The Conversation

Why people with disabilities are at greater risk of going hungry – especially during a pandemic

Written by Melissa L. Caldwell, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Stocking up on food can be tough when using a wheelchair, motorized scooter, walker or cane. Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed uncomfortable and distressing truths about American society: namely, the struggle many Americans face just getting by.

Yet, while the pervasive food insecurity that has always...

Why Facebook created its own ‘supreme court’ for judging content – 6 questions answered

Written by Siri Terjesen, Phil Smith Professor of Entrepreneurship & Associate Dean, Research & External Relations, Florida Atlantic University

Facebook's new Oversight Board affirmed the social media network's ban on Donald Trump.AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Facebook’s quasi-independent Oversight Board on May 5, 2021, upheld the company’s suspension of former President Donald Trump from the platform and Instagram. The decision came four months after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg banned...

What causes miscarriages? An expert explains why women shouldn't blame themselves

Written by Rochanda Mitchell, Fellow in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Virginia

Feelings of guilt often compound the grief that follows miscarriage.fizkes/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Mother’s Day is a happy day for millions, but for those who have experienced a miscarriage, the day can be devastating. As many as one in four recognized pregnancies result in miscarriage.

Pregnancy loss can be mentally and physically...

Early humans used fire to permanently change the landscape tens of thousands of years ago in Stone Age Africa

Written by Jessica Thompson, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Yale University

Today the shoreline of Lake Malawi is open, not forested the way it was before ancient humans started modifying the landscape.Jessica Thompson, CC BY-ND

Fields of rust-colored soil, spindly cassava, small farms and villages dot the landscape. Dust and smoke blur the mountains visible beyond massive Lake Malawi. Here in tropical Africa, you...

Taste alone won't persuade Americans to swap out beef for plant-based burgers

Written by Anna Mattila, Marriott Professor of Lodging Management, Penn State

Does being told that a veggie burger, like the one on the right, is better for the environment make you more likely to choose it over beef?AP Photo/Nati Harnik

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

The big idea

Consumers are more likely to choose a plant-based meat substitute when the restaurant’s advertising...

Where coronavirus variants emerge, surges follow – new research suggests how genomic surveillance can be an early warning system

Written by Bart C. Weimer, Professor of Population Health & Reproduction, University of California, Davis

Sequencing the whole genome of patient virus samples lets scientists watch for new variants.Sergei Malgavko/TASS via Getty Images

Genomic surveillance programs have let scientists track the coronavirus over the course of the pandemic. By testing patient samples, researchers are able to diagnose COVID-19. But they’re also able to use genetic...

MDMA may help treat PTSD – but beware of claims that Ecstasy is a magic bullet

Written by Arash Javanbakht, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Wayne State University

PTSD is typically treated with therapy and sometimes medications, under the care of a psychiatrist. SDI Productions/Getty Images

Recent clinical trials, including one soon to be published in Nature Medicine, have suggested that MDMA combined with psychotherapy may help treat post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The news generated considerable...

How 'socialism' stopped being a dirty word for some voters – and started winning elections across America

Written by Joshua Kluever, Ph.D. Candidate of 20th Century American History, Binghamton University, State University of New York

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders are both members of the Democratic Socialists of America.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The leftist Democratic Socialists of America, which helped congressional star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez get elected in 2018, looks to be a big political player again in New York City’s 2021 municipal...

Georgia voter suppression efforts may not change election results much

Written by Bernard Tamas, Associate Professor of Political Science, Valdosta State University

In 2020, Georgia voters lined up for long waits to cast early ballots.AP Photo/Ron Harris

There has been understandable outrage and widespread criticism of the new voting laws in Georgia – and of similar efforts in other states. These laws would likely make voting more difficult, including by reducing options for voting and making it harder...

Bishops' move to press Biden not to take Communion reflects power struggle in split Catholic Church

Written by Steven P. Millies, Associate Professor of Public Theology and Director of The Bernardin Center, Catholic Theological Union

President Joe Biden's progressive values jar with the conservatism of some Catholic bishops.AP Photo/Evan Vucci

President Joe Biden is the highest-profile and most powerful lay Catholic in American life today – but he also holds policy views that diverge from many Catholic bishops. And that is causing some problems.

The dilemma looks like...