The Conversation

Changing your mind about something as important as vaccination isn't a sign of weakness – being open to new information is the smart way to make choices

Written by Art Markman, Professor of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts

Sticking to your beliefs in a rapidly changing world isn't necessarily the best choice.Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

Culturally, this is an era in which people are held in high esteem when they stick with their beliefs and negatively labeled as “flip-floppers” or “wishy-washy” when they change what they think.

Wh...

Rich kids and poor kids face different rules when it comes to bringing personal items to school

Written by Casey Stocksill, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Denver

Some preschoolers are encouraged to bring in their favorite toy or stuffed animal, while others risk having it confiscated.Layland Masuda/Moment Collection via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Poor preschoolers get fewer chances than wealthier children to bring their prized personal...

Arctic sea ice hits its minimum extent for the year – 2 NASA scientists explain what's driving the overall decline

Written by Alek Petty, Associate Research Scientist in polar sea ice variability, NASA

Arctic sea ice has been declining overall since NASA began tracking it by satellite in the 1970s.Miemo Penttinen

September marks the end of the summer sea ice melt season and the Arctic sea ice minimum, when sea ice over the Northern Hemisphere ocean reaches its lowest extent of the year.

For ship captains hoping to navigate across the Arctic,...

Harvard's decision to ditch fossil fuel investments reflects changing financial realities and its climate change stance

Written by Susan Gary, Professor Emerita of Law, University of Oregon

Students had demanded for years that Harvard University divest from fossil fuels.Keith Bedford/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Harvard University will keep phasing out all investments tied to oil, gas and coal, it announced on Sept. 9, 2021. When Larry Bacow, the school’s president, announced this plan, he cast it as a response to climate...

Combatting an invisible killer: New WHO air pollution guidelines recommend sharply lower limits

Written by Laura Corlin, Assistant Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University

New Delhi has had days with air pollution levels nearly 30 times the old World Health Organization guidelines.Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

Air pollution is the world’s fourth leading cause of death, contributing to about 13 premature deaths every minute. The gases and tiny particles can travel deep into your lungs, enter your...

Female leaders in higher education have created more inclusive and open institutions – here are 3 key figures

Written by Thalia Plata, Editorial Intern

From left to right, Michele Ozumba, Carmen Twillie Ambar and Carol Christ.

How have female leaders in higher education shaped the state of the field today, and what broader lessons can be learned from them? Recently, Carmen Twillie Ambar, president of Oberlin College and Conservatory, and Carol T. Christ, chancellor of the University of California,...

Your driver-assist system may be out of alignment... with your understanding of how it works

Written by Steve Casner, Research Psychologist, NASA

Advanced driver-assist systems can lull drivers into taking their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road when they shouldn't.Jakob Härter/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Adaptive cruise control, lane change assistance, collision avoidance, blind spot monitoring, autopilots: These are just a few of the driver-assist features that are arriving in new cars....

Psychological 'specialness spirals' can make ordinary items feel like treasures – and may explain how clutter accumulates

Written by Jacqueline Rifkin, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Missouri-Kansas City

The longer you hold off on using an everyday purchase, the more likely you are to preserve it untouched.kupicoo/E+ via Getty Images

Years ago, I bought a blouse at Target. That same day, I considered putting it on, but for no particular reason decided not to. That weekend, I again considered wearing the blouse, but the occasion didn’t seem...

Therapy dogs help students cope with the stress of college life

Written by Christine Kivlen, Assistant Professor (Clinical) of Occupational Therapy, Wayne State University

Therapy dogs are an effective way to reduce stress among college students.Scott Varley/Digital First Media/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images

At a private college in the Northeast, a first-year student said it was the highlight of her day whenever she would lie on the floor of her adviser’s office and cuddle with a therapy dog, a...

Spreading HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is against the law in 37 states – with penalties ranging up to life in prison

Written by Robin Lennon-Dearing, Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Memphis

Medical experts have recommended that HIV criminal laws be revised.Spencer Platt / Staff / via Getty Images News

Despite the fact that HIV is now a treatable medical condition, the majority of U.S. states still have laws on the books that criminalize exposing other people to HIV. Whether or not the virus is transmitted does not matter. Neither does...