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Political trolls adapt, create material to deceive and confuse the public

  • Written by Gianluca Stringhini, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University
imageTrolls get creative when looking to deceive.Planet Flem/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

Russian-sponsored Twitter trolls, who so aggressively exploited social media to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election, didn’t stop when Donald Trump was elected president.

Even after the election, they remained active and adapted their...

Read more: Political trolls adapt, create material to deceive and confuse the public

Why does some rain fall harder than other rain?

  • Written by Jeffrey B. Halverson, Professor of Geography & Environmental Systems, Associate Dean of the Graduate School, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
imageA downpour or a drizzle: What causes the difference? David Pinzer Photography/Moment via Getty Imagesimage

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 does some rain fall harder than other rain? – Naomi B., age 9, San Fancisco,...

Read more: Why does some rain fall harder than other rain?

Up to 204,691 extra deaths in the US so far in this pandemic year

  • Written by Ronald D. Fricker Jr., Professor of Statistics and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Administration, Virginia Tech
imageThe pandemic leaves its mark in the number of lives ended.Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty ImagesimageThe Conversation, CC BY-ND

The number of deaths in the United States through July 2020 is 8% to 12% higher than it would have been if the coronavirus pandemic had never happened. That’s at least 164,937 deaths above the number...

Read more: Up to 204,691 extra deaths in the US so far in this pandemic year

¿Te sentías muy seguro navegando en modo 'incógnito'?

  • Written by Lorrie Cranor, Professor of Computer Science and of Engineering & Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University
imageLa privacidad cibernética no significa ser anónimo.Oleg Mishutin/iStock via Getty Images

Muchas personas buscan más privacidad cuando navegan por la web utilizando sus navegadores en modos de protección de la privacidad, llamados ‘Navegación Privada’ en Mozilla Firefox, Opera y Apple Safari;...

Read more: ¿Te sentías muy seguro navegando en modo 'incógnito'?

COVID-19 is hitting tipped workers hard

  • Written by Sarah B. Andrea, Postdoctoral Scholar, Epidemiology, University of Washington
imageTipped workers may struggle to make minimum wage, especially in the wake of the pandemic.Robert Alexander/Getty Images

Even prior to COVID-19, tipped workers suffered from the inadequacies of the United States’ social safety net and minimum wage standards.

The pandemic has exposed not only the inherent vulnerability of food service workers to...

Read more: COVID-19 is hitting tipped workers hard

A COVID-19 vaccine needs the public's trust – and it's risky to cut corners on clinical trials, as Russia is

  • Written by Abram L. Wagner, Research Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, University of Michigan
imageOn Aug. 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that a coronavirus vaccine developed in the country has been registered for use.Russian Health Ministry/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Russia’s announcement that a fast-tracked COVID-19 vaccine is registered there, with plans for quick distribution in the general population this...

Read more: A COVID-19 vaccine needs the public's trust – and it's risky to cut corners on clinical trials, as...

Movie theaters are on life support – how will the film industry adapt?

  • Written by Matthew Jordan, Associate Professor of Media Studies, Pennsylvania State University
imageA movie theater in Brea, Calif., has shuttered its doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Since the start of the pandemic, the film industry has been in free fall.

As deaths have continued to climb, so have studio losses, with crowded theaters – once a source of collective entertainment and escapism – now seen as...

Read more: Movie theaters are on life support – how will the film industry adapt?

John Lewis and the masks Black preachers wear on the public stage

  • Written by Kenyatta R. Gilbert, Professor of Homiletics, Howard University
imageRep. John Lewis attends church services at Brown Chapel AME Church in SelmaBrooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images

U.S. Congressman John Robert Lewis was a Black preacher, inescapably so.

Like his spiritual mentor, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the long-standing congressman was an ordained Black Baptist minister. It meant that he not only...

Read more: John Lewis and the masks Black preachers wear on the public stage

The belief that demons have sex with humans runs deep in Christian and Jewish traditions

  • Written by Cavan W. Concannon, Associate Professor of Religion, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
imageIncubus, a male demon, was said to prey on sleeping women in mythological tales.Walker, Charles: The encyclopedia of secret knowledge

Houston physician and pastor Stella Immanuel – described as “spectacular” by Donald Trump for her promotion of unsubstantiated claims about anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a...

