The Conversation

Colombia elects a conservative who promises to 'correct' its peace accord

Written by Fabio Andres Diaz, Researcher on Conflict, Peace and Development, International Institute of Social Studies

In the most peaceful election in its modern history, Colombia has elected as its next president a conservative who has promised to “correct” the country’s tenuous 2016 peace deal.

Iván Duque, of the Democratic Center party, won election on June 17 with 54 percent of the votes amid record high turnout. Duque opposes...

Nicaraguans try to topple a dictator — again

Written by Benjamin Waddell, Assistant Professor of International Studies, Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas

Nicaragua, which overthrew its last violent dictator in 1979, is the only Latin American country since Cuba to stage a successful revolution. AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga

After months of near-constant protest in Nicaragua, at least 215 people are dead, 1,000 are injured, and President Daniel Ortega – an authoritarian leader who once seemed...

The Bible's message on separating immigrant children from parents is a lot different from what Jeff Sessions thinks

Written by Bharat Ranganathan, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Notre Dame

Jeff Sessions is citing the Bible in defending the Trump administration’s immigration policy.AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File

In a speech to law enforcement officers on June 14, Attorney General Jeff Sessions cited biblical scripture Romans 13 to claim support for zero tolerance immigration policies, including the Trump administration’s...

Astronaut Sally K. Ride's legacy – encouraging young women to embrace science and engineering

Written by Bonnie J. Dunbar, NASA astronaut (Ret) and TEES Distinguished Research Professor, Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University

Mission specialist Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly in space. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

On June 18, 1983, 35 years ago, Sally Ride became the first American woman to launch into space, riding the Space Shuttle STS-7 flight with four other crew members. Only five years earlier, in 1978, she had been selected to the first...

What 40 years of 'Space Invaders' says about the 1970s – and today

Written by Lindsay Grace, Associate Professor of Communication; Director, American University Game Lab and Studio, American University School of Communication

The iconic shooting game in its original stand-up arcade form.Jordiferrer, CC BY-SA

The “Space Invaders” arcade video game, celebrating its 40th anniversary, is an iconic piece of software, credited as one of the earliest digital shooting games. Like many early games, it and its surrounding myths showcase the cultural collisions and...

Why a minor change to how EPA makes rules could radically reduce environmental protection

Written by Joseph Aldy, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University

Tighter emissions standards create costs for truck manufacturers yet provide health benefits for society. How should they be weighed?Lesterman

Since the Reagan administration, federal agencies have been required to produce cost-benefit analyses of their major regulations. These assessments are designed to ensure that regulators are pursuing actions...

Drug shortages pose a public health crisis in the US

Written by Sharona Hoffman, Professor of Health Law and Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University

As of June 2018, the U.S. is short on 182 drugs and medical supplies, including IV bags.Sherry Yates Young/shutterstock.com

On June 12, the American Medical Association announced that drug shortages pose an urgent public health crisis. This crisis should be of concern to all Americans.

The Food and Drug Administration defines a drug shortage as a...

Why you should eat popcorn with chopsticks – and other psychological tricks to make life more enjoyable

Written by Robert W. Smith, Assistant Professor of Marketing, The Ohio State University

Give it a try during your next movie night.Betsy Weber/flickr, CC BY-SA

It happens fast. You crack open a bottle of your favorite drink and put it to your lips. The delicious flavor is nearly overwhelming. But a minute later, you’re barely noticing the taste as you drink it.

Or you buy a new car and think it will make you smile every time you...

As Venezuela's public health system collapses, mosquito-borne viruses re-emerge

Written by Gabriela Blohm, Postdoctoral research associate, University of Florida

Psorophora ferox female, a potential vector for Madariaga virus. Photo taken on Heritage Island, Anacostia River, in Washington, D.C., June 30, 2012.Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

The ability to predict which virus will cause the next epidemic is a science, an art and a gamble. We have learned through our work in Venezuela that it’s always a good...

What is the summer solstice? An astronomer explains

Written by Stephen Schneider, Professor of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts Amherst

The Northern Hemisphere gets its biggest dose of daylight.Takmeng Wong and the CERES Science Team at NASA Langley Research Center, CC BY

The summer solstice marks the official start of summer. It brings the longest day and shortest night of the year for the 88 percent of Earth’s people who live in the Northern Hemisphere. People around the...