Ancient farmers' lessons for today | Top 10

+ a sociologist mingles with ardent Trump supporters US Edition - Today's top story: What ancient farmers can really teach us about adapting to climate change – and how political power influences success or failure [View in browser]( US Edition | 3 March 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: - [Biden executive order on sensitive personal information does little for now to curb data market – but spotlights the threat the market poses]( - [Texas fires: Burned rangeland can recover quickly, but cattle ranchers face struggles ahead to find and feed their herds]( Climate change is one of those topics in which the news coverage can seem to be all doom and gloom. The world is warming up at an ever-faster pace, and the many promises and plans to do something about it usually fall short, resulting in ever more dire warnings from climatologists and other scientists. So it always lifts my spirits when there’s an article on climate change that doesn’t leave me feeling helpless and depressed about the future of our planet. One such story is last week’s piece on lessons from ancient farmers, written by University of South Carolina archaeologist Chelsea Fisher and skillfully edited by our environment and climate editor, Stacy Morford. It was also one of our readers’ top picks. [Fisher explores past civilizations]( that struggled with unexpected climate change. She explains how farmers in some cases were able to adapt by adjusting their methods, such as by embracing small-scale, decentralized irrigation systems or planting drought-tolerant grains. These ancient practices are getting a fresh look to help modern society respond to today’s climate change threat, she notes. “But grasping for ancient technologies and techniques without paying attention to historical context misses one of the most important lessons ancient farmers can reveal,” she writes. “Agricultural sustainability is as much about power and sovereignty as it is about soil, water and crops.” Bryan Keogh Managing Editor Readers' picks A farmer paddles to his fields on an artificial island among canals, part of an ancient Aztec system known as chinampas, in 2021. AP Photo /Marco Ugarte [What ancient farmers can really teach us about adapting to climate change – and how political power influences success or failure]( Chelsea Fisher, University of South Carolina Agricultural sustainability is as much about power and sovereignty as it is about soil, water and crops. - [Belief in the myth of outlaw heroes partly explains Donald Trump’s die-hard support]( David G. Bromley, Virginia Commonwealth University From Robin Hood to Al Capone, outlaw heroes have played a significant role in American culture. Trump claims he is one of them. - [Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexei Navalny, steps forward to lead the Russian opposition – 3 points to understand]( Farida Jalalzai, Virginia Tech The quick rise of Yulia Navalnaya in Russian politics closely mirrors the story of other female politicians who gain prominence after their husbands or fathers are no longer able to lead. - [Can Trump be prosecuted? Supreme Court will take up precedent-setting case to define the limits of presidential immunity]( Claire Wofford, College of Charleston In a case that will make legal and political history, the US Supreme Court will consider whether Donald Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for his alleged effort to undermine the 2020 election. - [As war in Ukraine enters third year, 3 issues could decide its outcome: Supplies, information and politics]( Tara Sonenshine, Tufts University Russia appears to have seized the battleground initiative as the Ukraine war marks its second anniversary – but the conflict is far from over. Editors' picks Low-level blasts can cause physical changes in the brain. Libkos/AP Photo [Low-level blasts from heavy weapons can cause traumatic brain injury − 2 engineers explain the physics of invisible cell death]( Alice Lux Fawzi, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Christian Franck, University of Wisconsin-Madison The people manning the guns are also at risk of injury from the force of the weapon. - [Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including with significant drops in IQ scores]( Ziyad Al-Aly, Washington University in St. Louis Two new high-profile studies add to the increasingly worrisome picture of how even mild cases of COVID-19 can have detrimental effects on brain health. - [Texas fires: Burned rangeland can recover quickly, but cattle ranchers face struggles ahead to find and feed their herds]( Karen Hickman, Oklahoma State University Over 1 million acres have burned in Texas’ largest wildfire on record, and more days of strong winds are forecast across the Panhandle, the heart of Texas’ cattle country. - [I went to CPAC as an anthropologist to understand Trump’s base − they believe, more than ever, he is a savior]( Alexander Hinton, Rutgers University - Newark While Ronald Reagan is closely tied to this conservative conference’s origins, it has become a multiday event for die-hard Trump supporters. - [Hundreds of thousands of US infants every year pay the consequences of prenatal exposure to drugs, a growing crisis particularly in rural America]( Amna Umer, West Virginia University Many people wrongly assume that cannabis use during pregnancy is safe. Research is increasingly documenting a host of serious health harms from prenatal exposure to cannabis and other substances. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. This week, questions on McConnell, hair, charity and women's history Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( 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. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](