Pollen is getting worse, but you can make things better with these tips from an allergist [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](.
Edition: US
3 April 2019
[The Conversation](
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Editor's note
Does it seem like pollen is getting worse? It is. While pollen has caused breathing problems, runny noses and sneezing throughout history, today’s warmer temperatures and higher levels of carbon dioxide increase pollen counts. Not only that, an estimated 10 to 30 percent of the world’s population are affected by seasonal allergies. Dr. Kara Wada, an allergist-immunologist at The Ohio State University, [offers some historical context and tips]( on how to lessen the effects.
Your pet probably has a microchip, so it can come home if it gets lost. Some people are implanting the same sorts of microchips in themselves – which has evangelical Christians worried. Communication scholar Jordan Frith explains why, and why [they’re not alone](.
The recent college admissions scandal is just the latest case of wealthy individuals who commit wrongdoings to gain more advantages. Laura E. Alexander, scholar of religious ethics, argues that 20th-century theologian Reinhold Niebuhr [might help us understand]( such greed and Buddhist ethics might also provide a way out of it.
Lynne Anderson
Senior Health + Medicine Editor
Top story
A girl in a field of flowers. Alex Cofaru/Shutterstock.com
[Pollen is getting worse, but you can make things better with these tips from an allergist](
Kara Wada, The Ohio State University
Pollen is ancient, but in recent times, it's getting worse. An allergist offers ways to manage the suffering and enjoy the spring.
Does a microchip implant have a deeper meaning? Reuters/Barbara Goldberg
[What your pet’s microchip has to do with the Mark of the Beast](
Jordan Frith, University of North Texas
Tiny electronic items can identify pets, clothes and even people. Evangelical Christians aren't the only people worried about what this technology might mean.
Human beings want more even if it comes at the expense of others. svershinsky/Shutterstock.com
[What causes greed and how can we deal with it?](
Laura E. Alexander, University of Nebraska Omaha
Some parents were recently charged with paying bribes for their children's admission to top colleges. Religious thought can help us understand what drives such greed and also provide ethical guidance.
Politics + Society
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[The Trump administration’s attempts to defund the Special Olympics, explained](
Derrick L. Cogburn, American University School of International Service
The White House proposed these cuts for three years in a row. That clashes with longstanding bipartisan leadership regarding rights for all people with disabilities.
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[How Twitter and other social media can draw the US into foreign interventions](
Eleonora Mattiacci, Amherst College
When the 2011 Libyan civil war erupted, Twitter became a major instrument to air the rebels’ account of the conflict and present themselves internationally as a viable alternative to Moammar Gadhafi.
Environment + Energy
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[As climate change erodes US coastlines, an invasive plant could become an ally](
Judith Weis, Rutgers University Newark
Phragmites australis, an invasive reed, has taken over wetlands across the US. But it also stabilizes shorelines and harbors many fish and birds. Is it time to compromise with this alien?
Science + Technology
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[Genes and genealogy and making the most of famous relations](
Lynn T. Kozlowski, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Before you attribute a trait to a famous ancestor like George Washington or Marie Antoinette, you might want to see how much DNA you actually share with these people. It's not what you thought.
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[Using computers to crack open centuries-old mathematical puzzles](
Christopher Rasmussen, Wesleyan University
Mathematicians have known how to solve something called an S-unit equation for several years. However, the process is so convoluted that few can actually use it to tackle their problems.
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[Want to understand accented speakers better? Practice, practice, practice](
Melissa Michaud Baese-Berk, University of Oregon
It can be hard to understand a non-native speaker of your own language. But conversation is a two-way street and linguists are figuring out how native listeners can improve their half of the interaction.
Most read on site
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[Sitting and diabetes in older adults: Does timing matter?](
John Bellettiere, University of California San Diego; Andrea LaCroix, University of California San Diego; Matthew Mclaughlin, University of Newcastle
Researchers are learning even more about how a sedentary lifestyle is bad for our bodies. A recent study shows a link between sitting patterns and diabetes in older people.
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[You’ll hear these 4 arguments in defense of the Electoral College – here’s why they’re wrong](
Robert Speel, Pennsylvania State University
Does the Electoral College encourage candidates to campaign in rural areas, as its supporters claim? And do electors actually filter the 'passions' of voters, as the founders wanted them to?
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[How single women are driving gentrification in Hong Kong and elsewhere](
Igor Vojnovic, Michigan State University; Minting Ye, Michigan State University
A new study examined how growing numbers of single women in one of the world's most expensive cities are contributing to its gentrification.
Today’s quote
["Mathematics is much more than equations or multiplication facts. It’s a living, breathing discipline shaped, in part, by the political forces around it."](
[3 times political conflict reshaped American mathematics](
Della Dumbaugh
University of Richmond
[Della Dumbaugh]
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