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April 7, 2026

A women’s ‘push-up hack’ is trending on social media – an anatomist explains why it works

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy, Lancaster University

Those who have tried the viral ‘hack’ say it does make push-ups easier to do. Microgen/ Shutterstock

Push-ups can be a challenge for the best of us. But many women struggle to do them, even after months of training in the gym.

So when a so-called “women’s push-up hack” started trending on social media, it’s hardly surprising that some of these videos went viral.

The hack involves making a simple tweak to the position of the hands. Instead of having the hands pointing forward in line with the body, it’s said that women should instead position their hands sideways, so their fingers are facing away from their body.

Anatomy can explain why this change to hand position can help women perform push-ups more easily. It has to do with a part of the body that you might not expect: the pelvis.

The pelvis affects the position of the arm relative to the body. In women, the angle where the forearm and upper arm connect at the elbow (known as the carry angle), relative to the pelvis, is around 15 degrees on average in women and around 10 degrees on average in men. The carry angle is greater in women in order to provide extra clearance of the pelvis when moving.

The carry angle doesn’t just impact how the bones of the upper limb connect to each other and to the torso. It also affects the direction in which the muscles contract.

This is why women may find it more difficult to do push-ups in the conventional way. By having the hands slightly further apart and turning them slightly outwards, it allows a woman’s muscles and bones to follow their more natural movement patterns.

Women also have more flexible ligaments and tendons, which means their joints often have a greater range of motion. This can cause joints to become more strained or experience more pain if the biomechanics of a movement don’t line up correctly.

The torso, which attaches the top of the shoulder to the arm, is 12.4% larger in men than women. This also contributes to biomechanical differences, such as centre of gravity and which muscles are most efficient during certain exercises.

Push-ups aren’t the only exercise women may want to adapt to accommodate their anatomy, either. It may also be worth changing the way you perform other arm exercises – particularly those where the arm is elevated above the head.

Women are more likely to injure their shoulders from overuse or repetitive injuries. This is because women’s shoulder joints are smaller and more mobile than men, meaning they have a greater range of motion.

But as the shoulder is a highly mobile joint, with that extra mobility comes instability. This means the shoulder relies heavily on the rotator cuff muscles to hold the joint in place.

Further exacerbating this is the fact that women have less muscle mass, a differently-shaped contact point between the bones of the shoulder joint and shorter, thinner clavicles.

All these anatomical differences combined lead to a higher risk of injury for women in exercises that involve internal rotation of the shoulder or overhead exercises. This includes shoulder presses, tricep dips, lateral raises, upright rows and overhead presses.

Skull crushers (a tricep exercise that involves laying on a bench and slowly lowering a barbell towards your head), neutral or thumbs-up lateral raises and seated dumbbell presses offer safer shoulder options.

A woman performs a seated dumbbell press in the gym. — Seated dumbbell presses may be safer for the shoulders.
MDV Edwards/ Shutterstock

If dips are your exercise of choice, keeping the torso perpendicular to the ground can reduce strain on the shoulder.

You can also trying using angled bars instead of parallel bars. Since angled bars tilt towards each other slightly, this allows for a more natural wrist position, rather than having the bars parallel so the thumbs point straight forward.

Exercise and anatomy

The pelvis can also affect how lower body exercises are performed.

Each of the two halves of the pelvis are formed from three individual bones that fuse together during growth. In women, the pelvis is about 25% wider than men to accommodate a foetus passing through during birth. This difference impacts the position of the lower limb.

The wider pelvis in women results in a greater Q angle – short for quadriceps angle. The Q angle is formed by the lines that intersect each other running between the patella (knee cap) and pelvis, and the patella and tibia (shin bone).

The alignment of the Q angle affects how the leg muscles facilitate movement. As such, women may need to take care when performing exercises such as squats, lunges, deadlifts and box jumps, as the combination of these anatomical differences and technique could potentially increase risk of injury.

In general, women are eight times more likely to have an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) than men and the Q angle is one of the risk factors in this. So exercises that place significant load through the joints may require some modifications.

The wider pelvis may also cause the knees to bend inwards towards each other, known as caving. This can significantly increase risk of injury when landing from jumping exercises or squatting. Rotating the feet around 30 degrees outwards when performing these exercises can reduce caving by up to 50% and reduce risk of knee injuries.

When squatting, ensure that the pelvis is level (parallel to the ground) at all times and that the knees do not cave inwards towards each other. The knees should not also go to far forward over the toes and the foot should remain in contact with the ground at all times. Some women may also find a slightly wider stance, with feet marginally wider than shoulder-width apart, is beneficial given their wider pelvis.

Minor tweaks to accommodate the anatomical differences may mean that women reduce their risk of injury and increase the efficiency of their workout.

Adam Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. A women’s ‘push-up hack’ is trending on social media – an anatomist explains why it works – https://theconversation.com/a-womens-push-up-hack-is-trending-on-social-media-an-anatomist-explains-why-it-works-278363

April 7, 2026

Earthrise to Earthset: how the planet’s climate has changed since the photo that inspired the environmental movement

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nick Dunstone, Climate Science Fellow, Met Office Hadley Centre

Earthrise. The view of the rising Earth as photographed by the Apollo 8 astronauts on December 24 1968 as they came from behind the Moon after the fourth nearside orbit. Nasa/William Anders

A new Earthset image has been captured by the crew of Artemis II, 58 years since the iconic Earthrise photograph taken by the crew of Apollo 8. Over these past six decades, the climate has changed dramatically.

“Oh my God, look at that picture over there! There’s the Earth comin’ up. Wow, is that pretty.” That was Nasa astronaut Bill Anders’ reaction to seeing the Earth appearing to rise above the lunar horizon as their Apollo 8 spacecraft came around the Moon on Christmas Eve 1968.

Theirs were the first human eyes to see our planet at such a distance and from another celestial body. As fellow astronaut Jim Lovell said a few hours later: “The Earth from here is a grand oasis in the big vastness of space.”

That original Earthrise image is widely credited with helping to set the mainstream environmental movement in motion. Although I wasn’t born when the Apollo 8 photo was taken, a framed print of it hangs above my desk as a reminder of the beauty and fragility of our planet.

view of Earth from the moon — ‘Earthset’ is the new photo from the far side of the Moon, captured on April 6 2026 by the crew of Artemis 2 as Earth dips behind the lunar horizon.
Nasa

For me as a climate scientist, these photos, taken 58 years apart, inspire me to reflect on how the Earth’s climate has changed in the interim.

The concentration of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) in our atmosphere has rapidly increased as a result of over half a century of continued and spreading industrial development, driven primarily by burning fossil fuels.

This is clearly illustrated by the Keeling curve – a graph that plots the continuous record of atmospheric CO₂ from Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii (started by Charles Keeling in 1958).

This curve shows a steep and steady increase from approximately 320 parts per million (ppm) in 1968 to about 430ppm in 2026. This increase of over one-third in the total carbon dioxide in our atmosphere shows little sign of slowing down.

That additional blanket of greenhouse gases has increased the surface temperature of our planet. Data from the World Meteorological Organization shows how the global mean temperature record (the average temperature of the Earth’s surface) has risen by approximately 1.2°C since the Apollo 8 Earthrise photo was taken. This represents most of the warming that has happened since the early industrial period in the mid-19th century.

While an average global temperature increase of 1.2°C may not sound large, it means that regional hot extremes and new records are now much more likely. For example, my team’s recent research has shown that a 40°C day in the UK (first recorded on July 19 2022) is now over 20 times more likely than it was in the 1960s.

