The Conversation

Librarians help students navigate an age of misinformation – but schools are cutting their numbers

Written by Karen W. Gavigan, Professor of Information Science, University of South Carolina

Nearly 80% of high school students struggle to verify the credibility of a source, a 2016 study found.Hill Street Studios/DigitalVision Collection via Getty Images

School librarians hear the question all the time: Why do we need school libraries and school librarians when students have the internet?

The perception is that a computer and Wi-Fi are...

Forests can't handle all the net-zero emissions plans – companies and countries expect nature to offset too much carbon

Written by Doreen Stabinsky, Professor of Global Environmental Politics, College of the Atlantic

Companies' net-zero pledges count on vast expanses of forest to hold carbon so they can continue emitting.AFP via Getty Images

Net-zero emissions pledges to protect the climate are coming fast and furious from companies, cities and countries. But declaring a net-zero target doesn’t mean they plan to stop their greenhouse gas emissions...

Supreme Court appears to suggest right to guns at home extends to carrying them in public too

Written by Morgan Marietta, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Supporters of gun controls rally outside the Supreme Court.Joshua Roberts/Getty Images

Faced with the question “does the constitutional right to possess a gun extend outside the home?” the majority of the Supreme Court appears to be heading toward the answer “yes.”

On Nov. 3, 2012, justices heard oral arguments over New...

Lessons from the Virginia governor's race: Pay attention to voters' concerns instead of making it all about national politics

Written by Mary Kate Cary, Adjunct Professor, Department of Politics and Senior Fellow, UVA's Miller Center, University of Virginia

Exit political stage, heading to the right.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

I teach political speech writing. My students know that earlier this year I served on a committee that wrote the University of Virginia’s statement on free speech and free inquiry, which stated that “All views, beliefs, and perspectives deserve to be articulated and...

Another problem with daylight saving time: It raises your risk of hitting deer on the road

Written by Tom Langen, Professor of Biology, Clarkson University

The likelihood of hitting a deer is highest during morning and evening twilight.Patrick Pleul/Picture alliance via Getty Images

Daylight saving time ends in the U.S. and Canada on Nov. 7, 2021, and most of us will be setting our clocks back an hour. There is a long-running debate about the benefit of the time change, given how it disrupts...

Another problem with daylight saving time: The time change raises your risk of hitting deer on the road

Written by Tom Langen, Professor of Biology, Clarkson University

The likelihood of hitting a deer is highest during morning and evening twilight.Patrick Pleul/Picture alliance via Getty Images

Racial discrimination is linked to suicidal thoughts in Black adults and children

Written by Janelle R. Goodwill, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, University of Chicago

Researchers are exploring the impacts that racial discrimination is having on Black Americans' emotional and psychological health.PeopleImages via Getty Images

Frederick Douglass is regarded as one of the most prominent abolitionists the world has ever seen. Alongside his extraordinary contributions as an influential speaker, writer and human...

Netflix's 'Midnight Mass' joins a long line of horror that plays with Catholic beliefs

Written by Regina Hansen, Master Lecturer, Rhetoric, Boston University

A still from the Netflix series "Midnight Mass."Eike Schroter/Netflix

Horror and Catholicism have walked hand in hand on screen for almost a century. From Benjamin Christensen’s 1922 film “Häxan” to Mike Flanagan’s 2021 Netflix series “Midnight Mass,” scary films and television shows have portrayed the...

What American schools can learn from other countries about civic disagreement

Written by Ashley Berner, Associate Professor of Education, Johns Hopkins University

Learning how to discuss divisive issues and disagree with respect is good for democracy.Mary Altaffer/AP

Few areas of American life have experienced more conflict of late than public education. The conflict has largely revolved around how public schools should deal with the difficult subjects of race and racism. The situation has become so inflamed...

Few foundations give groups they support decision-making power on funding priorities

Written by Emily Finchum-Mason, Doctoral candidate in Public Policy and Management, University of Washington

Bringing together people with different perspectives and roles can sharpen an organization's vision.adventtr/iStock / Getty Images Plus

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Eighty-three percent of large U.S. foundations seek input from some of the nonprofits they fund – along with other people,...