The Conversation

Pearl Young, the first woman to work in a technical role at NASA, overcame barriers and ‘raised hell’ − her legacy continues today

Written by Caitlin Milera, Research Assistant Professor of Aerospace, University of North Dakota

Thirteen years before any other woman joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics – or the NACA, NASA’s predecessor – in a technical role, a young lab assistant named Pearl Young was making waves in the agency. Her legacy as an outspoken and persistent advocate for herself and her team would pave the way for women in...

Stadiums don’t have to be a drain on taxpayer dollars − 4 lessons from St. Louis

Written by Peter Boumgarden, Professor of Family Enterprise, Washington University in St. Louis

The inaugural match at CITYPARK on March 4, 2023.Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

The world of professional sports is flush with cash, thanks to multibillion-dollar TV deals, sponsorships and ticket sales. Yet some of the biggest investments in major franchises come from taxpayers. Between 1970 and 2020, state and local governments spent US$33...

Polarization, brain rot and brat – the 2024 words of the year point to the power, perils and ephemeral nature of digital life

Written by Roger J. Kreuz, Associate Dean and Professor of Psychology, University of Memphis

Social media has played a big role in political polarization.kieferpix/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Ever since the American Dialect Society selected a Word of the Year at its conference in 1990, over half a dozen English dictionaries have anointed an annual word or phrase that’s meant to encapsulate the zeitgeist of the prior year.

In 2003,...

New set of human rights principles aims to end displacement and abuse of Indigenous people through ‘fortress conservation’

Written by John H. Knox, Professor of International Law, Wake Forest University

Many protected areas, including California's Yosemite National Park, displaced Indigenous people in the name of protecting wildlands.Matthew Dillon/Flickr

For more than a century, conservationists have worked to preserve natural ecosystems by creating national parks and protected areas. Today the Earth faces a global biodiversity crisis, with more...

Hypnosis is not just a parlor trick or TV act − science shows it helps with anxiety, depression, pain, PTSD and sleep disorders

Written by David Acunzo, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia

Although hypnosis can help with a number of medical conditions, it doesn't work for everything.Paula Connelly/iStock via Getty Images Plus

We’ve all seen it, typically on television or on stage: A hypnotist selects a few members from the audience, and with what seems to be little more than a steely stare or a few choice words, they’re...

I’m a scholar of white supremacy who’s visiting all 113 places where Confederate statues were removed in recent years − here’s why Richmond gets it right

Written by David Cunningham, Professor of Sociology, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

The Confederate leader Jefferson Davis has new digs in Richmond − a museum where he's displayed prone and paint-splattered.David Cunningham, CC BY-SA

In a symbolic rebuke of the American South’s racist history, an old Confederate monument now has a meaningful new life, four years after it was toppled in Virginia.

In June 2020, protesters...

Links between gender stereotypes and American patriotism date from the Cold War − but weren’t true then either

Written by Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy, Teaching Professor of American Studies, Miami University

An image of stereotypical American domesticity from the March 1948 issue of Ladies' Home Journal.Ladies' Home Journal via archive.org

In 1959, at the opening of the American National Exhibition in Moscow, in front of a model American kitchen full of appliances, Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev sparred over the...

When AI goes shopping: AI agents promise to lighten your purchasing load − if they can earn your trust

Written by Tamilla Triantoro, Associate Professor of Business Analytics and Information Systems, Quinnipiac University

Will you let AI do the shopping for you?Lebazele/E+ via Getty Images

Online shopping often involves endless options and fleeting discounts. A single search for running shoes can yield hundreds of results across multiple platforms, each promising the “best deal.” The holiday season brings excitement, but it also brings a blend of...

Abu Mohammed al-Golani may become the face of post-Assad Syria – but who is he and why does he have $10M US bounty on his head?

Written by Sara Harmouch, Ph.D. candidate in Public Affairs, American University

Supporters greet Abu Mohammed al-Golani as the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on Dec. 8, 2024. Aref Tammawi/AFP via Getty Images

The fall of President Bashar al-Assad has left a critical question: After a half-century of brutal dynastic rule has come to an end, who speaks for Syrians now?

One group staking a major claim for that role is Hayat Tahrir...

Why does Colorado have so many ballot measures?

Written by John Matsusaka, Professor of Finance and Business Economics, University of Southern California

Colorado voters had the chance to weigh in on 14 ballot measures when they voted in November 2024, covering a wide range of issues, including abortion, school choice, taxes, trophy hunting and primary elections.

Denver voters faced an additional 11 ballot measures.

These measures were in addition to voting for president and other federal, state and...