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'Effective altruism' has caught on with billionaire donors – but is the world's most headline-making one on board?

  • Written by Nicholas G. Evans, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, UMass Lowell
imageSpaceX founder Elon Musk speaks during a T-Mobile and SpaceX joint event on Aug. 25, 2022, in Texas. Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images

One of the ways tech billionaire Elon Musk attracts supporters is the vision he seems to have for the future: people driving fully autonomous electric vehicles, colonizing other planets and even merging their brains...

Read more: 'Effective altruism' has caught on with billionaire donors – but is the world's most...

Low-cost, high-quality public transportation will serve the public better than free rides

  • Written by Nicholas Dagen Bloom, Professor of Urban Policy and Planning, Hunter College
imageChicago's Washington-Wabash station opened in 2017 – the first new stop on the city's elevated rail system in 20 years.Youngrae Kim/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Public transit systems face daunting challenges across the U.S., from pandemic ridership losses to traffic congestion, fare evasion and pressure to keep rides affordable. In...

Read more: Low-cost, high-quality public transportation will serve the public better than free rides

Parents tend to choose their children's schools based on their own educational experience

  • Written by Anna Rhodes, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Rice University
imagePatterns of segregation may repeat if parents continually choose schools like the ones they attended.SDI Productions via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Faced with a growing number of options for where to enroll their children in school, parents quickly narrow their choices based on their...

Read more: Parents tend to choose their children's schools based on their own educational experience

Social Security may be failing well over a million people with disabilities – and COVID-19 is making the problem worse

  • Written by Zachary Morris, Assistant Professor of Social Welfare, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York)
imageSocial Security has two programs aimed at helping those with disabilities. Kameleon007/iStock via Getty Images

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

The big idea

More than half of U.S. adults over the age of 50 with work-limiting disabilities – likely over 1.3 million people – do not receive the Social...

Read more: Social Security may be failing well over a million people with disabilities – and COVID-19 is...

Why is Tax Day on April 18 this year? And how did early spring become tax season, anyhow?

  • Written by Thomas Godwin, Assistant Professor of Accounting, Purdue University
imageA red-letter day? Hardly!iStock / Getty Images Plus

Mid-April has arrived. And along with the spring sunshine, that means the often dreaded civic duty of finishing off one’s taxes.

It’s an arduous time for many, characterized by navigating increasingly confusing rules to arrive at the best refund possible. For some, it means writing a...

Read more: Why is Tax Day on April 18 this year? And how did early spring become tax season, anyhow?

Wooded grasslands flourished in Africa 21 million years ago – new research forces a rethink of ape evolution

  • Written by Laura M. MacLatchy, Professor of Anthropology, University of Michigan
imageAn ape that lived 21 million years ago was used to a habitat that was both grassy and wooded.Corbin Rainbolt

Human evolution is tightly connected to the environment and landscape of Africa, where our ancestors first emerged.

According to the traditional scientific narrative, Africa was once a verdant idyll of vast forests stretching from coast to...

Read more: Wooded grasslands flourished in Africa 21 million years ago – new research forces a rethink of ape...

What is 'algospeak'? Inside the newest version of linguistic subterfuge

  • Written by Roger J. Kreuz, Associate Dean and Professor of Psychology, University of Memphis
imageSocial media algorithms are programmed to swoop in and flag certain words.Dmitry Kovalchuk/iStock via Getty Images

A linguistic arms race is raging online – and it isn’t clear who’s winning.

On one side are social networks like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. These sites have become better and better at identifying and removing...

Read more: What is 'algospeak'? Inside the newest version of linguistic subterfuge

Boosting EV market share to 67% of US car sales is a huge leap – but automakers can meet EPA's tough new standards

  • Written by Alan Jenn, Associate Professional Researcher in Transportation, University of California, Davis
imagePresident Joe Biden speaks with Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman William Clay Ford Jr. beside an electric Mustang.Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

One big question keeps surfacing after the Biden administration announced plans to raise auto standards so sharply they would likely boost electric vehicle production to 67% of all new passenger vehicle...

Read more: Boosting EV market share to 67% of US car sales is a huge leap – but automakers can meet EPA's...

Arab Americans are a much more diverse group than many of their neighbors mistakenly assume

  • Written by Yasmin Moll, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Michigan
imageZoe Sahloul, executive director of the New England Arab American Organization, center, celebrates Eid-al-Fitr in Maine.Joel Page/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Marking April as Arab American Heritage Month – a time to learn about the history, culture and contributions of our nearly 4 million strong community – is gaining...