The global average temperature has surged in the past three years – most probably driven by a combination of internal climate variability and human-made emissions (including strong reductions in industrial aerosol particle emissions that largely act to cool the planet). In 2023, temperatures jumped from the previous record of 1.29°C (set in 2016) to 1.45°C above the early-industrial 1850-1900 baseline.

This record was then immediately broken in 2024 – the first year to temporarily exceed 1.5°C. Going beyond that boundary in a single year doesn’t mean we have breached the 1.5°C target set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which is generally accepted to refer to a 20-year average. However, it does highlight how rapidly we are now approaching that level of warming.

Temperatures in both years were partly boosted by warmer conditions in the tropical Pacific due to El Niño, a climate phenomenon that affects weather patterns globally. Last year, after El Niño had subsided, was slightly cooler at 1.43°C. However, current forecasts give a high probability for another El Niño developing during the second half of 2026. If this materialises, we could easily exceed 1.5°C again.

A key question is whether global warming is accelerating. This is difficult to detect directly from the surface temperature record. However, a recent study found a significant acceleration after accounting for the “noise” of year-to-year variability.

The view from above

Climate science isn’t just about measuring changes in temperature.

One of the legacies of the 1960s space race was the subsequent launch of many satellite observation platforms that have transformed our ability to monitor, understand and predict changes to the global climate.

We now have continuous monitoring of many key components of Earth’s climate system, including sea surface temperature, sea level, and the extent of polar sea ice, glaciers and land surface changes. Unfortunately, many of these reveal worrying trends, such as more frequent heatwaves on land and sea, loss of Arctic sea-ice, melting glaciers and sea-level rise.

One of the most concerning recent trends comes from a set of satellite instruments called the Nasa Ceres, which have measured changes in the Earth’s energy imbalance (EEI) since 2000. EEI is the difference between the amount of solar energy absorbed by the planet and the thermal energy radiated back into space.

The Ceres data shows a strong upward trend, indicating a growing rate of accumulation of energy, consistent with an acceleration in global heating.

Looking ahead, I hope that by the time astronauts take the first Earthrise photo from Mars (perhaps in the late 2030s), we are heading towards net-zero carbon emissions and more stable global temperatures.

Achieving net zero is this century’s Moonshot. The prize is minimising the severity of the worst climate consequences of global heating – leaving our children and future generations a sustainable “grand oasis” here on Earth.

Nick Dunstone does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Earthrise to Earthset: how the planet’s climate has changed since the photo that inspired the environmental movement – https://theconversation.com/earthrise-to-earthset-how-the-planets-climate-has-changed-since-the-photo-that-inspired-the-environmental-movement-279818

April 7, 2026

Ireland’s Easter Rising: archives reveal hardship faced by the families of those killed in 1916

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lindsey Earner-Byrne, Professor of Contemporary Irish History, Trinity College Dublin

The General Post Office building on Sackville Street in Dublin served as the HQ for the leaders of the Easter Rising. Wikimedia/National Library of Ireland, CC BY

On November 26, 1923, a woman named Anne McCormack applied for a military dependent’s pension on the grounds of her husband, James McCormack’s death. He had been a soldier in the Irish citizen army, under the socialist and revolutionary leader, James Connolly. This group was committed to the establishment of a workers’ republic. Its members participated in the week-long armed insurrection of 1916 known as the Easter Rising.

James McCormack was shot in the head on the second day of the rising, April 26, 1916. Records held in the Military Service Pensions Archive show he died where he fell on Moore Lane, close to the General Post Office, the epicentre of the rising.

For many years following the establishment of the Irish state (today’s Republic of Ireland) in 1922, the focus of Irish historians, not to mention the general public, was on those, like James McCormack, who died for Ireland. Annual commemorations of the 1916 rising were focused on those executed by the British or killed in the fighting. But little attention was paid to those, like Annie, who survived.

Hundreds of thousands of people had their lives thrown off course as a result of personal injury, bereavement and trauma, while others had their material fortunes irreversibly altered. Since 2007, my research and that of many historians has revealed the high price of “living for Ireland”. Through publicly funded digitisation projects, for example the 1901 and 1911 censes, researchers have had access to details of births, deaths, marriage registrations and, more recently, military service pension files. This has enabled us to flesh out the lives of those who lived through and beyond the tumultuous Irish revolutionary period of 1916 to 1923.

An colour illustration of a fiery war scene featuring soliders and nurses with a city on fire in the background. — The Birth of the Irish Republic by Walter Paget.
Walter Paget/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

Living impact

The pensions archive shows the impact of the revolution on the everyday life of people who survived it and went on to build a new state. It contains over 250,000 files relating the lives of over 80,000 individuals who applied for pensions as combatants or surviving dependants.

According to the McCormacks’ digitised marriage certificate, found in the Irish Genealogy online archive Annie, as she was known, married James only eight years before she was widowed with three young children. Records show that Patrick Drinan, a member of the newly established police force in Ireland, An Garda Síochána
informed the Irish Army that since 1916 Mrs McCormack was “in poor circumstances financially. She had three children to support out of her earnings which average roughly about 12/- per week.”

Drinan noted that Annie’s father, who like many elders, lived with his daughter, was in receipt of old age pension – the great financial boon introduced in 1908. The policeman also explained that Annie had been awarded £500 in compensation, in 1917, for the loss of her husband, by “the National Aid Fund”. This is probably a reference to the Irish National Aid Association and Volunteer’s Dependants’ Fund.

The association distributed funds entrusted to it by the leaders of the rising to support the families of those killed or executed. Annie’s husband had been earning £1 week at the time of his death, which was at the higher end of a worker’s salary. The sum she received from the fund points to the depth of the McCormacks’ Republican credentials. The widows of executed leaders of the rising received an investment of £1,500 and one-off grants of between £250 and £350.

Entrenched inequality

My research has looked at the inherent inequality of the male-breadwinner model of Irish society at the time, and how losses incurred during the revolution left female-headed households, often widows, in extremely vulnerable positions.

Annie was one of the relatively lucky ones. She was awarded a pension of £90 for the duration of her widowhood, along with £24 per child, until they reached the age of 18.

Despite this, her pension file documents how she struggled to keep her sons supplied with the schoolbooks required to complete their education. It is significant that she sought to give them the kind of education that would spare them a life of labouring like their father and grandfather had. A relatively small proportion of the Irish population managed secondary education prior to the late 1960s, when it became free, yet Annie kept her sons (for a while at least) in the prestigious Jesuit Belvedere College in Dublin.

An archival document of the official proclamation of the Irish Republic by the provisional government in 1916. — Easter Proclamation of 1916.
Wikimedia

Balancing the books was an exhausting process for Annie. Throughout 1927 her health deteriorated. This likely explains why she failed to notice that the army continued to pay her eldest son’s allowance three months after he turned 18.

On February 29, 1928, the Army Finance Office wrote to inform Annie that it had overpaid £5 1s 6d (£5.075) in relation to her eldest son. The sum had been deducted from her allowance.

Annie’s last action was to write to the army to explain how much distress and difficulty this deduction had caused her. On December 1, 1928 she died at the age of 45 from tuberculosis, then endemic in Ireland

Her death certificate reduced her to the widow of a labourer. This is testimony to a life of difficult living conditions, poor nutrition and stress. The Ireland her husband James died for did not turn out to be the workers’ republic that the Irish Citizen Army had fought for, nor did the land of equal opportunities promised in the 1916 Proclamation of Independence transpire.

