The Conversation

From 'dada' to Darth Vader – why the way we name fathers reminds us we spring from the same well

Written by Valerie M. Fridland, Professor of Linguistics, University of Nevada, Reno

Even supervillains need the odd day off.Katja Ogrin/Redferns via Getty Images

Movie legend has it that the identity of Luke Skywalker’s father was always hiding in plain sight – well, at least through a subtle naming clue. “Darth Vader” does, after all, have a distinct paternal ring to it linguistically. Indeed, had the big...

'Show' trial of foreign fighters in Donetsk breaks with international law – and could itself be a war crime

Written by Robert Goldman, Professor of Law, American University

British citizens Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner and Moroccan Saaudun Brahim.AP Photo

The sentencing to death of three foreign fighters captured by Russian troops and handed over to authorities in a breakaway region in Ukraine presents a serious deviation from international law – one that in itself represents a war crime.

Sentencing came on June...

There is no one 'religious view' on abortion: A scholar of religion, gender and sexuality explains

Written by Samira Mehta, Assistant Professor of Women and Gender Studies & Jewish Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

Demonstrators stand outside the Supreme Court in 2014.Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The Catholic Church’s official line on abortion, and even on any artificial birth control, is well known: Don’t do it.

Surveys of how American Catholics live their lives, though, tell a different story.

The vast majority of Catholic women have used...

Could steam-powered cars decrease the CO2 in the atmosphere?

Written by Brian Stewart, Professor of Physics, Wesleyan University

President William Howard Taft and his wife rode in this steam-powered automobile in 1909.AP Photo

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

Could steam-powered cars decrease the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere? – Emma, age 16,...

Alcohol is becoming more common in sexual assault among college students

Written by Mary P. Koss, Regents' Professor of Public Health, University of Arizona

Nine out of 10 college men who admitted to sexual assault say they took advantage of victims who were intoxicated.shironosov via iStock/Getty Images Plus

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

One out of every three. That is the number of women in college who say they have been a victim of sexual assault...

Grassroots mojo and 4 other reasons Starbucks workers have been so successful unionizing

Written by John Logan, Professor and Director of Labor and Employment Studies, San Francisco State University

Activist workers have successfully formed unions at 135 Starbucks since they began organizing in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2021. AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson

Starbucks Workers United won its 100th election on May 27, 2022 – fittingly, in Seattle, the company’s hometown. And the union has notched another 46 victories in the just over two weeks...

Immigrants are only 3.5% of people worldwide – and their negative impact is often exaggerated, in the U.S. and around the world

Written by Ernesto Castañeda, Associate Professor of Sociology, American University

Academic research plays an important role in helping dispel myths and misconceptions about migration.Spencer Platt/Getty Images News via Getty Images

-Ernesto Castañeda is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology at American University and the Director of the Immigration Lab. Castañeda explains why immigration is an...

Why Muslim countries are quick at condemning defamation – but often ignore rights violations against Muslim minorities

Written by Ahmet T. Kuru, Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University

Supporters of a Pakistani religious group burn an effigy depicting the former spokeswoman of India's ruling party, Nupur Sharma, during a demonstration in Karachi, Pakistan.AP Photo/Fareed Khan

The Indian government finds itself in a diplomatic crisis following offensive remarks by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson, Nupur Sharma,...

Inflation hits fresh 40-year high, pushing Fed to get more aggressive with interest rates – and the 'Beveridge curve' should give it courage to do so

Written by Veronika Dolar, Assistant Professor of Economics, SUNY Old Westbury

Consumers are perhaps feeling inflation pain most at the pump.AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

Inflation surged at the fastest pace in over 40 years in May 2022, pushing the Federal Reserve toward a more aggressive pace of interest rate increases to slow it down. While there’s concern it could cause unemployment to spike, a little-known economics...

Why opting out of opioids can be dangerous in the operating room

Written by Mark C. Bicket, Co-Director, Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network and Assistant Professor, University of Michigan

Opioids can help reduce the amount of medication needed to achieve anesthesia.gpointstudio/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Currently, patients in seven states can tell their physicians they don’t want to be treated with opioids in any health care setting, even during surgery. While unnecessary opioid exposure is a big reason behind the opioid...