Pit bulls vilified and redeemed | Top 10

+ Bob Dylan's classical influences US Edition - Today's top story: Helping the liver regenerate itself could give patients with end-stage liver disease a treatment option besides waiting for a transplant [View in browser]( US Edition | 23 October 2022 [The Conversation]( Welcome to Sunday and the best of The Conversation. I confess that I’m afraid of pit bulls – although I’ve certainly met some sweet and gentle ones. My fears became more concrete last month when my daughter and her roommates brought a foster dog into their New York City apartment. Like many shelter dogs, the foster has the physical characteristics I associate with pit bulls – a short coat, big head and broad “smiling” mouth. So I read Vanderbilt University law professor Colin Dayan’s piece about the history of pit bulls, looking for some context and reassurance. I learned that pit bulls are a type of dog – not a distinct breed – which makes collecting data about their aggressiveness difficult and laws restricting their ownership impossible to enforce fairly. Dayan sees pit bulls as victims of “[canine profiling](.” Among readers’ picks, I recommend an eye-opening story about the ancient viruses that are [embedded in your DNA](, with some surprising effects on human health. The Conversation turned 8 on Friday! Check out the most-read story from each year of our history in [this special e-book](. Do you have a favorite story from our archive? Hit reply to share your picks. Emily Costello Managing Editor Readers' picks Tylenol overdose is one of the leading causes of liver injury requiring liver transplantation. Elena Merkulova/iStock via Getty Images [Helping the liver regenerate itself could give patients with end-stage liver disease a treatment option besides waiting for a transplant]( Satdarshan (Paul) Singh Monga, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Liver transplant waitlists can range from 30 days to over five years. Developing treatments that spur liver regeneration could help reduce demand for scarce organs. - [How Bob Dylan used the ancient practice of ‘imitatio’ to craft some of the most original songs of his time]( Raphael Falco, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Because Dylan draws from songs from the past, he has been accused of plagiarism. But this view has been colored by a distorted understanding of the creative process. - [Humans are 8% virus – how the ancient viral DNA in your genome plays a role in human disease and development]( Aidan Burn, Tufts University Bits of viral genes incorporated into human DNA have been linked to cancer, ALS and schizophrenia. But many of these genes may not be harmful, and could even protect against infectious disease. - [AI is changing scientists’ understanding of language learning – and raising questions about an innate grammar]( Morten H. Christiansen, Cornell University; Pablo Contreras Kallens, Cornell University Linguists have long considered grammar to be the glue of language, and key to how children learn it. But new prose-writing AIs suggest language experience may be more important than grammar. - [Why the US House of Representatives has 435 seats – and how that could change]( Steven L. Taylor, Troy University Since 1913, the number of seats in the House has remained constant even though the nation’s population has more than tripled. Editors' picks A pit bull is not an official breed – it’s an umbrella term for a type of dog. Barbara Rich via Getty Images [Pit bulls went from America’s best friend to public enemy – now they’re slowly coming full circle]( Colin Dayan, Vanderbilt University A scholar of law and humanities compares bans on dogs with any pit bull genes to “one drop” laws that once classified people with even a single Black ancestor as Black. - [Why the GOP’s battle for the soul of ‘character conservatives’ in these midterms may center on Utah and its Latter-day Saint voters]( Luke Perry, Utica University Many Republicans have wrestled with whether to embrace Donald Trump and his brash political style. Latter-day Saints are an especially telling example. - [Experts grade Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube on readiness to handle midterm election misinformation]( Dam Hee Kim, University of Arizona; Anjana Susarla, Michigan State University; Scott Shackelford, Indiana University Misinformation has bedeviled social media companies for years, and the problem is especially consequential during elections. Are the companies up to the job as the 2022 midterm elections approach? - [Anxiety detection and treatment in early childhood can lower risk for long-term mental health issues – an expert panel now recommends screening starting at age 8]( Elana Bernstein, University of Dayton Anxiety is the most common mental health issue facing children and adolescents. But research shows that early screening – including in school settings – can identify children who are at risk. - [When digital nomads come to town: governments want their cash but locals are being left behind – podcast]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Mend Mariwany, The Conversation How governments around the world are trying to woo digital nomads. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Quizmaster, The Conversation This week: questions on Liz Truss, honey bees, Amazon deliveries and us. --------------------------------------------------------------- Download our latest e-book We are providing a magazine-style e-book with the most-read story from each year of our history. [Try it out]( and reply to this email to tell us what you think. Like this newsletter? 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