There are two subsequent letters in Annie’s file that reveal the enduring legacy of loss. In 1936, her youngest son wrote to ask for help finding a job. And nearly two decades later, in 1953, her eldest son wrote to remind the state of how losing his parents had reshaped his life: “My father James McCormack … was killed in action 1916 CA for which my mother receaved (sic) a pension until she died in 1927. I was 18 years of age then, and had to support two younger brothers 16 years and 14 years respectfully as her pension died with her. I was the only support or home, and got no help of any kind.”

Lindsey Earner-Byrne is affiliated with Trinity College Dublin and a member of the board of the Irish Manuscript Commission since 2021

– ref. Ireland’s Easter Rising: archives reveal hardship faced by the families of those killed in 1916 – https://theconversation.com/irelands-easter-rising-archives-reveal-hardship-faced-by-the-families-of-those-killed-in-1916-279872

April 7, 2026

Why the war in Iran will make your UK mortgage more expensive

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alper Kara, Head of Department of Economics, Finance & Accounting, Brunel University of London

The war in Iran is affecting the cost of living around the world. In the UK, it is leading to higher energy prices, weaker economic growth and a more expensive future.

It may seem odd that fighting in the Middle East could have such a profound affect on household finances in the East Midlands (and everywhere else in the UK). But since the conflict began on February 28 2026, banks and building societies have withdrawn over 1,500 mortgage products from the UK market.

For many borrowers, especially first-time buyers and those coming off fixed-rate deals, the prospect of cheaper borrowing has quickly faded.

Mortgage rates have started to rise again, with two-year fixed rates increasing from around 4.8% to about 5.5%. For a borrower with a £200,000 mortgage over 25 years, this would mean an increase of £90 in monthly payments, adding close to £1,000 a year to household costs.

So how exactly does a war in the Middle East feed through to the cost of borrowing in the UK?

The biggest effect comes from energy. The conflict is directly affecting oil production in a region that accounts for roughly one-third of the world’s supply (and 20% of its liquid natural gas).

Energy costs affect almost everything, from transport and food to manufacturing and building materials – not to mention household heating and electricity bills.

But the impact is not limited to energy prices. The Iran war has also disrupted global fertiliser supplies, with prices rising sharply due to supply bottlenecks in the Middle East – a major global hub of fertiliser production and exports. Higher fertiliser prices increase the cost of producing food.

As a result of these kinds of rising costs, UK inflation is now expected to reach around 4% this year, up from a previous estimate of 2.5%.

This is a big problem for the Bank of England, which wants to keep the rate of inflation under control at around 2%. When energy prices rise and push inflation higher, the Bank is less able to cut interest rates. It may even have to increase them.

Another problem for borrowers in the UK is the effect on government bond markets.

UK government bonds (commonly known as “gilts”) are a form of government debt. Investors effectively lend money to the government, which pays it back with interest (the yield). Because these yields act as a benchmark for borrowing costs across the financial system, an increase in gilt yields raises commercial banks’ funding costs, which are then passed on through higher mortgage rates.

In recent weeks, UK gilt yields have climbed sharply as investors have revised up their expectations for inflation and interest rates.

For the Bank of England, rising gilt yields signal that financial conditions are tightening and inflation risks may be building, making it less likely that interest rates will be cut any time soon.

Before the conflict, financial markets were expecting a gradual decline in interest rates during 2026. Now, they are pricing in an increase in the Bank’s base rate by the end of 2026.

For mortgage borrowers, this shift is critical. When banks and other lenders set their mortgage rates, they take into account where they expect interest rates to be in the future.

UK vulnerability

While these global economic forces are affecting many countries, the UK is particularly exposed – in part because its economy was already growing very slowly.

The UK is also heavily exposed to global energy markets. It imports around 44% of its energy, particularly natural gas, making it more vulnerable to global price shocks. So, when international energy prices rise, the impact feeds through more quickly into domestic inflation.

This effect is less pronounced in more energy self-sufficient economies such as the US and Norway, which are major energy producers. In contrast, expectations of UK economic growth have been downgraded sharply, reflecting both its reliance on energy imports and underlying economic fragility.

For many households, the combined effect is significant. If financial markets expect the Bank of England to raise interest rates further, mortgage rates are also likely to increase, as lenders price in these expectations when setting new deals.

On top of that, a weaker economy will also affect incomes. Even before the Iran war, slower economic growth was feeding through into slower wage rises, with signs of declining employment and reduced business activity. The Iran war is likely to intensify these pressures further.

Looking ahead, UK households are likely to face an unsettling combination of higher mortgage costs, weaker income growth and reduced job opportunities. At the same time, they continue to face persistent cost-of-living pressures from increasing energy and food prices.

Together, these pressures are likely to result in a sustained squeeze on disposable income. There is growing expectation that the energy crisis will last for some time. But even if the conflict ends tomorrow, its economic impact will persist.

Alper Kara does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Why the war in Iran will make your UK mortgage more expensive – https://theconversation.com/why-the-war-in-iran-will-make-your-uk-mortgage-more-expensive-279411

April 7, 2026

L’immortalité artificielle à nos portes : panacée ou danger ?

Source: The Conversation – in French – By Emmanuelle Marceau, Professeure associée à l’École de santé publique, Université de Montréal

Grâce aux récents développements en intelligence artificielle (IA), il est désormais possible de préserver des représentations de personnes décédées et d’interagir avec elles. La « réapparition » des personnes se fait parfois de manière volontaire et programmée, mais parfois sans le consentement des familles ni des proches endeuillés. L’humain a toujours eu le fantasme de vivre éternellement. Mais que penser de cette nouvelle façon de prolonger l’existence « artificiellement » ? Est-elle souhaitable ? Quels sont les principaux enjeux éthiques que soulève l’apparition des « griefbots » ou « deadbots » ?

Professeure associée à l’École de santé publique (ESPUM) de l’Université de Montréal, je suis éthicienne et chercheuse spécialisée en gouvernance, éthique, droit, IA et conduite responsable en recherche. Je dirige notamment un projet de recherche, intitulé Immortalité artificielle : perspectives éthiques, juridiques et artistiques. Dans le cadre de ce projet, j’ai publié avec deux étudiantes un article portant sur les considérations éthiques liées à l’immortalité artificielle.

Des frontières fragiles

Les avatars numériques posthumes sont créés à partir des traces numériques laissées de leur vivant par des personnes décédées. Les écrits sur les réseaux sociaux, les photos, les enregistrements audios et visuels sont autant de traces qui nourrissent ces avatars. Construits grâce à la fusion de l’IA, de l’apprentissage automatique et de l’analyse avancée des données, ces avatars peuvent recréer la ressemblance tant physique que psychologique, la personnalité et même les souvenirs des personnes décédées.

Le résultat est tel qu’il peut laisser un doute chez l’utilisatrice ou l’utilisateur : s’agit-il de la « vraie » personne ? Il faut dire que cette technologie prend racine dans un monde où la vie virtuelle est bien établie. Ainsi, l’échange avec l’avatar numérique, posthume ou non, devient presque banal. Or, l’avènement des avatars posthumes soulève des enjeux éthiques de taille.

