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How George Washington used his first Thanksgiving as president to unite a new country

  • Written by Maurizio Valsania, Professor of American History, Università di Torino
imagePresident George Washington aimed to unify the country with his first Thanksgiving message.Getty Images

On Thursday, Nov. 26, 1789, George Washington woke early. Assisted by his enslaved valets – William “Billy” Lee and the young Christopher Sheels – he powdered his hair, put on his favorite black velvet suit, tied his white...

Read more: How George Washington used his first Thanksgiving as president to unite a new country

In the 1620s, Plymouth Plantation had its own #MeToo moment

  • Written by Carla Gardina Pestana, Professor and Joyce Appleby Endowed Chair of America in the World, University of California, Los Angeles
imageMaids, who invariably lived with their employers, were especially vulnerable.Brownie Harris/Corbis via Getty Images

In the many celebrations, reflections and histories of Plymouth colony, the settlement’s gender dynamics often get short shrift.

But not unlike today, men possessed power and privilege, women feared voicing their views and...

Read more: In the 1620s, Plymouth Plantation had its own #MeToo moment

Ocho meses de confinamiento por COVID-19 y contando: ¿Qué podemos hacer cuando estamos aburridos?

  • Written by Erin C. Westgate, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Florida
imageEl aburrimiento es una gran queja de la pandemia. PeopleImages E+ via Getty Images

En la mayor parte del mundo, gran parte de nosotros seguimos en casa para evitar la propagación del coronavirus. Pero quedarse atrapado en nuestro hogar puede llevar al aburrimiento.

El aburrimiento es una señal de que no estamos comprometidos de manera...

Read more: Ocho meses de confinamiento por COVID-19 y contando: ¿Qué podemos hacer cuando estamos aburridos?

Why nursing home aides exposed to COVID-19 aren’t taking sick leave

  • Written by Shefali Milczarek-Desai, Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Immigrant Workers' Rights Clinic, UA James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona
imageNursing home aides have protested working conditions that can push them to work while sick.Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday via Getty Images

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated America’s nursing homes, but the reasons aren’t as simple as people might think.

To understand how nursing homes became the source of over one-third of U.S....

Read more: Why nursing home aides exposed to COVID-19 aren’t taking sick leave

China beat the coronavirus with science and strong public health measures, not just with authoritarianism

  • Written by Elanah Uretsky, Associate Professor of International and Global Studies, Brandeis University
imageOne of the Wuhan train stations in fall 2020. The city reopened in April 2020 after a total shutdown.Liu Yan, CC BY-SA

I live in a democracy. But as Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself longing for the type of freedom I am seeing in China.

People in China are able to move around freely right now. Many Americans may believe that the Chinese are...

Read more: China beat the coronavirus with science and strong public health measures, not just with...

A brief history of Georgia's runoff voting – and its racist roots

  • Written by Joshua Holzer, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Westminster College
image(R to L) Georgia GOP Sens. David Purdue and Kelly Loeffler at a rally with Sen. Tom Cotton on Nov. 19, 2020 in Perry, Ga. Loeffler and Purdue face runoff elections against Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock on Jan. 5, 2021. Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

Across the U.S., many states use different electoral systems....

Read more: A brief history of Georgia's runoff voting – and its racist roots

Why do tigers have stripes?

  • Written by Andrew Cushing, Assistant Professor in Zoological Medicine, University of Tennessee
image

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.

Why do tigers have stripes? – Vidit M., age 8, New Delhi, India

When tigers stalk their prey, usually in the murky light of dusk or dawn, they are nearly invisible. Whether they live in...

Read more: Why do tigers have stripes?

Laughing is good for your mind and your body – here's what the research shows

  • Written by Janet M. Gibson, Professor of Cognitive Psychology, Grinnell College
imageIt's hard to beat a good laugh with a friend.Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Amusement and pleasant surprises – and the laughter they can trigger – add texture to the fabric of daily life.

Those giggles and guffaws can seem like just silly throwaways. But laughter, in response to funny events, actually takes a lot of work,...

Read more: Laughing is good for your mind and your body – here's what the research shows

The rise and fall of Tab – after surviving the sweetener scares, the iconic diet soda gets canned

  • Written by Jeffrey Miller, Associate Professor, Hospitality Management, Colorado State University
imageBefore there was Diet Coke, there was Tab.Ramin Talaie/Corbis via Getty Images

Tab, the Coca-Cola company’s original diet soda brand, is headed to the soda graveyard, joining retired brands such as Like, Leed and Limette.

Coca-Cola has announced that it is discontinuing Tab after 57 years on the market, and fans of the drink will have until...

