The Conversation

Some tropical frogs may be developing resistance to a deadly fungal disease – but now salamanders are at risk

Written by Louise Rollins-Smith, Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University

Panamanian golden frogs (_Atelopus zeteki_) are listed as critically endangered, and may be extinct in the wild.Jeff Kubina, CC BY-SA

My office is filled with colorful images of frogs, toads and salamanders from around the world, some of which I have collected over 40 years as an immunologist and microbiologist, studying amphibian immunity and...

Studying poop samples, scientists find clues on health and disease

Written by Daniel McDonald, Scientific Director, American Gut Project, University of California San Diego

Though examining poop samples scientists working on the American Gut Project are getting a new perspective on the microbes in our guts.By Christos Georghiou/Shutterstock.com

Have you ever wondered what’s going on in your poop? Perhaps not. But this is precisely what we think about every day at the American Gut Project, the world’s...

Tax law's 'opportunity zones' won't create opportunities for the people who need it most

Written by Timothy Weaver, Professor of Urban Policy and Politics, University at Albany, State University of New York

Tax breaks to spur investment in cities like Camden, New Jersey, were meant to reduce poverty. AP Photo/Tim Larsen

The latest federal effort to revitalize impoverished parts of the country using tax incentives is beginning to take shape. Unfortunately, if history is a guide, it won’t work.

New York, New Hampshire and Florida are among the...

US embassy in Jerusalem opens amid violence: 4 essential reads

Written by Danielle Douez, Associate Editor, Politics + Society

Palestinian protesters evacuate a wounded youth in the Gaza Strip.AP Photo/Adel Hana

On May 14, the day the U.S. embassy in Israel moved to Jerusalem, at least 55 Palestinians were killed and 2,700 wounded by Israeli soldiers amid protest at Israel’s border, according to The New York Times.

What began as Palestinian protests against economic...

How understanding pain could curb opioid addiction

Written by Susan Sered, Professor of Sociology, Suffolk University

Helping people with pain, whether it be physical or emotional, could limit the need for opioids. eldar nurkovic/Shutterstock.com

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee unanimously approved a bill in April 2018 designed to address the opioid crisis. The bill called the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 covers much of the same...

Is bigger really better?

Written by Alexandra Staub, Associate Professor of Architecture; Affiliate Faculty, Rock Ethics Institute, Pennsylvania State University

A luxury home near Philadelphia.Alexandra Staub, CC BY

The United States is facing a housing crisis: Affordable housing is inadequate, while luxury homes abound. Homelessness remains a persistent problem in many areas of the country.

Despite this, popular culture has often focused on housing as an opportunity for upward mobility: the American Dream...

Gender is personal – not computational

Written by Foad Hamidi, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Should an algorithm try to guess what gender people are by how they look?all_is_magic/Shutterstock.com

Imagine walking down the street and seeing advertising screens change their content based on how you walk, how you talk, or even the shape of your chest. These screens rely on hidden cameras, microphones and computers to guess if you’re male...

Maria Agnesi, the greatest female mathematician you've never heard of

Written by Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University

Agnesi was the first woman to write a mathematics textbook.AlexeyMaltsev/shutterstock.com

The outmoded gender stereotype that women lack mathematical ability suffered a major blow in 2014, when Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman to receive the Fields Medal, math’s most prestigious award.

An equally important blow was struck by an Italian...

Bangladeshi rappers wield rhymes as a weapon, with Tupac as their guide

Written by Mubashar Hasan, Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo

Rapper Skibkhan in the video for 'Shob Chup,' which condemns the culture of silence around poverty and inequality in Bangladesh. YouTube

Bangladesh, which became independent from Pakistan in 1971, is a young country. Only 7 percent of the 160 million people in this South Asian country – which is home to more Muslims than Iran, Afghanistan and...

Trump proposal to weaken project reviews threatens the 'Magna Carta of environmental law'

Written by Janet McCabe, Professor of Practice of Law, Indiana University

A streamlined NEPA review of replacing New York's Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River, which would normally take 3-5 years, was completed in 1.5 years. Jim Henderson, CC BY

Building the U.S. Interstate highway system in the 1950s and 60s is often cited as one of government’s great achievements. But it had harmful impacts too. Many city...