L’autonomie, la protection des données et la vie privée

Au nombre de ces enjeux, soulignons le respect de l’autonomie et la protection des données, l’altération des rapports interpersonnels et sociaux, ainsi que le bouleversement de la finitude humaine, engendrant une nouvelle conscience de la vulnérabilité et de moyens de la transcender. La création d’avatars numériques posthumes a un impact sur le respect de l’autonomie de trois catégories de personnes :

Celles qui laissent des traces numériques laissées dans le domaine public, notamment sur les réseaux sociaux : il s’agit de personnes qui anticipent leur décès ou qui sont décédées, et dont les traces sont volontairement ou involontairement mises à la disposition de tierces parties (proches, entreprises, etc.).
Celles qui reçoivent les traces numériques d’autrui lors du décès : il s’agit de membres de la famille, de proches ou d’entreprises. L’une des questions qui se posent quant à leur autonomie est celle du contrôle sur l’avatar de l’être cher. Par exemple, les personnes qui reçoivent les traces numériques d’autrui peuvent-elles refuser de créer un avatar numérique posthume ou un site virtuel de commémoration ?
Celles qui interagissent avec les services d’« avatarisation » : il s’agit des personnes qui utilisent ou consomment les services et produits mis de l’avant dans l’industrie de l’au-delà virtuel. Elles interagissent avec des avatars numériques posthumes pour des motifs variés, allant de la curiosité à la gestion d’un deuil particulièrement souffrant. L’on se demande si ces dernières pourraient développer des dépendances malsaines envers ces services et produits, alors même que l’industrie est instable et qu’elle pose le risque de modifier ou interrompre brusquement des offres de services.

Toutes ces personnes sont à risque de perdre le contrôle de l’identité perpétuée de la personne décédée, compte tenu de la multitude des représentations virtualisées.

Deuil public et pathologique

Par ailleurs, lorsque l’avatar est accessible à un grand nombre de personnes, le deuil devient public, c’est-à-dire qu’il est possible de l’éprouver à la fois de façon intime et collective. Ce nouveau phénomène altère le rapport à la mort et au deuil, redéfinissant la place des personnes décédées dans nos vies.

L’histoire de la jeune Jang Nayeon, décédée en 2016, a fait l’objet du documentaire Meeting You et exprime le malaise qu’engendre le deuil public. Dévastée par le décès prématuré de sa fille, sa mère, Jang Nayeon, a approuvé la création d’un avatar numérique posthume, afin de pouvoir la revoir et interagir avec elle en réalité virtuelle. Les retrouvailles ont été diffusées sur plusieurs plates-formes web en temps réel et ont généré des inconforts chez l’auditoire. Il s’agit d’un exemple d’autant plus expressif de l’hypervisibilité d’un deuil.

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Dans un versant positif, les avatars numériques posthumes peuvent être utilisés sous la supervision d’une ou d’un thérapeute, dans le cadre d’un accompagnement clinique. Mais il est à noter, cependant, que seule une minorité des usages se fait actuellement sous la supervision de spécialistes.

Par conséquent, plusieurs personnes utilisent cette technologie à titre individuel et sont plus vulnérables à la dépendance, ou cherchent à fuir la réalité du deuil. Elles sont à risque de tomber dans un deuil dit « pathologique », soit un deuil compliqué ou prolongé, marqué par sa durée et son intensité (incapacité, après plus d’un an, à gérer la souffrance émotionnelle, à réintégrer les activités quotidiennes ou à trouver du sens à la vie).

Surexposition et voyeurisme silencieux

Les espaces virtuels où sont conservées les traces des personnes décédées, par exemple Facebook, sont parfois fréquentés par des personnes passives, des observatrices ou observateurs qui ne cherchent pas forcément à interagir, mais qui participent à un phénomène de voyeurisme silencieux.

Cette passivité, bien que non nécessairement malveillante, s’inscrit dans une dynamique de surveillance et d’observation continues qui peut mener à une surexposition et à du voyeurisme. L’enjeu éthique concerne le fait que l’intimité des unes et des uns peut désormais devenir l’objet de consommation des autres, qu’il s’agisse de curiosité, de fascination, ou encore d’une planification d’un détournement ultérieur des données.

L’exploitation des données peut se traduire par une visibilité perpétuelle des données générées par la personne défunte sur le web, notamment à travers des avatars numériques posthumes qui interagissent avec les familles et les proches. Elles permettent de maintenir l’illusion d’une présence après la mort.

Cette illusion vient modifier notre rapport à la mort puisque l’être cher peut artificiellement rester dans nos vies. Plus fondamentalement, cela pose la question de notre finitude humaine, à savoir qu’au-delà de la vie biologique, il y a désormais la promesse d’une vie artificiellement éternelle. Est-ce souhaitable ?

Pour ne pas conclure

Connaître et comprendre les principaux risques et enjeux éthiques soulevés par l’immortalité artificielle constitue une étape cruciale afin de réfléchir au déploiement de ces avatars. Il demeure incontournable de nourrir les réflexions quant au bien-fondé de l’essor de ces avatars, afin de préserver la dignité humaine, posthume ou non, et éviter ses dérives dans un monde en profonde transformation.

Je tiens à remercier Josianne Barrette-Moran, candidate au doctorat en bioéthique à l’École de santé publique de l’Université de Montréal, pour l’assistance technique apportée lors de la rédaction du présent article.

Je dirige un projet de recherche financé par l’Observatoire international sur les impacts sociétaux de l’IA et du numérique (Obvia), intitulé Immortalité artificielle : perspectives éthiques, juridiques et artistiques (https://www.obvia.ca/recherche/projets/limmortalite-artificielle-perspectives-ethiques-juridiques-et-artistiques)

– ref. L’immortalité artificielle à nos portes : panacée ou danger ? – https://theconversation.com/limmortalite-artificielle-a-nos-portes-panacee-ou-danger-275887

April 7, 2026

Paradoxes de la transition énergétique mondiale : entre ambitions vertes et extraction minérale intensive

Source: The Conversation – in French – By Margaux Maurel, Doctorante en affaires internationales spécialisée sur les impacts économiques, sociaux et environnementaux des projets d’infrastructure et d’énergie dans les pays du Sud Global et l’activisme transnational. Chercheuse affiliée au CERIUM, HEC Montréal

Voitures électriques, éoliennes, panneaux solaires : la transition énergétique promet un avenir décarboné. Mais derrière ces technologies dites « vertes » se cache une réalité souvent invisibilisée : une intensification massive de l’extraction minière, concentrée dans certains territoires et porteuse de nouvelles tensions politiques, écologiques et géopolitiques.

La transition énergétique telle qu’elle est actuellement pensée ne rompt pas avec l’extractivisme des énergies fossiles : elle le déplace, l’intensifie et le reconfigure. Ce concept a été forgé par des chercheurs et chercheuses d’Amérique latine pour penser les industries des ressources naturelles.

Le biologiste uruguayen Eduardo Gudynas définit l’extractivisme comme un système à la fois orienté vers l’exportation – au moins la moitié de ce qui est extrait part à l’international – et d’extraction massive, avec des impacts significatifs sur les écosystèmes et les communautés locales. L’extractivisme se traduit donc par un rapport de contrôle et de domination sur la terre.

Quatre paradoxes majeurs structurent la transition énergétique et demeurent largement occultés dans les débats publics : son intensité en métaux, son intensité en énergie et en surface, le caractère néocolonial et impérialiste, et le mythe de la mine responsable.

En tant que doctorante en affaires internationales à HEC Montréal et chercheuse affiliée au CÉRIUM, mes travaux portent sur les résistances plurielles à l’extractivisme des minerais critiques dans le cadre de la transition énergétique mondiale.

L’intensité en métaux

L’intensité minérale de la transition énergétique est colossale : électrification et énergies renouvelables vont entraîner une augmentation de la demande en métaux critiques pouvant atteindre 500 % d’ici 2050, selon la Banque Mondiale.

À titre d’exemple, il faut six fois plus de métaux nécessaires pour produire un véhicule électrique que pour un véhicule conventionnel. Les besoins du seul marché américain des véhicules électriques en 2050 nécessiteraient trois fois la quantité de lithium actuellement produite pour l’ensemble du marché mondial.

