The Conversation

Road to measles elimination is predictable, but can be rocky

Written by Matthew Ferrari, Associate Professor of Biology, Pennsylvania State University

A 6-month-old who is infected with measles in Madagascar, March 2019.AP Photo/Laetitia Bezain

The United States has seen more measles cases so far in 2019 than in any year since elimination was declared in 2000 – meaning the disease is no longer endemic in the country, spreading constantly throughout the year. This year’s American...

Colorado shooting eerily recalls Columbine massacre

Written by Jillian Peterson, Professor of Criminal Justice, Hamline University

Parents gather in a circle to pray at a recreation center where students were reunited with their parents after a shooting at a suburban Denver middle school May 7.David Zalubowski/AP

Columbine. Contagion. Clusters.

These are the culprits to consider as the nation reels from yet another school shooting.

This one took place on May 7 at the STEM...

US 'foreign terrorist' designation is more punishment than threat detector

Written by Eric Fleury, Visiting Assistant Professor, College of the Holy Cross

The Trump administration in April designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran, a branch of Iran’s military and intelligence services, as a terrorist group. Any groups designated this way are cut off from potential U.S. funding, communications with Americans, travel to the U.S. and other American “material support.”

Th...

Women entrepreneurs thrive managing talented teams and balancing many investors

Written by Richard A. Devine, American University

Women leaders tend to collaborate better than men.Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock.com

Only a handful of the top companies in the U.S. are led by a woman.

Efforts to change that and promote more women into positions of leadership have relied primarily on questions of equality. But is there also a business case for putting more women in charge?

Previous...

Deep sea carbon reservoirs once superheated the Earth – could it happen again?

Written by Lowell D. Stott, Professor, University of Southern California

Droplets rising from the Champagne vent on the ocean floor in the Mariana Islands. Fluids venting from the site contain dissolved carbon dioxide. NOAA Ocean Explorer

As concern grows over human-induced climate change, many scientists are looking back through Earth’s history to events that can shed light on changes occurring today. Analyzing...

Misery and memory in Glendora, Mississippi: How poverty is reshaping the story of Emmett Till's murder

Written by Dave Tell, Professor of Communication, University of Kansas

Some say Till's body was dumped from the Old Black Bayou Bridge in Glendora, Mississippi. Others dispute this detail.cmh2315fl/flickr, CC BY-NC

In August of 1955, Emmett Till was lynched in the Mississippi Delta. The 14-year-old African American reportedly whistled at a white woman, violating the racial norms of the Jim Crow South. For this...

Will Trump's use of executive privilege help him avoid congressional oversight? It didn't help Richard Nixon

Written by Ken Hughes, Research specialist, University of Virginia

On Aug. 9, 1974, Richard M. Nixon resigned and left the White HouseAP/Chick Harrity

Like Donald Trump, Richard Nixon tried to stonewall congressional investigations into crimes allegedly committed in the White House.

“Why, we’ll just let it go to the (Supreme) Court. Fight it like hell,” Nixon said.

But the stone wall crumbled...

Uber drivers strike and the future of labor: 4 essential reads

Written by Bryan Keogh, Economics + Business Editor

Uber drivers protest outside of the New York Stock Exchange.AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Uber drivers across the globe logged out of their company’s app for several hours on May 8 to protest its compensation policies.

Strikes occurred in at least eight U.S. cities including New York and San Francisco as well as places as far-flung as London and...

Psychology behind why your mom may be the mother of all heroes

Written by Scott T. Allison, Professor of Psychology, University of Richmond

Moms leave their mark.Bruno Nascimento/Unsplash, CC BY

Each May, the United States celebrates Mother’s Day, and for good reason. According to surveys I’ve conducted, over 25% of Americans cite their mother as their number one hero. Fathers come in a distant second at 16%.

Moms are indeed the mother of all heroes.

Abraham Maslow organized...

Why the ancient promise of alchemy is fulfilled in reading

Written by Elisabeth Gruner, Associate Professor of English, University of Richmond

The potions classroom at the Making of Harry Potter Studio.Alex Volosianko

Within a 20-minute walk from Notre Dame Cathedral, in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, is the oldest house in the city: the house of Nicolas Flamel. If the name rings a vague bell, perhaps it’s because you read J. K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the...