At last, Super Tuesday is over

+ scientists vote that the Anthropocene is not an epoch US Edition - Today's top story: After Super Tuesday, exhausted Americans face 8 more months of presidential campaigning [View in browser]( US Edition | 6 March 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [That time luck prevented nuclear war between the US and Russia]( - [Ramadan finds greater recognition in America’s public schools]( - [How fashion took over the Academy Awards]( Lead story In an ideal world, Super Tuesday would be the beginning of the most exciting season of American politics, when people across the nation come together to talk about where they want the country to go next. This year is not ideal. Millions of Americans are politically exhausted. But brace yourself: There are eight more months of campaign season before Election Day in November. Political science scholar Jared McDonald explains that the problem isn’t just polarization, and the damage isn’t just to the candidates. If people aren’t speaking up about their hopes and fears and ideas, they’re not engaging in the [crucial work a democracy requires of all its citizens](, he writes. With such a limited public discussion, government has no way to reflect the will of the people. [[The latest from the the world of philanthropy and nonprofits. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, Giving Today.](] Jeff Inglis Politics + Society Editor Campaign volunteers set up signs encouraging people to vote. AP Photo/Vasha Hunt [After Super Tuesday, exhausted Americans face 8 more months of presidential campaigning]( Jared McDonald, University of Mary Washington It’s not just polarization that’s driving voters’ malaise − it’s something else, which carries a stark warning for the health of American democracy. Environment + Energy - [The Anthropocene is not an epoch − but the age of humans is most definitely underway]( Erle C. Ellis, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Scientists have been debating the start of the Anthropocene Epoch for 15 years. I was part of those discussions, and I agree with the vote rejecting it. - [Arctic rivers face big changes with a warming climate, permafrost thaw and an accelerating water cycle − the effects will have global consequences]( Michael A. Rawlins, UMass Amherst; Ambarish Karmalkar, University of Rhode Island A new study shows how thawing permafrost and intensifying storms will change how water moves into and through Arctic rivers. Education - [Ramadan finds greater recognition in America’s public schools]( Amaarah DeCuir, American University Federal law protects students’ rights to request some religious accommodations, including during the month of Ramadan. International - [Plight of migrant laborers killed, held hostage in Middle East exposes Israel’s reliance on overseas workforce]( Julie Weise, University of Oregon; Shahar Shoham, Humboldt University of Berlin The contours of the Middle East conflict have long influenced Israel’s migrant worker policy. - [President Yoon is lauded in West for embracing Japan − in South Korea it fits a conservative agenda that is proving less popular]( Myunghee Lee, Michigan State University; Sungik Yang, Arizona State University Critics of the South Korean leader accuse him of eroding democracy at home while embracing a historic enemy on the international stage. Politics + Society - [The Black history knowledge gap is widening – and GOP politicians are making it worse]( Paul Ringel, High Point University Unlike some GOP politicians, a college professor who teaches Black history to mostly white students was excited that the Black national anthem was being played at the Super Bowl. - [Oppenheimer feared nuclear annihilation – and only a chance pause by a Soviet submariner kept it from happening in 1962]( Mark Robert Rank, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis During the Cuban missile crisis, World War III was likely averted by what one US official called ‘just plain dumb luck.’ Science + Technology - [Emotion-tracking AI on the job: Workers fear being watched – and misunderstood]( Nazanin Andalibi, University of Michigan Loss of privacy is just the beginning. Workers are worried about biased AI and the need to perform the ‘right’ expressions and body language for the algorithms. Ethics + Religion - [Reeling religion: From anime and sci-fi to rom-coms, films are full of faith in unexpected places]( David W. Stowe, Michigan State University Plenty of movies have explicitly religious themes, but some of the most interesting examples of faith or transcendence on screen are much more subtle. - [Tattooing has held a long tradition in Christianity − dating back to Jesus’ crucifixion]( Gustavo Morello, Boston College Historically, many Christians got tattoos around Holy Week − usually a cross − to honor Christ’s martyrdom. - [Gifts that live on, from best bodices to money for bridge repairs: Women’s wills in medieval France give a glimpse into their surprising independence]( Joelle Rollo-Koster, University of Rhode Island European women’s rights expanded in early medieval cities, though they were still limited. Last wills and testaments were some of the few documents women could dictate themselves. Arts + Culture - [How the Academy Awards became ‘the biggest international fashion show free-for-all’]( Elizabeth Castaldo Lundén, University of Southern California Through their media savvy, two consultants were able to make the Oscars as much about the attire as the gold statuettes. Trending on site - [Why do bees have queens? 2 biologists explain this insect’s social structure – and why some bees don’t have a queen at all]( - [The Constitution sets some limits on the people’s choices for president - but the Supreme Court rules it’s unconstitutional for state governments to decide on Trump’s qualifications]( - [Bradley Cooper, Cillian Murphy and the myths of Method acting]( Today's graphic 📈 [A chart showing the percentage of US workers that were born somewhere else from 2006 to 2022. The share of immigrants in the national labor force grew from 15.3% in 2006 to a record high of 18.1% in 2022, despite small declines during the Great Recession and the Trump administration.]( From the story, [Immigrants do work that might not otherwise get done – bolstering the US economy]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - 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. 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