The Conversation

An 83-year-old short story by Borges portends a bleak future for the internet

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

Fifty years before the architecture for the web was created, Jorge Luis Borges had already imagined an analog equivalent.Sophie Bassouls/Sygma via Getty Images

How will the internet evolve in the coming decades?

Fiction writers have explored some possibilities.

In his 2019 novel “Fall,” science fiction author Neal Stephenson imagined a...

Carbon offsets can help bring energy efficiency to low-income Americans − our Nashville data shows it could be a win for everyone

Written by Zdravka Tzankova, Associate Professor of the Practice in Climate & Environmental Studies, Vanderbilt University

Replacing windows and adding a heat pump in place of a furnace can save energy, reducing emissions.Tristan Spinski for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Under pressure from customers and investors, many U.S. companies have pledged to voluntarily reduce their impact on the climate. But that doesn’t always mean they’re cutting their...

Workplace diversity training programs are everywhere, but their effectiveness varies widely

Written by Yekaterina Bezrukova, Associate Professor Organization and Human Resources, University at Buffalo

Diversity training programs had positive results when they implemented skills training and role-playing, according to a new study.Mikolette/Getty Images

Despite recent efforts to restrict them, diversity training programs have become as ubiquitous in American offices as the water cooler. They’re everywhere.

But our recent update on the state...

Black entrepreneurs are often shut out from capital, but here’s how some are removing barriers

Written by SherRhonda Gibbs, Dean, Division of Business and Economics, Morehouse College

Daymond John and Tracee Ellis Ross attend Black Entrepreneurs Day at the Apollo Theater on Oct. 22, 2022, in New York City. Johnny Nunez/WireImage via Getty Images

It’s never easy to create a successful business, but it’s a lot harder if you’re Black.

Research shows that Black startup founders face significant, racially specific...

Climate change is encouraging unsanitary toilet practices among vulnerable communities

Written by James Harper, Assistant Teaching Professor of Engineering Design, University of Colorado Boulder

A latrine shelter with a floodwater mark about 4 feet above ground level, leading to toilet dysfunction, in Kampong Thom province, Cambodia.Author supplied/iDE Cambodia, CC BY

Everyone knows that climate change has consequences, such as a higher likelihood of severe floods, hurricanes and droughts. But here’s a lesser-known problem: Climate...

Rethinking screen time: A better understanding of what people do on their devices is key to digital well-being

Written by Rinanda Shaleha, Doctoral student in the College of Health and Human Development, Penn State

What you do on your screens matters as much as how much time you spend on them.Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images

In an era where digital devices are everywhere, the term “screen time” has become a buzz phrase in discussions about technology’s impact on people’s lives. Parents are concerned about their...

The ‘Death Mother’: Horror’s most unnerving villain

Written by Kerry Hegarty, Associate Professor of Film Studies, Miami University

Toni Collette, right, and Milly Shapiro in 'Hereditary' (2018).IMDB

Horror films draw us into a world where our deepest anxieties are laid bare. They illuminate the darker recesses of the human psyche – ones that we often prefer to ignore.

And some of the most unsettling things we can imagine, it seems, are not zombies or aliens or demons, but...

What Ukraine can now do with longer-range US missiles − and how that could affect the course of the war

Written by Benjamin Jensen, Professor of Strategic Studies at the Marine Corps University School of Advanced Warfighting; Scholar-in-Residence, American University School of International Service

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office on Sept. 26, 2024.Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The outgoing Biden administration has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.- supplied longer-range missiles to strike deeper into Russia territory, according to reports citing White House officials.

The move comes...

Trump’s criminal conviction won’t stop him from getting security clearance as president

Written by Dakota Rudesill, Associate Professor of Law; Senior Faculty Fellow, Mershon Center for International Security Studies, The Ohio State University

Former President Donald Trump exits the courthouse after being found guilty of 34 felonies in May 2024.Seth Wenig-Pool/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump is the president-elect. He is also a convicted felon, thanks to a jury verdict after a trial in New York state court for a hush money conspiracy before he became president the first time.

No...

Americans face an insurability crisis as climate change worsens disasters – a look at how insurance companies set rates and coverage

Written by Andrew J. Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise, Ross School of Business, School for Environment & Sustainability, University of Michigan

Hurricane Beryl tore up homes in Freeport, Texas, in July 2024.Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Home insurance rates are rising in the United States, not only in Florida, which saw tens of billions of dollars in losses from hurricanes Helene and Milton, but across the country.

According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, homeowners insurance increased...