L’intensité en énergie et en surface

L’industrie minière est responsable de 8 % émissions directes mondiales de carbone. Ce chiffre monte à 28 % si l’on prend en compte les émissions indirectes. Elle consomme également 12 % de l’énergie mondiale.

L’historien des sciences Jean-Baptiste Fressoz rappelle dans Sans transition : Une nouvelle histoire de l’énergie qu’« après deux siècles de “transitions énergétiques”, l’humanité n’a jamais brûlé autant de pétrole et de gaz, autant de charbon et même autant de bois. »

Si on présente souvent l’histoire de l’énergie comme celle d’une transition, de phases, du bois vers le charbon, jusqu’aux énergies renouvelables, le monde a en réalité connu des symbioses énergétiques : les différentes formes d’énergie se sont accumulées, sans se remplacer. L’Inde n’a jamais consommé autant de charbon.

De 2020 à 2022, l’utilisation de terres minières à l’échelle mondiale a presque doublé (+77 %). L’industrie est responsable de 7 % des déforestations mondiales, les forêts étant touchées dans un rayon de 50 à 100 km autour de chaque projet de mine. Cette expansion s’est surtout faite en Russie, au Venezuela, en Indonésie, au Brésil, en Guyane, au Suriname et au Ghana. À titre d’exemple, en moins d’un siècle, la couverture forestière des Philippines a diminué de 83 % en raison de l’exploitation minière et forestière.

La philosophe française Célia Izoard nous invite aussi à considérer les « hectares fantômes », c’est-à-dire l’utilisation souterraine.

Le caractère néocolonial et impérialiste

Pour l’économiste équatorien Alberto Acosta, l’extractivisme est un mode d’accumulation qui a commencé il y a plus de 500 ans avec la colonisation. Il dénonce des mécanismes de pillage et d’appropriation, et trace une continuité exploitation coloniale et néocoloniale qui s’inscrit dans les rapports économiques entre la périphérie et le centre (Nord/Sud). En effet, les 13 métaux de la transition sont concentrés dans 21 pays, tous des pays du Sud Global. 69 % se trouvent en terres autochtones, reproduisant des injustices systémiques.

Des ONGs des pays du Sud Global dénoncent le concept même de criticité, qui classe certains minerais comme stratégiques et indispensables pour la transition énergétique. Selon elles, cette notion sert à justifier une extraction accrue, renforçant un « extractivisme vert » qui accentue les asymétries entre les pays du Sud Global que l’on vide de ses ressources et les pays du Nord Global où on les consomme.

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Le mythe de la mine responsable

Malgré de nouvelles étiquettes telles que « mine responsable », « climate smart mining », la plupart des procédés d’extraction et de traitement des métaux datent de la fin du XIX^e siècle. Les nouvelles technologies servent principalement à réduire les coûts de la phase exploratoire, dont les compagnies ne tirent aucun profit. Célia Izoard dénonce notamment le mythe des mines zéro-émission qui fonctionneraient aux énergies renouvelables ainsi que la quantité de déchets incompressible.

De plus, selon l’Agence internationale de l’énergie, les prélèvements d’eau par l’industrie minière ont doublé entre 2018 et 2021, tandis que deux tiers des mines industrielles se trouvent dans des régions menacées de sécheresse.

Ces mines présentent également des risques trop peu évoqués comme les ruptures de barrages miniers. En 2019, au Brésil, la rupture d’un barrage d’une mine de fer à Brumadinho fait 270 morts et 12 millions de m³ de déchets miniers sont déversés dans les cours d’eau. Il existe entre 29 000 et 35 000 barrages miniers sur la planète, le risque de rupture étant accru par les changements climatiques.

Les mines abandonnées posent également des problèmes sociaux, écologiques et économiques. Aux États-Unis, les 500 000 mines abandonnées coûtent chaque année des milliards de dollars à l’État.

Les compagnies minières se bardent de certifications et de médailles, mais si l’on creuse, le Responsible Minerals Initiative ne fait aucun audit sur les sites miniers. Ils dépêchent des observateurs indépendants seulement pour 3 facteurs précis : la corruption, le travail des enfants et le financement des conflits armés. L’Alliance pour le cobalt équitable est une organisation financée par des compagnies minières et compagnies clientes. De la même maniére, l’Initiative pour la transparence dans les industries extractives se base uniquement sur des rapports fournis de façon volontaire par les compagnies minières.

Vers une sobriété minérale ?

Pour répondre à ces paradoxes, la philosophe française Célia Izoard propose le concept de « décroissance minérale ». Au-delà du bilan carbone, il faudrait par exemple un bilan en métaux pour les entreprises et les administrations. Elle nous invite à repenser la surminéralisation de nos quotidiens – ordinateurs, téléphones intelligents, montres connectées – et à réfléchir à la manière dont nos choix de consommation participent à l’intensification de l’extractivisme.

Au-delà de nos choix individuels, ce sont bien des systèmes qu’il convient de repenser en profondeur pour ne pas reproduire des logiques coloniales et impérialistes qui dégradent les écosysèmes et précarisent des communautés vulnérables. Une réelle transition énergétique juste ne se fera donc pas sans transformation profonde de nos économies et de nos relations.

Margaux Maurel ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

– ref. Paradoxes de la transition énergétique mondiale : entre ambitions vertes et extraction minérale intensive – https://theconversation.com/paradoxes-de-la-transition-energetique-mondiale-entre-ambitions-vertes-et-extraction-minerale-intensive-264432

April 7, 2026

Les villes africaines sont confrontées à de nombreux défis : comment les rendre plus saines

Source: The Conversation – in French – By Elaine Nsoesie, Assistant Professor, Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston University

Un nouveau livre intitulé Urban Health in Africa examine la manière dont l’urbanisation rapide à travers le continent influence la santé publique et le bien-être. S’appuyant sur diverses recherches et études de cas, cet ouvrage redéfinit les villes africaines non seulement comme des lieux de défis, mais aussi comme des lieux d’innovation, de résilience et d’opportunités.

Nous avons échangé avec Elaine Nsoesie, chercheuse en santé mondiale, et Blessing Mberu, sociologue spécialisée dans l’urbanisation et le bien-être, coéditeurs de l’ouvrage. Ils nous expliquent l’importance des villes africaines, et ce qu’il faudra pour construire des villes inclusives et en bonne santé.

Selon vous, quel aspect de la vie urbaine en Afrique devrait être davantage apprécié par le grand public ?

Les villes africaines fonctionnent, mais pas toujours comme celles d’autres régions. Dans l’ouvrage, nous citons ce texte d’Abdou Maliq Simone, qui travaille sur les questions de composition spatiale dans les régions urbaines :

Dans toutes les villes, on peut observer une effervescence incessante. D’intenses activités se côtoient en permanence dans la proximité de centaines d’occupations : cuisines, récitations, ventes, chargements et déchargements, disputes, prières, repos, trafics et achats. Tout se déroule côte à côte dans des espaces trop exigus, trop délabrés, chargés de déchets, d’histoire, d’énergies disparates et de sueur. Malgré tout, la vie continue.

Cette capacité à tenir est essentielle. Trop souvent, les discussions sur les villes africaines se limitent à leurs problèmes : des infrastructures inadéquates, une urbanisation rapide et des quartiers informels. On oublie alors leur remarquable capacité à fonctionner et leur diversité. Aucune ville ne peut à elle seule représenter l’ensemble du continent. Lagos n’est pas Nairobi ; Accra n’est pas Dakar. Chacune a sa propre histoire, ses structures de gouvernance et ses défis contemporains. Les traiter toutes de la même manière efface cette complexité.

