The Conversation

Rural Alaska has a bridge problem as permafrost thaws and crossing river ice gets riskier with climate change

Written by Guangqing Chi, Professor of Rural Sociology and Demography, Penn State

The Denali Highway as it crosses the Susitna River.Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

America’s bridges are in rough shape. Of the nearly 620,000 bridges over roads, rivers and other waterways across the U.S., more than 43,500 of them, about 7%, are considered “structurally deficient.”

In Alaska,...

Reporting all biosafety errors could improve labs worldwide – and increase public trust in biological research

Written by David Gillum, Executive Director of Environmental Health and Safety and Chief Safety Officer, Arizona State University

Some institutions publish information about their mishaps, while others do not.Peter Kneffel/picture alliance via Getty Images

The origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains a mystery. One theory is that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 was transmitted from animals to humans – a fairly common occurrence. Another is that it came from a laboratory...

Computer Space launched the video game industry 50 years ago – here's the real reason you probably haven't heard of it

Written by Noah Wardrip-Fruin, Professor of Computational Media, University of California, Santa Cruz

Computer Space was innovative, but how was it to play?Ed Fries, CC BY-ND

Before Pong there was Computer Space, the first commercial video game. The progenitor of today’s US$175 billion industry debuted on Oct. 15, 1971, at the Music Operators of America trade show in Chicago. Housed in a futuristic-looking cabinet, Computer Space took its...

Cómo la mayor organización islámica del mundo impulsa la reforma religiosa en Indonesia e intenta influir en el mundo musulmán

Written by Ahmet T. Kuru, Porteous Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University

Una reunión durante el 73 aniversario de Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), en Yakarta, Indonesia en 2019.Eko Siswono Toyudho/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Tras su regreso al poder en Afganistán, de nuevo los talibanes están imponiendo su ideología religiosa, con restricciones a los derechos de las mujeres y otras medidas represivas....

Afghan women have a long history of taking leadership and fighting for their rights

Written by Wazhmah Osman, Assistant Professor of Media Studies and Production, Temple University

Afghan women hold 'silent' protests in Kabul against repressive measures under the Taliban regimeBilal Guler/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Ever since the Taliban recaptured Afghanistan, the question in much of the Western media has been, “What will happen to the women of Afghanistan?”

Indeed, this is an important concern that merits...

If you want to support the health and wellness of kids, stop focusing on their weight

Written by Nichole Kelly, Evergreen Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology and Prevention Science, University of Oregon

Physical activity, eating habits and emotional support from friends and family are stronger predictors of health than body mass index.Keith Bedford/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Since the pandemic started, people of all ages have gained weight. At the same time, the rate at which youth and young adults are seeking treatment for eating...

Sexual abuse survivors are voting on the Boy Scouts bankruptcy settlement: 5 questions answered

Written by Pamela Foohey, Professor of Law, Cardozo Law School, Yeshiva University

Thousands of men say they were sexually abused as children taking part in the Boy Scouts.AP Photo/LM Otero

The Boy Scouts’ bankruptcy case crossed an important milestone on Sept. 29, 2021, when Judge Laura Selber Silverstein approved the Boy Scouts’ statement that explains its plan to exit bankruptcy. That statement includes a proposal...

How your emotional response to the COVID-19 pandemic changed your behavior and your sense of time

Written by Philip Gable, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Delaware

If you had faith in the development of effective treatments, time tended to pass quickly.tolgart/Getty Images

The COVID-19 pandemic, now in its 19th month, has meant different things to different people. For some, it’s meant stress over new school and work regimes, or anxiety over the prospect of catching COVID-19 and dealing with the...

If the US defaults on debt, expect the dollar to fall – and with it, Americans' standard of living

Written by Michael Humphries, Deputy Chair of Business Administration, Touro College

Would a default mean an end to the dollar's position as the go-to trading currency?AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Congress has seemingly kicked the debt ceiling deadline down the road – but the threat of a future default still exists.

On Oct. 7, 2021, lawmakers in the Senate agreed to extend the government’s ability to borrow until December....

How Columbus Day contributes to the cultural erasure of Italian Americans

Written by Lawrence Torcello, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Rochester Institute of Technology

A float featuring Christopher Columbus makes its way down Fifth Avenue during the 75th annual Columbus Day Parade on Oct. 14, 2019, in New York. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Every October, a parade of opinion writers, politicians and Americans of Italian descent celebrate Christopher Columbus as someone who represents Italian Americans.

But...