The Conversation

Hypocrisy is beneath them – political figures in the Trump era don't bother concealing their misdeeds

Written by Rachel Hadas, Professor of English, Rutgers University - Newark

Infowars founder Alex Jones in court during his Sandy Hook defamation damages trial in Waterbury, Conn., Sept. 22, 2022. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool, File

There seems to be no sense of shame or its cousin, guilt, in our time.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones tormented the parents of Sandy Hook’s murdered children by...

Why the US should tread carefully as it weighs supporting armed intervention in Haiti again

Written by Claire Antone Payton, Manager of the Memory Project, Karsh Institute of Democracy, University of Virginia

Many Haitians are wary of International forces.Jaime Razuri/AFP via Getty Images)

Haiti appears to be on the precipice of foreign intervention yet again.

Gangs have been blockading the country’s biggest fuel terminal since mid-September 2022, strangling Haiti’s food and energy supplies. The World Food Program says that Haiti’s need...

The ethics of canceling student debt is more about fairness than broken promises

Written by Kate Padgett Walsh, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Iowa State University

Several groups have opposed President Joe BIden's plan to forgive $10,000 to $20,000 of student debt.Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for We the 45m

President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive US$10,000 to $20,000 of student debt for up to 40 million eligible borrowers was recently put on hold when a federal appeals court temporarily paused the...

Japan's 'waste not, want not' philosophy has deep religious and cultural roots, from monsters and meditation to Marie Kondo's tidying up

Written by Kevin C. Taylor, Director of Religious Studies and Instructor of Philosophy, University of Memphis

Monsters and spirits –including 'tsukumogami,' which are made of everyday objects – in the 'Hyakki-Yagyō-Emaki' scroll, painted between the 14th and 16th centuries.Wikimedia Commons

The word “waste” is often frightening. People fear not making the most of their time, whether at work or at leisure, and failing to live...

What is the rosary? Why a set of beads and prayers are central to Catholic faith

Written by Kayla Harris, Librarian/Archivist at the Marian Library and Associate Professor, University of Dayton

Rosaries are meant for praying anywhere and anytime.Anderson Mouzinho/EyeEm via Getty Images

It’s one of the most famous moments in modern Catholicism: the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. The Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to three Portuguese children in 1917, when much of the world was engulfed in World War I. Over a series of six...

Crime is on the ballot – and voters are choosing whether prosecutors with reform agendas are the ones who can best bring law, order and justice

Written by Jessica S. Henry, Associate Professor, Department of Justice Studies, Montclair State University

New York police respond to a shooting in Brooklyn in April 2021, amid a rise in shootings that year.Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Different approaches to justice are on the ballot in November 2022 in some public prosecutor and Congressional elections around the country, revealing a deep divide about how differently Americans feel about crime...

The Ukraine conflict is a war of narratives – and Putin's is crumbling

Written by Ronald Suny, Professor of History and Political Science, University of Michigan

For one, the writing may be on the wall too.Matthew Chattle/Future Publishing via Getty Images

People understand the world – that is, where we came from, how we got here and where we are likely to go – through the stories we tell about ourselves and others. Indeed, the political and social environments in which we are embedded are...

The first televised World Series spurred America's television boom, 75 years ago

Written by James Walker, Emeritus Professor of Communication, Saint Xavier University

An estimated 3.5 million Americans viewed the first televised World Series at bars, restaurants and storefronts.Bettmann/Getty Images

Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk desperately waving at his home run to stay in play. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson pumping his arms as he hobbles around second base after muscling a home run off...

Most voters skipped 'in person on Election Day' when offered a choice of how and when to vote

Written by Paul Herrnson, Professor of Political Science, University of Connecticut

Most voters in the 2020 presidential election didn't stand in line at their polling place, as these Nevada voters did.AP Photo/John Locher

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, state lawmakers, election administrators and others realized they had to move quickly. A presidential election was coming in just a few months, along with elections...

Newly discovered species of bacteria in the microbiome may be a culprit behind rheumatoid arthritis

Written by Meagan Chriswell, MD/PhD Candidate in Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Rheumatoid arthritis leads to painful joint inflammation, often in the hands and wrists.Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank via Getty Images

Rheumatoid arthritis affects 1 in 100 people worldwide. It causes inflamed, painful and swollen joints, often in the hands and wrists, and can lead to loss of joint function as well as chronic pain and joint...