Read more: The belief that demons have sex with humans runs deep in Christian and Jewish traditions

How the old-fashioned telephone could become a new way for some to see their doctor

  • Written by Kathleen Li, Emergency Medicine physician and Master's candidate in Health and Health Care Research, University of Michigan
imageAmy Blais, a telehealth nurse at HomeHealth Visiting Nurses in Saco, Maine. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Staying home to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients and their doctors have embraced telemedicine. Prior to COVID-19, telehealth use was growing but represented a tiny percentage of all health care visits.

During...

Read more: How the old-fashioned telephone could become a new way for some to see their doctor

More Articles ...

  1. Pivot to remote learning creates a chance to reinvent K-12 education
  2. Before Kamala Harris became Biden's running mate, Shirley Chisholm and other Black women aimed for the White House
  3. With Harris pick, Biden reaches out to young Black Americans
  4. Trillions in coronavirus spending is putting AOC's favorite economic theory to the test
  5. Clever chemistry turns ordinary bricks into electricity storage devices
  6. ¿El cerebro de los hombres y las mujeres realmente es diferente?
  7. 4 tips to help kids to cope with COVID-19 anxiety
  8. African Americans have long defied white supremacy and celebrated Black culture in public spaces
  9. Indigenous Mexicans turn inward to survive COVID-19, barricading villages and growing their own food
  10. Freedom of religion doesn't mean freedom from mask mandates
  11. I'm a COVID-19 long-hauler and an epidemiologist – here's how it feels when symptoms last for months
  12. Video: The Wall of Moms builds on a long protest tradition
  13. Children in foster care face deeper jeopardy during the coronavirus pandemic
  14. Should students get a discount if they won't be on campus because of COVID-19?
  15. ¿El coronavirus permanece en el cuerpo? Lo que sabemos sobre cómo los virus subsisten en el cerebro y los testículos
  16. Insect apocalypse? Not so fast, at least in North America
  17. How to use ventilation and air filtration to prevent the spread of coronavirus indoors
  18. As coronavirus curtails travel, backyard pilgrimages become the way to a spiritual journey
  19. Armed poll watchers: New Jersey's cautionary tale ahead of the 2020 presidential election
  20. Democratic, Republican parties both play favorites when allotting convention delegates to states
  21. 'Morality pills' may be the US's best shot at ending the coronavirus pandemic, according to one ethicist
  22. Cyberspace is critical infrastructure – it will take effective government oversight to make it safe
  23. Watch more TV to understand the backlash against the women in the running for vice president
  24. ¿Por qué algunos estadounidenses parecen más 'estadounidenses' que otros?
  25. Controversias en la investigación del coronavirus muestran que la ciencia está funcionando como debería
  26. How COVID-19 might increase risk of memory loss and cognitive decline
  27. Lost your job due to coronavirus? Artificial intelligence could be your best friend in finding a new one
  28. Why New York is suing the NRA: 4 questions answered
  29. Brag and name drop: How to project credibility as workplace meetings move online
  30. Ocean warming threatens coral reefs and soon could make it harder to restore them
  31. Wearable fitness devices deliver early warning of possible COVID-19 infection
  32. 8 simple strategies to fuel your body during a pandemic
  33. What is intolerance fatigue, and how is it fueling Black Lives Matter protests?
  34. Brain scientists haven't been able to find major differences between women's and men's brains, despite over a century of searching
  35. 5 reasons Chinese students may stop studying in the US
  36. 1864 elections went on during the Civil War – even though Lincoln thought it would be a disaster for himself and the Republican Party
  37. Nuclear threats are increasing – here's how the US should prepare for a nuclear event
  38. How the sound of religion has changed in the pandemic
  39. As the coronavirus rages in prisons, ethical issues of crime and punishment become more compelling
  40. Twitter posts show that people are profoundly sad – and are visiting parks to cheer up
  41. Jim Thompson is the perfect novelist for our crazed times
  42. In Confederate statue debates, common values can bring meaningful resolution
  43. Will the GOP let Congress send money to states and cities reeling from the pandemic? 4 essential reads on the economic crisis
  44. Young Black Americans not sold on Biden, the Democrats or voting
  45. Buddhist monks have reversed roles in Thailand – now they are the ones donating goods to others
  46. Don't want federal agents in your city or town? Then protect federal property
  47. Video: What the huge COVID-19 testing undercount in the US means
  48. Pompeo's plan for a hierarchy of human rights could serve to undermine them all – including religious freedom
  49. How gene editing a person's brain cells could be used to curb the opioid epidemic
  50. Why diversity training on campus is likely to disappoint