Read more: Arab Americans are a much more diverse group than many of their neighbors mistakenly assume

Through role play and simulation, this course teaches strategic ways to strike business deals that do more than just make money

  • Written by Shirli Kopelman, Professor of Management & Organizations, University of Michigan
imageBusiness deals can focus on much more than profits.Hinterhaus Productions via Getty Imagesimage

Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

Title of course:

“Negotiation Strategy: Fostering Collaborative Dynamics in Competitive Environments”

What prompted the idea for...

Read more: Through role play and simulation, this course teaches strategic ways to strike business deals that...

More Articles ...

  1. Israel's judicial reform efforts could complicate its relationship with US – but the countries have faced other bumps along the road
  2. 4 ways that AI can help students
  3. Why more and more Americans are painting their lawns
  4. What causes motion sickness? Here's how to reconcile the mismatch in what your senses are telling your brain
  5. Anyone can claim to be a journalist or a news organization, and publish lies with almost total impunity
  6. Defying the Holocaust didn't just mean uprising and revolt: Remembering Jews' everyday resistance on Yom HaShoah and year-round
  7. Looming behind antibiotic resistance is another bacterial threat – antibiotic tolerance
  8. Jupiter's moons hide giant subsurface oceans – two missions are sending spacecraft to see if these moons could support life
  9. Hangry bacteria in your gut microbiome are linked to chronic disease – feeding them what they need could lead to happier cells and a healthier body
  10. For Black social workers, anxiety and depression are on the rise
  11. Ditching a friend who is not like you can deepen social inequality
  12. How direct admission is changing the process of applying for college
  13. A new femininity is starting to emerge in China
  14. How do trees die?
  15. I tried to pay my taxes in cash – here's what happened, and why the IRS should make it easier to do so
  16. Jobs report hints that Fed policy is paying off – and that a 'growth recession' awaits
  17. Efforts to ban critical race theory have been put forth in all but one state – and many threaten schools with a loss of funds
  18. Misuse of Adderall promotes stigma and mistrust for patients who need it – a neuroscientist explains the science behind the controversial ADHD drug
  19. The FDA's rule change requiring providers to inform women about breast density could lead to a flurry of questions
  20. Don't bet with ChatGPT – study shows language AIs often make irrational decisions
  21. MLB home run counts are rising – and global warming is playing a role
  22. Do glitzy awards like the Earthshot Prize actually help solve problems of climate change? – podcast
  23. Deadly fungus Candida auris is spreading across US hospitals - a physician answers 5 questions about rising fungal infections
  24. Macaque monkeys shrink their social networks as they age – new research suggests evolutionary roots of a pattern seen in elderly people, too
  25. Student reporters fill crucial gap in state government coverage
  26. Finland, NATO and the evolving new world order – what small nations know
  27. One way to speed up clinical trials: Skip right to the data with electronic medical records
  28. 'Swarm' is a dark, satirical look at how the absence of meaningful relationships can spawn a serial killer
  29. How white privilege plays into the first lady’s idea to invite runner-up Iowa to the White House
  30. Racist and sexist depictions of human evolution still permeate science, education and popular culture today
  31. Each generation in Northern Ireland has reflected on the 'troubles' in its own way – right up to 'Derry Girls'
  32. Lo que usted come puede reprogramar sus genes: un experto explica la ciencia emergente de la nutrigenómica
  33. How the indictment of Donald Trump is a 'strange and different' event for America, according to political scientists
  34. You can't hide side hustles from the IRS anymore – here's what taxpayers need to know about reporting online payments for gig work
  35. 6 of 8 Ivy Leagues will soon have women as presidents — an expert explains why this matters
  36. Buildings left standing in Turkey offer design guidance for future earthquake-resilient construction
  37. Food forests are bringing shade and sustenance to US cities, one parcel of land at a time
  38. How much is the world's most productive river worth? Here's how experts estimate the value of nature
  39. Liebres sagradas, brujas de invierno desterradas y culto pagano: las tradiciones del conejo de Pascua tienen raíces antiguas
  40. Regulating AI: 3 experts explain why it's difficult to do and important to get right
  41. Why are snails and slugs so slow?
  42. Sabertooth cat skull newly discovered in Iowa reveals details about this Ice Age predator
  43. Heteronormativity in health care is harmful for LGBTQ+ patients – and a source of tension for queer and trans doctors
  44. Companies that frack for oil and gas can keep a lot of information secret – but what they disclose shows widespread use of hazardous chemicals
  45. Migrant deaths in Mexico put spotlight on US policy that shifted immigration enforcement south
  46. Trump's indictment stretches US legal system in new ways – a former prosecutor explains 4 key points to understand
  47. Declines in math readiness underscore the urgency of math awareness
  48. Eating disorders among teens have more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic – here's what to watch for
  49. This course uses science fiction to understand politics
  50. FDA approval of over-the-counter Narcan is an important step in the effort to combat the US opioid crisis