The Conversation

Experts grade Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube on readiness to handle midterm election misinformation

Written by Dam Hee Kim, Assistant Professor of Communication, University of Arizona

The process of conducting elections has become a focal point for misinformation.AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

The 2016 U.S. election was a wake-up call about the dangers of political misinformation on social media. With two more election cycles rife with misinformation under their belts, social media companies have experience identifying and countering...

How Bob Dylan used the ancient practice of 'imitatio' to craft some of the most original songs of his time

Written by Raphael Falco, Professor of English, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Dylan’s complex creative process is unique among contemporary singer-songwriters.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Over the course of six decades, Bob Dylan steadily brought together popular music and poetic excellence. Yet the guardians of literary culture have only rarely accepted Dylan’s legitimacy.

His 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature...

Anxiety detection and treatment in early childhood can lower risk for long-term mental health issues – an expert panel now recommends screening starting at age 8

Written by Elana Bernstein, Assistant Professor of School Psychology, University of Dayton

People who experience anxiety in childhood are more likely to deal with it in adulthood too.fizkes/iStock via Getty Images Plus

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention, issued a final recommendation on Oct. 11, 2022, published in the journal JAMA, stating that all children and...

Getting to 'net-zero' emissions: How energy leaders envision countering climate change in the future

Written by Seth Blumsack, Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics and International Affairs, Penn State

Many energy leaders see fossil fuel use continuing.Volker Hartmann/Getty Images

With the federal government promising over US$360 billion in clean energy incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act, energy companies are already lining up investments. It’s a huge opportunity, and analysts project that it could help slash U.S. greenhouse gas...

How the costs of disasters like Hurricane Ian are calculated – and why it takes so long to add them up

Written by Adam Rose, Professor of Public Policy, University of Southern California

Ian leveled hundreds of buildings in Fort Myers, Fla.Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. experienced 15 disasters in the first nine months of 2022 that each caused at least US$1 billion in damage. Hurricane Ian is taking the largest toll of these disasters by far – but the extent of the damage could take years to calculate with any...

Crippling civilian infrastructure has long been part of Russian generals' playbook – Putin is merely expanding that approach

Written by Benjamin Jensen, Professor of Strategic Studies, Marine Corps University; Scholar-in-Residence, American University, American University School of International Service

Ukrainian firefighters battling flames at a power station hit by Russian missiles.Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

In response to massive battlefield setbacks, Russia has increased its attacks in Ukraine on everything from power plants and dams to railways, pipelines and ports.

These attacks against civilian infrastructure are...

Soaring inflation prompts biggest Social Security cost-of-living boost since 1981 – 6 questions answered

Written by John W. Diamond, Director of the Center for Public Finance at the Baker Institute, Rice University

Social Security benefits have lost their purchasing power as inflation has soared in 2022.Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Social Security is set to boost the benefits it provides retirees by 8.7%, the biggest cost-of-living adjustment since 1981. It comes as sky-high inflation continues to eat into incomes and savings.

The changes are...

Bees face many challenges – and climate change is ratcheting up the pressure

Written by Jennie L. Durant, Research Affiliate in Human Ecology, University of California, Davis

Bees look for water on an outdoor tap in Berlin, Germany during a hot spell, June 19, 2022.Wolfram Steinberg/picture alliance via Getty Images

The extreme weather that has battered much of the U.S. in 2022 doesn’t just affect humans. Heat waves, wildfires, droughts and storms also threaten many wild species – including some that already...

It's taking more time to cast a ballot in US elections – and even longer for Black and Hispanic voters

Written by Jonathan Coopersmith, Professor of History, Texas A&M University

Voters line up at a polling station in Houston to cast their ballots during the Texas presidential primary on March 3, 2020.Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the November 2020 election brought out about 155 million voters. That represented 67% of Americans over 18, and it was the highest voter turnout of any modern...

Jan. 6 Committee's fact-finding and bipartisanship will lead to an impact in coming decades, if not tomorrow

Written by Claire Leavitt, Assistant professor of government, Smith College

A tweet from former President Donald Trump is shown on a screen at the House Jan. 6 committee hearing on June 9, 2022.Jabin Botsford/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The committee formed to investigate the role of former President Donald Trump and key aides in last year’s Capitol insurrection faced high stakes as it held its 10th and possibly last...