Oui, ces villes sont confrontées à de sérieux défis. Mais elles abritent aussi des experts urbains innovants, des solutions politiques efficaces et des avancées technologiques adaptées à leurs contextes spécifiques. La question n’est pas de savoir si les villes africaines fonctionnent. Il s’agit plutôt de savoir si nous prêtons attention à la manière dont elles fonctionnent, si nous documentons comment elles relèvent les défis liés à la santé et si nous tirons des enseignements de leurs solutions.

Y a-t-il une histoire ou un exemple qui vous a particulièrement marqué ?

Lorsque nous avons entrepris d’écrire ce livre, nous savions qu’il fallait partir de l’histoire. On ne peut pas comprendre la santé dans les villes africaines d’aujourd’hui sans comprendre comment le colonialisme a façonné l’environnement bâti et la citoyenneté urbaine. Nous voulions que les lecteurs voient comment les forces historiques, combinées à la migration rurale et urbaine, à la croissance démographique et aux politiques, ont créé les paysages urbains qui affectent aujourd’hui des millions de vies.

Notre deuxième objectif était de cartographier les déterminants sociaux de la santé – les conditions des environnements dans lesquels les gens naissent, vivent, jouent, travaillent et apprennent – qui façonnent les villes africaines. Nous nous sommes concentrés sur les quartiers informels et les bidonvilles, car ils sont devenus des facteurs déterminants des villes africaines.

Nous avons examiné comment les habitants font face aux difficultés quotidiennes : logements, eau et assainissement inadéquats ; pollution atmosphérique ; transports ; insécurité alimentaire. L’idée n’était pas de présenter ces enjeux séparément, mais de montrer qu’ils sont liés et qu’ils touchent de nombreuses communautés.

L’un de nos chapitres préférés se trouve dans cette partie. Il examine l’impact des transports sur la santé dans les villes africaines, à la fois les risques et les avantages. Par exemple, la disponibilité des transports facilite l’accès aux hôpitaux et aux écoles, tandis que les véhicules sont également à l’origine d’accidents de la route et de pollution atmosphérique. Les auteurs évoquent également des formes de transports publics particulières que les villes africaines partagent et que l’on ne trouve pas dans la plupart des autres régions du monde.

Les motos-taxis, par exemple, portent des noms différents. On les appelle « boda bodas » à Kampala, « okadas » à Lagos. Les minibus de banlieue sont appelés poda-poda à Freetown, trotro à Accra, daladala à Dar es Salaam, matatu au Kenya, car rapides à Dakar, kamuny à Kampala, gbaka à Abidjan, kwassa-kwassa à Kinshasa, candongueiros à Luanda, sotrama à Bamako, songa kidogo à Kigali.

Ce chapitre aborde un thème majeur du livre : même si ces villes sont différentes, certaines politiques efficaces dans une ville peuvent être adoptées pour répondre aux besoins des habitants d’une autre ville.

Outre les déterminants sociaux de la santé, nous avons consacré une autre partie à la réalité démographique unique de l’Afrique : ces villes sont jeunes. Nous avons consacré des parties à la manière dont les environnements urbains façonnent la vie des jeunes, en particulier en matière de santé sexuelle et reproductive. Nous avons également mis en évidence la progression des maladies chroniques telles que l’obésité, le diabète et l’hypertension. Des études ont montré un lien entre le taux d’urbanisation en Afrique et l’augmentation des maladies chroniques, en raison de problèmes tels que l’adoption d’un régime alimentaire occidental malsain, le manque d’espaces pour faire de l’exercice et la sédentarité.

Pour illustrer la manière dont certaines villes relèvent les défis liés aux déterminants sociaux de la santé, nous avons inclus des études de cas. Elles portent sur la qualité de l’air à Kampala, de nouvelles initiatives en matière de santé mentale à Yaoundé, une approche visant à réduire le décrochage scolaire à Arusha, une planification intégrée transformant les quartiers informels à Nairobi, ainsi que des innovations en matière de santé numérique. Ces exemples montrent que les solutions efficaces intègrent les voix de la communauté et le contexte local.

Votre livre décrit l’avenir de la santé urbaine en Afrique. Qu’est-ce que vous y voyez ?

Dans les derniers chapitres, nous expliquons clairement ce qu’il convient de faire. Les professionnels de la santé publique, les urbanistes, les médecins, les infirmières, les agents de santé communautaires, les défenseurs des politiques publiques ainsi que les gestionnaires de l’eau et des déchets doivent travailler de concert. Nous avons besoin de programmes éducatifs axés spécifiquement sur la santé urbaine. Plus crucial encore, nous avons besoin d’une gouvernance locale, nationale et régionale forte pour concrétiser ces plans.

Mais nous devons également faire entendre la voix des jeunes, leurs idées et leurs innovations à travers le continent. Selon les estimations des Nations unies, environ 40 % des Africains avaient moins de 15 ans en 2020, et près de 60 % avaient moins de 25 ans. C’est la plus forte proportion de jeunes au monde.

Les jeunes ont une influence sur les villes africaines et subiront les conséquences des décisions prises aujourd’hui.

Qu’est-ce qui a motivé la publication de ce livre, et pourquoi maintenant ?

Lorsque nous avons lancé ce projet, il n’existait aucun ouvrage sur la santé urbaine en Afrique rédigé par des Africains s’efforçant de relever les différents défis auxquels sont confrontés les citadins. On estime que 46 % des 1,3 milliard d’Africains vivent dans des zones urbaines. L’Afrique est également le continent qui connaît le taux d’urbanisation le plus rapide, avec 50 % à 65 % de la population qui devrait vivre en zone urbaine d’ici 2050. Bien qu’elles partagent avec d’autres régions des défis urbains similaires, certaines difficultés rencontrées par les villes africaines leur sont propres.

Nous avons souhaité réunir des chercheurs et des praticiens possédant des expertises variées et une connaissance approfondie des défis auxquels sont confrontés les habitants des villes. Nous avons souhaité examiner ces défis, mettre en lumière les politiques efficaces et proposer des recommandations sur ce qui doit être fait pour améliorer la santé des habitants.

Elaine Nsoesie bénéficie d’un financement de la Fondation Gates pour soutenir un programme de bourses destiné aux chercheurs en début de carrière en Afrique.

Blessing Mberu travaille pour l’APHRC, une organisation qui a précédemment reçu des financements pour des recherches sur l’urbanisation, mais pas pour l’ouvrage consacré spécifiquement à la santé urbaine en Afrique, ni pour cet article publié sur The Conversation Africa.

– ref. Les villes africaines sont confrontées à de nombreux défis : comment les rendre plus saines – https://theconversation.com/les-villes-africaines-sont-confrontees-a-de-nombreux-defis-comment-les-rendre-plus-saines-279907

April 7, 2026

Massive eye drop recall reflects ongoing issues with manufacturing and FDA inspection

Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut

Using nonsterile eye drops can cause severe eye infections. Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A California company has recalled more than 3.1 million bottles of lubricating eye drops because it had not properly tested – and thus could not prove – whether the products were sterile.

These products are sold under several names at major retailers across the country. The company, K.C. Pharmaceuticals, initiated the recall on March 3, 2026.

I am a clinical pharmacologist and pharmacist who has assessed risks of poor-quality manufacturing practices and lax oversight for prescription drugs, eye drops, dietary supplements and nutritional products in the United States for many years. This recall is very large, potentially affecting over a million people. Using nonsterile eye drops that harbor bacteria and fungus can cause eye infections, which can become severe because the immune system has a hard time accessing the eyeball and fighting the microbes.

