What price 393 million guns?

Plus: Will Trump’s trade war with China ever end? [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 5 August 2019 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair [Emily Costello] A note from... Emily Costello Deputy Editor How can we make the killing stop? It’s a question many Americans, like me, are asking after mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton claimed the lives of at least 29 people over the weekend. There have now been 32 shootings killing three or more people this year alone. We know from experience what comes next – calls for new laws from some, and the assertion of Constitutional rights from others. Lacey Wallace, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Pennsylvania State University, explores less familiar ground by examining the firearms any new gun restriction likely wouldn’t touch: the 393 million already owned by Americans. Attempts to buy these guns back from owners have so far been [costly and limited](. Also today: breast milk helps [babies tell day from night](, the University of Alaska is [struggling for funding]( and Trump is still [picking a fight with China](. Top story Mourners in Dayton, Ohio on Aug. 4, 2019 after a mass shooting there killed at least nine people. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) [Could a national buyback program reduce gun violence in America?]( Lacey Wallace, Pennsylvania State University More than 40 percent of U.S. adults have a gun in their household, making it hard to get guns off the streets – even if new gun restrictions are passed. 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Science + Technology - [Human breast milk may help babies tell time via circadian signals from mom]( Darby Saxbe, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences; Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, University of California, Merced Breast milk contains ingredients in concentrations that change over the course of the day. Researchers think milk is chrononutrition, carrying molecular messages to help set a baby's internal clock. Education - [How the University of Alaska – and other public U.S. universities – now struggle for funding]( Dean O. Smith, University of Hawaii Nationwide, state government money has become a smaller and smaller fraction of public higher education budgets. - [Boost in high school students taking advanced computer science could change the face of tech]( Christina Gardner-McCune, University of Florida New data show more girls and minority high school students taking Advanced Placement courses in computer science. A computer science professor weighs in on what that means for the future of the field. Environment + Energy - [Understanding Christian climate skeptics’ views can lead to better conversations about the environment]( Emma Frances Bloomfield, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Many practicing U.S. Christians do not believe that human activities are warming the Earth, but they hold diverse views about the environment. Effective climate conversations recognize those nuances. Most read on site - [Why does using a period in a text message make you sound insincere or angry?]( Lauren B. Collister, University of Pittsburgh For centuries, written communication was tinged with formality and finality. But since the emergence of casual forms like texting, using proper grammar can be fraught with misinterpretation. - [The lies we tell on dating apps to find love]( David Markowitz, University of Oregon Researchers analyzed troves of messages sent between matches and found that the fibs people tell are usually rational ones that serve a purpose. - [The White House is upending decades of protocol for policy-making]( Stuart Shapiro, Rutgers University The process known as policy analysis requires careful consideration and deliberation. In most cases, the public also gets to weigh in. Today’s quote ["Like humans, many bacteria like to spend time at the beach. The so-called flesh-eating bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, don’t just like the beach; they need it, and rely on seasalt for survival."]( [Yes, flesh-eating bacteria are in the warm coastal waters – but it doesn't mean you'll get sick]( Brian Labus University of Nevada, Las Vegas [Brian Labus] Know people who may be interested in The Conversation's stories? [Click here to forward this newsletter to them]( and ask them to sign up at [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111