The Conversation

Two-state solution in the Middle East has been a core US policy for 25 years – is the Trump administration eyeing a change?

Written by Dan Arbell, Scholar-in-residence at the Center for Israeli Studies, American University

Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, holds a note given to him from President Donald Trump to be placed in the cracks of the Western Wall in the old city of Jerusalem on April 18, 2025.Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images

For a generation, the promotion of a “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a...

US Army’s image of power and flag-waving rings false to Gen Z weary of gun violence − and long-term recruitment numbers show it

Written by Jacob Ware, Adjunct Professor of Domestic Terrorism, Georgetown University

A recruit participates in the Army's future soldier prep course at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., on Sept. 25, 2024. AP Photo/Chris Carlson

The U.S. Army will celebrate its 250th birthday on Saturday, June 14, 2025, with a parade in Washington, D.C., in which about 6,600 soldiers and heavy pieces of military equipment will roll through the...

Older adults with dementia misjudge their financial skills – which may make them more vulnerable to fraud, new research finds

Written by Ian McDonough, Associate Professor of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Older adults generally have a good sense of their own financial abilities – unless they have dementia. shapecharge/E+ via Getty Images

Older adults diagnosed with dementia lose their ability to assess how well they manage their finances, according to a recent study I co-authored in The Gerontologist. In comparison, people of the same age who...

AI literacy: What it is, what it isn’t, who needs it and why it’s hard to define

Written by Daniel S. Schiff, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Purdue University

AI literacy is a lot more than simply knowing how to prompt an AI chatbot.DNY59/E+ via Getty Images

It is “the policy of the United States to promote AI literacy and proficiency among Americans,” reads an executive order President Donald Trump issued on April 23, 2025. The executive order, titled Advancing Artificial Intelligence...

Federal R D funding boosts productivity for the whole economy − making big cuts to such government spending unwise

Written by Andrew Fieldhouse, Visiting Assistant Professor of Finance, Texas A&M University

Research can make everyone better off. Emilija Manevska/Moment via Getty Images

Large cuts to government-funded research and development can endanger American innovation – and the vital productivity gains it supports.

The Trump administration has already canceled at least US$1.8 billion in research grants previously awarded by the National...

AI tools collect and store data about you from all your devices – here’s how to be aware of what you’re revealing

Written by Christopher Ramezan, Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity, West Virginia University

AI tools gather information about you from many types of devices, including smartphones.Prostock-Studio/Getty Images

Like it or not, artificial intelligence has become part of daily life. Many devices – including electric razors and toothbrushes – have become “AI-powered,” using machine learning algorithms to track how a...

Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

Written by Magali A. Delmas, Professor of Management, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles

The blue Energy Star label is widely recognized across the U.S.Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Since the early 1990s, the small blue Energy Star label has appeared on millions of household appliances, electronics and even buildings across the United States. But as the Trump administration considers terminating some or all of the...

Adolescents who smoke or vape may believe tobacco’s perceived coping benefits outweigh accepted health risks

Written by Adriana Espinosa, Associate Professor of Psychology, City College of New York

Many parents are unaware of their adolescents' tobacco use.Naveen Asaithambi/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Tobacco use in a variety of forms is common in adolescent life today, with over 2.25 million youth using.

Huge progress has been made over the past few decades in reducing cigarette use among young people. But tobacco use – primarily...

How a new bus line in Philadelphia is defying post-pandemic transit trends

Written by Julene Paul, Assistant Professor of Planning, University of Texas at Arlington

The 49 bus connects the Strawberry Mansion, Grays Ferry and University City neighborhoods. Courtesy of SEPTA

When the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority launched the 49 bus route in Philadelphia in early 2019, those who most benefited were older adults and people who already ride the bus – and not commuters who were persuaded...

From Washington’s burned letters to Trump’s missing transcripts, partial presidential records limit people’s full understanding of history

Written by Shannon Bow O'Brien, Associate Professor of Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin

The presidential Resolute Desk at the White House on Feb. 12, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

President Donald Trump’s second term as president will surely go down in history, though of course, just six months into his four-year term, much of this story has yet to be written.

But it is already clear that most Americans will not be able to...