This is not the first time that a major recall has occurred in the eye drop market – and it is the second time since 2023 that the Food and Drug Administration has become aware of sterility issues at K.C. Pharmaceuticals.

Multiple products affected

Eight products are being recalled: Dry Eye Relief Eye Drops, Artificial Tears Sterile Lubricant Eye Drops, Sterile Eye Drops Original Formula, Sterile Eye Drops Redness Lubricant, Eye Drops Advanced Relief, Ultra Lubricating Eye Drops, Sterile Eye Drops AC and Sterile Eye Drops Soothing Tears.

These products are sold under different company names, including Top Care, Best Choice, Good Sense, Rugby, Leader, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Quality Choice, Valu Merchandisers, Geri Care, Walgreens, CVS and Kroger.

Their expiration dates range from April 30, 2026, to Oct. 31, 2026. They were sold at stores including Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Kroger, Harris Teeter, Dollar General, Circle K and Publix.

If you purchased an eye drop product since April 2025, check to see whether the name matches any of these. If it does, go to the FDA site, where you can see the exact lot numbers and expiration dates for those products.

As of early April, no infections from the recalled eye drops have been reported.

How to tell whether your eye drops were recalled

You can determine whether your eye drop product is part of the recall by looking at two columns in the table. Column 2 of the table lists the names of the products, with one name per row. Column 5 provides the specific lot numbers of the affected products and their expiration dates. For example, recalled Sterile Eye Drops AC products – row 1, column 2 – have the lot number AC24E01 with an expiration date of May 31, 2026, listed in row 1, column 5.

If the product you purchased has the same name but a different lot number or expiration date than the ones listed on the FDA website, it is not subject to this recall and you can safely keep using it. If you find your product has been recalled, stop using it and bring it back to the store for a refund.

The FDA has not received reports of any infections as of early April. However, if after using one of these recalled products you experience redness in your eyes, eyelids stuck together, unusual eye discharge such as goo or pus, vision changes, eyelid swelling or eye pain itchiness or irritation, these symptoms could be due to an eye infection.

If you experience these symptoms, seek medical attention – and also, if possible, report your symptoms to the FDA.

A history of eye drop sterility issues

The FDA has many important public health roles: approving new drugs and medical devices; overseeing the manufacturing quality of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, dietary supplement and food products; and protecting the public from counterfeit medications.

With its limited personnel, the agency focuses its time on areas where the risks are greater. This means manufacturers of more dangerous products, or product types that were previously found to have issues, are inspected more frequently.

The FDA had inspected over-the-counter eye drop manufacturers only a few times before 2023, when cases of rare eye infections due to a drug-resistant Pseudomonas bacteria strain started occurring.

In total, 81 people from 18 states developed severe eye infections during the 2023 outbreak. Fourteen people experienced vision loss because of the product, an additional four people had their eyeballs removed and four people died.

The agency identified two products as the culprits: Global Pharma’s EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsem Pharma’s Artificial Tears and Eye Ointment.

Later in 2023, the FDA issued recalls for Dr. Berne’s, LightEyez Limited, Pharmedica LLC and Kilitch Healthcare eye drop products for sterility issues. Kilitch Healthcare had serious quality lapses, in which the facility was filthy, employees were barefoot on the manufacturing floor and the company fraudulently passed products that failed sterility tests.

Repeated manufacturing problem

At the time, the FDA also inspected K.C. Pharmaceuticals and issued the company a warning letter. The FDA was concerned that the manufacturer failed to establish and follow appropriate written procedures designed to prevent microbiological contamination.

Although the agency did not request a recall, it did ask that the company immediately change its protocols and consult outside experts to prevent these issues from recurring.

The current massive recall of K.C. Pharmaceuticals’ eye drop products suggests lingering quality control issues in the manufacturer’s Pomona, California, plant that need to be urgently addressed. If the company had heeded the FDA’s recommendations, it would have detected the nonsterility issue before so many batches of the products were manufactured.

C. Michael White does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Massive eye drop recall reflects ongoing issues with manufacturing and FDA inspection – https://theconversation.com/massive-eye-drop-recall-reflects-ongoing-issues-with-manufacturing-and-fda-inspection-279971

April 7, 2026

We teach at a Florida university that agreed to cooperate with ICE – and we worry that it is making our students feel less safe

Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Anindya Kundu, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Florida International University

The University of Florida in Gainesville is one of the universities that signed a memo agreeing to cooperate with ICE. Mireya Acierto

Since March 2025, at least 15 Florida public universities and colleges, including the University of Florida and Florida State College at Jacksonville, have signed memorandums of agreement for their campus police departments to collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

These partnerships authorize ICE agents to expand the role of campus police officers so they can receive training and “perform certain functions of an immigration officer.”

The agreements give campus police officers the federal authority to question students who are believed to be immigrants about their legal right to be in the country. Campus police officers can arrest students if the officers have “reason to believe the alien to be arrested is in the United States in violation of law.” Campus police can also check federal immigration databases to see students’ immigration status.

The list of universities in the state that have signed on to these agreements includes leading research universities such as Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University in Miami, or FIU, where we work as professors of education. We are unaware of any school in the Florida state university system that has publicly said they will not sign an agreement.

In the past few decades, the U.S. government has classified universities as “sensitive” spaces that are protected from aggressive immigration enforcement. This means that schools, like churches and hospitals, have until recently been generally considered off-limits for immigration enforcement officers.

In January 2025, President Donald Trump revoked these long-standing Department of Homeland Security protections.

A shift on campus

As scholars, we study relationships between schools and democracy, from how students learn languages to how students and educators can become leaders.

As professors, we teach many students who are immigrants or are from foreign countries who come to the U.S. for their studies, as well as many who are children of immigrants.

As a result of these new initiatives, we are seeing and personally experiencing an intensifying climate of uncertainty and anxiety on our campus. These policies are worsening many of our students’ sense of belonging.

Understanding the changes

Trump’s approach to immigration enforcement is supported by the federal 287(g) program, a 1996 amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. This amendment to the wide-ranging immigration law lets ICE delegate certain federal enforcement activities to local state police.

In February 2025, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis directed state universities to enter into 287(g) partnerships with ICE and to “deputize” university police officers to enforce federal immigration laws on school campuses.

ICE does not have blanket access to student records, which remain protected under federal privacy law. But 287(g) agreements create new pathways for information to flow through campus police encounters, effectively lowering the barrier between university data and federal immigration enforcement.

There are no official reports of FIU or other Florida university campus police officers arresting students because of their immigration status. A few college students, though, have been detained off-campus by local police agencies and then turned over to ICE.

FIU’s communications team wrote in a statement to The Conversation: “Last year FIU Police signed a 287(g) memorandum of agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as have other state university, local and state law enforcement agencies in Florida. The 287(g) memorandum of agreement for Florida International University is readily available from ICE.gov.”

“Since signing the agreement, there have been no immigration-related enforcement actions on our campuses,” FIU’s statement continued.

Florida Atlantic University did not respond to a request for comment.

In January 2026, an immigration activist recorded FIU’s chief of police saying at a FIU meeting that if ICE requests campus police’s help, they would comply.

As FIU faculty members, we have not received any explicit guidance on what to do if an ICE agent comes to campus, or if a campus police officer tries to arrest someone for immigration reasons in our classrooms.

FIU President Jeanette Nuñez said in 2025 that there was “much confusion, much angst, and much misinformation” about the agreement.

