. In the article, he takes us through the “complex beauty of these biological and mechanical masterpieces,” delving into their constituent parts and the best ways to ensure they last your entire life. As for me, I do a lot better caring for my teeth these days. Sam, and Samer, would be proud. Bryan Keogh Managing Editor Readers' picks [Healthy teeth are wondrous and priceless – a dentist explains why and how best to protect them]( Samer Zaky, University of Pittsburgh The durability and longevity of teeth lie in the complex interplay between six different tissues, all of which play an intricate role in tooth formation and health. - [US long-term care costs are sky-high, but Washington state’s new way to help pay for them could be nixed]( Marc Cohen, UMass Boston What happens in November 2024 could influence other states weighing their own options. - [Climbers have turned Mount Everest into a high-altitude garbage dump, but sustainable solutions are within reach]( Suzanne OConnell, Wesleyan University; Alton C. Byers, University of Colorado Boulder Mountain tourism brings revenues to Nepal but leaves a mess behind. Local and international groups are offering new cleanup strategies. - [How ‘apocalypse’ became a secular as well as religious idea]( Erik Bleich, Middlebury; Christopher Star, Middlebury Events that the media describe as ‘apocalyptic’ reflect changing anxieties about the future. - [Why universities turn to the police to end student protests − and why that can spiral out of control]( John J. Sloan III, University of Alabama at Birmingham While most colleges and universities have their own police units, some schools, like Columbia University, have only private security − and then can call in outside police when they feel it is needed. Editors' picks [Teens see social media algorithms as accurate reflections of themselves, study finds]( Nora McDonald, George Mason University Adolescents treat ‘for you’ algorithms as a social mirror and are willing to give up privacy to use it. - [How famines are formed: In Gaza and elsewhere, an underlying pattern that can lead to hunger and death]( Paul Howe, Tufts University In Gaza, Sudan, Haiti and elsewhere around the globe, famine affects increasing numbers of people. - [New EPA regulations target air, water, land and climate pollution from power plants, especially those that burn coal]( Patrick Parenteau, Vermont Law & Graduate School Lawsuits are inevitable, but an environmental lawyer explains why the EPA’s new power plant regulations are on solid ground. - [Columbia University protests look increasingly like those in 1968 as police storm campuses nationwide]( Stefan M. Bradley, Amherst College An expert on the Columbia University protests of 1968 draws parallels between protests then and the ones taking place there in 2024. - [As humans, we all want self-respect – and keeping that in mind might be the missing ingredient when you try to change someone’s mind]( Colin Marshall, University of Washington People deeply want to believe they are good, reasonable and worthy. A little humility and curiosity can go a long way toward helping someone feel respected during an argument. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Questions this week on protests, fake images and a high-altitude garbage dump. - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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