The Curiosity Gap Content

Did Economic Predictions of COVID-19 Pan Out?

Karen Michele Nikos — May 09, 2025 - 8:49am

How economists prepared for COVID, and how that looks now

How Can Teachers Avoid Burnout?

Karen Michele Nikos — May 08, 2025 - 11:17am

New research reveals issues teachers face in K-12 schools.

The Conversation: Are Trump's Deportation Cases about Foreign Policy or Something Else?

Karen Michele Nikos — May 07, 2025 - 10:19am

Trump administration officials have repeatedly claimed that judges who order the administration to take action to bring deported Venezuelans back from the El Salvador prison where the U.S. sent them are meddling in the conduct of foreign policy.

What Do Butterflies Have to Do with ADHD?

Jamie Sara Gelfond — April 15, 2025 - 10:48am

In the garden, butterflies flutter all around and in all directions. The task is to catch them with a virtual net, but only the blue ones. The red ones are a distraction. Sometimes they end up in the net by accident.

The Conversation: How are Humans Different From Other Animals?

Karen Michele Nikos — March 19, 2025 - 1:35pm

Of the 8.7 million species on Earth, why are human beings the only one that paints self-portraits, walks on the Moon and worships gods?

For decades, many scholars have argued that the difference stems from our ability to learn from each other. Through techniques such as teaching and imitation, we can create and transmit complicated information over many generations.

The Conversation: Do Environmental Protection Laws Still Apply Under Trump?

Karen Michele Nikos — March 13, 2025 - 2:10pm

Environmental protection laws still apply even under Trump’s national energy emergency — here’s why

In response to President Donald Trump’s declaration of a “national energy emergency,” the U.S.

The Conversation: Can the Trump Administration Legally Deport Palestinian Rights Advocate Mahmoud Khalil?

Jamie Sara Gelfond — March 13, 2025 - 9:49am

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the government will deport lawful permanent residents who support Hamas and came to the U.S. as students “with an intent rile up all kinds of anti-Jewish student, antisemitic activities,” referencing the Palestinian rights protests at universities in 2024.

How Do ɫ��ɫ Scholars Tackle Antisemitism and Islamophobia?

Jamie Sara Gelfond — March 12, 2025 - 3:29pm

It was still early days of the recent conflict between Israel and Gaza when, seeing strong emotions and division erupting on their campus, two scholars at ɫ��ɫ decided to come together and take action.

How Do Pilgrimage Sites Arise?

Jamie Sara Gelfond — March 04, 2025 - 8:12am

Pilgrimages are ubiquitous across all major world religions. From the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu festival on the banks of India’s Ganges River, to Mecca, the birthplace of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, millions of people travel to various sites across the globe to engage in rituals and connect with their faith.

How Does Investment in Black Communities Help Everyone?

Karen Michele Nikos — February 21, 2025 - 9:50am

This story is part of California Voices, a commentary forum aiming to broaden our understanding of the state and spotlight Californians directly impacted by policy or its absence. Learn more here.