Other universities have emphasized the need to comply with state directives.

Some Florida university officials have said that campus police will not target students or conduct raids as part of their routine cooperation with federal authorities.

Heightened stress and anxiety

As educators, our work has shifted over this past academic year from providing instruction to focusing more on mentoring our students as whole people. Our students are questioning how much their university supports them.

Daily, we observe how Trump’s immigration policies, including travel bans the U.S. has placed on certain countries, heighten stress for all of our students, regardless of their immigration status. Our international and immigrant students have told us they are fearful of the government’s increased surveillance.

One graduate student shared that he was hesitant to leave his dorm room and participate in any campus activities for fear of possible arrest because of his immigration status.

Another student said he would not leave the U.S. to visit his mother who was sick with cancer for fear he would not be let back into the country. His mother has since passed without his presence.

Many students, including one international doctoral student and father to young children, are unable to return to their homeland and visit their relatives or conduct research due to current travel bans placed upon 75 countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East.

These new policies have also prompted student and faculty protests at our university and other public universities across Florida.

Some Florida Atlantic University students in Boca Raton staged a walkout on Feb. 25, 2026, to protest the school’s agreement with ICE.

Florida State University students called on administrators in February 2026 to set up a “sanctuary campus,” which would limit FSU partnerships with ICE.

We are trying to create more opportunities for open dialogue and for sharing students’ emotions and experiences related to these policies. We are also helping students find resources, including legal aid, that could help them or their peers if they have a negative encounter with ICE or campus police.

Refuge or risk

Universities, especially in conservative states such as Florida, may continue to market themselves as places of inclusion, mobility and global belonging. This is true even as schools cut diversity, equity and inclusion programs and as some students experience heightened surveillance, visa cancellations, detention or deportation.

One of our FIU graduate students recently explained how these policies are affecting their day-to-day life.

“I just want to finish my studies as soon as possible and go back to my country. I feel unwelcome and unsafe on campus. I don’t want to join campus activities anymore because students can be targeted there,” the student said. “I no longer trust campus police officers and won’t ask them for help, even if I need it. I am afraid I will be profiled even though I am here legally.”

When campus police are folded into federal immigration work, we believe that universities cannot claim they offer more refuge than risk.

Ryan W. Pontier receives funding from the U.S. Department of Education. He is affiliated with P.S. 305 in Miami.

Anindya Kundu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. We teach at a Florida university that agreed to cooperate with ICE – and we worry that it is making our students feel less safe – https://theconversation.com/we-teach-at-a-florida-university-that-agreed-to-cooperate-with-ice-and-we-worry-that-it-is-making-our-students-feel-less-safe-277911

April 7, 2026

Hosting the NFL draft is less about weekend beer sales and more about long-term brand value

Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Tim Derdenger, Associate Professor of Marketing, Carnegie Mellon University

By selecting Pittsburgh for the draft, the NFL signals that the city is a premier destination. Justin K. Aller/Getty Images Sport

When the NFL draft arrives in Pittsburgh in April 2026, city officials are sure to tout projected economic impact figures. They will likely point to the US$73 million generated by Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the surrounding area in 2025, the $213 million generated by Detroit in 2024, or the $164 million by Kansas City the year prior.

I’m a sports marketing researcher who studies the economics of celebrity endorsements, and I view these short-term, direct economic impact numbers with skepticism.

The reality is that local residents often stay home to avoid the chaos of mega-events. Economists have long understood the “displacement effect” that happens when an influx of fans crowd out regular tourism and local spending, essentially replacing existing economic activity rather than adding to it.

If Pittsburgh measures NFL draft success strictly by hotel bookings and weekend beer sales, it has missed the point. Because the draft moves from city to city each year, the true return on investment isn’t found in a temporary spike in local revenues. It is found in brand equity – the long-term increase in a city’s “market value” and reputation.

The impact of endorsements

For three days, the NFL will act as a massive celebrity endorser for Pittsburgh. Because attention is a scarce and valuable commodity, that institutional endorsement holds a value that can far exceed any immediate cash injection.

In marketing, researchers frequently analyze the signaling power of endorsements. “Signaling” in this context is the shift from Pittsburgh saying, “Trust us, we’re great” to a massive global brand, the NFL, saying, “We trust them, and you should too.”

For example, my research into the golf industry quantified the immense impact Tiger Woods’ endorsement had on the sale of Nike golf balls. When Woods switched from Titleist, Nike sold an additional 119 million golf balls over a 10-year period, adding $105 million to its bottom line.

Woods’ endorsement served as a market-wide signal of quality and legitimacy, elevating the brand’s premium status. This led to an increase in price of 2.5%. The increase in price also sends a signal of product quality.

The NFL draft functions in a similar way for host cities.

By selecting Pittsburgh, the NFL broadcasts a signal that the city is a premier destination capable of managing a global stage. This presents a critical rebranding opportunity. Despite its decades-long transformation into a thriving hub for robotics, health care and higher education, Pittsburgh continually battles to shake off its 20th-century Rust Belt reputation in the national consciousness.

Detroit leveraged the draft in 2024 not just to host a massive party, but to also aggressively counter persistent narratives of urban decay and to highlight investments made in the city.

An overhead shot of a crowd filling an outdoor stage. — The 2024 NFL draft in Detroit helped modernize the perception of the city.
AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

The broadcast shots of a vibrant, packed downtown did far more to modernize Detroit’s image than any taxpayer-funded ad campaign ever could.

The same thing happened in Kansas City after it hosted the 2023 draft. The city added almost 25,000 residents in the year after the draft – more than in any of the previous four years.

NFL draft could shape local recruiting

Hosting the NFL draft could also prove beneficial to recruitment efforts at Pittsburgh-area colleges.

In recent years, I have analyzed how name, image and likeness policies, commonly referred to as NIL, reshape talent acquisition in college football.

In the NIL era, universities aren’t just selling an education; they are selling a direct pathway to professional success.

I believe hosting the NFL draft will likely generate a “halo effect” for regional football programs like the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University and West Virginia University. A halo effect occurs when the prestige and glamour of a major endorsement spills over to elevate the perception of other brands that have some association.

For highly touted high school recruits who are watching the NFL draft broadcast, seeing the pathway to the pros physically located in Pittsburgh anchors the idea that this region is a center of the football universe – at least for three days.

Fans will see this play out in real time. When ESPN broadcasts from the North Shore, it won’t just talk about Penn State quarterback Drew Allar’s arm strength; it will show highlights of him developing just two hours east.

Football players and cheerleaders wearing royal blue and gold run on to a football field. — NFL draft host cities often benefit from the windfall it provides for collegiate recruiting.
AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

The impact on the University of Pittsburgh could be even more direct. The rise of linebacker Kyle Louis and running back Desmond Reid offers continued evidence of a Pitt-to-pro pipeline.

In a hypercompetitive recruiting market where every major college football program offers money, nonmonetary differentiation is key. Being in one of the NFL’s chosen cities signals that you are already in the league’s orbit.

Of course, hosting a mega-event comes with inherent risks. If logistics fail, traffic becomes unmanageable or the fan experience is poor, this high-profile endorsement backfires. The brand signal rapidly flips from “premier destination” to “not ready for prime time.”

In landing the NFL draft, Pittsburgh essentially scored a three-day commercial that will be viewed by tens of millions of Americans across the country. Now, it just has to make sure the set looks good.

Tim Derdenger does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Hosting the NFL draft is less about weekend beer sales and more about long-term brand value – https://theconversation.com/hosting-the-nfl-draft-is-less-about-weekend-beer-sales-and-more-about-long-term-brand-value-277465