Read more: The rise and fall of Tab – after surviving the sweetener scares, the iconic diet soda gets canned

Opportunities to practice real-life philanthropy bring academic benefits

  • Written by Kajsa Larson, Associate Professor of Spanish; Faculty Coordinator of Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project classes, Northern Kentucky University
imageCollege students participating in philanthropy-based courses are 38% more likely to graduate. master1305/Getty Images

A crisis shelter for battered women. A nonprofit that provides wigs and makeup for breast cancer patients. An organization that helps parents of children addicted to heroin.

All three of these groups have benefited from US$2,000...

Read more: Opportunities to practice real-life philanthropy bring academic benefits

More Articles ...

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  2. How Joe Biden did so well in Georgia
  3. How Biden might stimulate the sputtering US economy: 4 questions answered
  4. Why Trump's election fraud claims aren't showing up in his lawsuits challenging the results
  5. Rural hospitals are under siege from COVID-19 – here's what doctors are facing, in their own words
  6. Keeping indoor air clean can reduce the chance of spreading coronavirus
  7. Amid a raging pandemic, the US faces a nursing shortage. Can we close the gap?
  8. COVID-19 vaccines were developed in record time – but are these game-changers safe?
  9. Five reasons Trump's challenge of the 2020 election will not lead to civil war
  10. Why it's important to see women as capable ... of terrible atrocities
  11. What's cellular about a cellphone?
  12. Returning the 'three sisters' – corn, beans and squash – to Native American farms nourishes people, land and cultures
  13. Trump invitation to Michigan lawmakers could spark state and federal political crisis
  14. As CDC warns against Thanksgiving travel, here are a dozen more things you can do to help stop COVID-19
  15. While spending holidays at home, here are a dozen more things you can do to help stop COVID-19
  16. JFK conspiracy theory is debunked in Mexico 57 years after Kennedy assassination
  17. 4 tips for college students to avoid procrastinating with their online work
  18. Why face masks belong at your Thanksgiving gathering – 7 things you need to know about wearing them
  19. Why face masks belong at your holiday gathering – 7 things you need to know about wearing them
  20. College-age kids are drinking less alcohol – but smoking more marijuana
  21. With 250,000 US deaths, COVID-19 is triggering more end-of-life planning – and young people want in on the discussions
  22. College-age kids and teens are drinking less alcohol – but something else is rising
  23. College-age kids and teens are drinking less alcohol – marijuana is a different story
  24. More families are discussing end-of-life planning as COVID-19 cases rise – here's how to start the conversation
  25. What's the gold standard, and why does the US benefit from a dollar that isn't tied to the value of a glittery hunk of metal?
  26. US colleges report a 43% decline in new international student enrollment, and not just because of the pandemic
  27. 3 reasons for information exhaustion – and what to do about it
  28. Curved origami offers a creative route to making robots and other mechanical devices
  29. Así se decide formalmente quién será el nuevo presidente de Estados Unidos
  30. ¿Qué es el botox y cuánto puedo ponerme?
  31. Trump's purge of defense agencies comes at a vulnerable time for US national security
  32. No, soaring COVID-19 cases are not due to more testing – they show a surging pandemic
  33. Election polls are more accurate if they ask participants how others will vote
  34. Patsy Takemoto Mink blazed the trail for Kamala Harris – not famous white woman Susan B. Anthony
  35. Progressive prosecutors scored big wins in 2020 elections, boosting a nationwide trend
  36. Election spending in 2020 doubled to $14 billion – 3 takeaways from a campaign finance expert
  37. How mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna work, why they're a breakthrough and why they need to be kept so cold
  38. A brief history of presidents snubbing their successors – and why the founders favored civility instead
  39. CBD sales are soaring, but evidence is still slim that the cannabis derivative makes a difference for anxiety or pain
  40. Nearly two-thirds of older Black Americans can't afford to live alone without help – and it's even tougher for Latinos
  41. Virus evolution could undermine a COVID-19 vaccine – but this can be stopped
  42. Why for-profit college enrollment has increased during COVID-19
  43. Hoarding, stockpiling, panic buying: What's normal behavior in an abnormal time?
  44. Racial discrimination ages Black Americans faster, according to a 25-year-long study of families
  45. Coronavirus relief funds could easily pay to stop the worst of climate change while rebooting economies
  46. American timber industry crippled by double whammy of trade war and COVID-19
  47. A record number of women will serve in the 117th Congress, including at least 51 women of color
  48. What monoclonal antibodies are – and why we need them as well as a vaccine
  49. Secondhand clothing sales are booming – and may help solve the sustainability crisis in the fashion industry
  50. Trump 2024? Presidential comebacks have mixed success