I treat menopause and its symptoms, and hormone replacement therapy can help – here’s the science behind the FDA’s decision to remove warnings

Genevieve Hofmann, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Hormone therapy is not a silver bullet that reverses aging, but it can significantly improve bothersome symptoms that can diminish people’s quality of life.

Black student unions are under pressure – here’s what they do and how they help Black students find community

Antar A. Tichavakunda, University of California, Santa Barbara

Black student unions date back to the late 1960s, and were formed so Black students could find community, and also make their schools more responsive to their needs.

Before the American Revolution, Native nations guarded their societies against tyranny

Kathleen DuVal, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Native American communities were elaborate consensus democracies, many of which had survived for generations because of careful attention to checking and balancing power.

How the Plymouth Pilgrims took over Thanksgiving – and who history left behind

Thomas Tweed, University of Notre Dame

In some ways, Thanksgiving is a tradition that unites Americans. But the classic image of the Pilgrims obscures important parts of the country’s story.

Retailers are quietly changing their return policies – here’s why you should be on the lookout this Black Friday

Lauren Beitelspacher, Babson College

During the pandemic, retailers used generous return policies to win over shoppers. Now, those policies are costing them billions – prompting a widespread rethink.

When fake data is a good thing – how synthetic data trains AI to solve real problems

Ambuj Tewari, University of Michigan

To overcome two challenges in training AI – scarce or hard-to-get data and data privacy – researchers have come up with a counterintuitive technique: fake it.

Research breakthroughs often come through collaborations − attacks on academic freedom threaten this vital work

Volha Chykina, University of Richmond; David P. Baker, Penn State; Frank Fernandez, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Justin J.W. Powell, University of Luxembourg

Academic freedom grew strongly after World War II, with greater university funding, protections and autonomy, yet global data now shows a decline.

Black families pay more to keep their houses warm than average American families

George C. Homsy, Binghamton University, State University of New York; Ki Eun Kang, California State University, San Bernardino

More than 12 million US households keep their homes either too cold or too hot, sacrificing comfort because they can’t afford to pay their energy bills.

How ‘campus climate’ affects students’ attitudes to people of different religions

Kristin Aune, Coventry University; Mathew Guest, Durham University; Matthew J. Mayhew, The Ohio State University

Visible diversity and critical conversations are important.

SNAP benefits have been cut and disrupted – causing more kids to go without enough healthy food and harming child development

Hybrid workers are putting in 90 fewer minutes of work on Fridays – and an overall shift toward custom schedules could be undercutting collaboration

Recent studies prove the ancient practice of nasal irrigation is effective at fighting the common cold