The Conversation

Trump treats laws as obstacles, not limits − and the only real check on his rule-breaking can come from political pressure

Written by Andrew Reeves, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Weidenbaum Center, Washington University in St. Louis

At his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, Donald Trump swore to 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.'Morry Gash/POOL/AFP, Getty Images

Lately, the headlines have been clear: President Donald Trump is headed for a showdown with the courts. If he ignores their rulings, the courts have few tools and limited power to make...

Too much sitting increases risk of future health problems in chest pain patients – new research

Written by Keith Diaz, Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University

Chest pain could be a symptom of angina or a heart attack.Moyo Studio/E+ via Getty Images

For patients hospitalized with chest pain, the amount of time they spend sedentary afterward is linked to a greater risk for more heart problems and death within a year. That’s the key finding of a new peer-reviewed study my colleagues and I published in...

Why your electricity bill is so high and what Pennsylvania is doing about it

Written by Hannah Wiseman, Professor of Law, Penn State

Pennsylvanians can expect 10% to 20% increases in their electricity bills over the next three years.Gregory Rodriguez/iStock via Getty Images

Americans’ electricity bills tend to tick up each year in line with inflation.

But upgrades to electric wires, reinforcing and protecting power lines from severe weather, and changing fuel costs –...

Rethinking engineering education: Why focusing on learning preferences matters for diversity

Written by Sharon Tettegah, Professor of Creative Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara

Retention and recruitment efforts designed to boost diversity in engineering programs often fall short of their goals.gorodenkoff/Getty Images

For decades, colleges, government agencies and foundations have experimented with recruitment and retention efforts designed to increase diversity in engineering programs.

However, the efforts have not...

Israel has promised ‘basic amount’ of food into Gaza − but its policies have already created catastrophic starvation risk for millions

Written by Yara M. Asi, Assistant Professor of Global Health Management and Informatics, University of Central Florida

Palestinians wait in line to receive meals in the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza City, Gaza, on May 17, 2025.Mahmoud ssa/Anadolu via Getty Images

After 18 months of punishing airstrikes, raids and an increasingly restrictive siege in Gaza, the United Nations on May 20, 2025, issued one of its most urgent warnings yet about the ongoing humanitarian...

19th-century Catholic teachings, 21st-century tech: How concerns about AI guided Pope Leo’s choice of name

Written by Nathan Schneider, Assistant Professor of Media Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

An 1878 photograph of Pope Leo XIII and members of his court, taken by Jules David.Wikimedia Commons

When Robert Francis Prevost chose the papal name Leo XIV, it could have meant many things. There were 13 Leos before him: The first, Leo the Great, was a fifth-century theologian who helped heal the doctrinal divisions among early Christians; Leo X,...

Making eye contact and small talk with strangers is more than just being polite − the social benefits of psychological generosity

Written by Linda R. Tropp, Professor of Social Psychology, UMass Amherst

Eyes down, headphones on – what message are you sending?vm/E+ via Getty Images

How much do you engage with others when you’re out in public? Lots of people don’t actually engage with others much at all. Think of commuters on public transportation staring down at their phones with earbuds firmly in place.

As a professor of social...

Aristotle would scoff at Mark Zuckerberg’s suggestion that AI can solve the loneliness epidemic

Written by Gregg D. Caruso, Professor of Ethics and Management and Director of the Waide Center for Applied Ethics, Fairfield University

Mark Zuckerberg has said that chatbots could meet a need for Americans who want more friends.Andrej Sokolow/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Mark Zuckerberg recently suggested that AI chatbots could combat social isolation by serving as “friends” for people experiencing loneliness.

He cited statistics that the average American has...

Biden is getting prostate cancer treatment, but that’s not the best choice for all men − a cancer researcher describes how she helped her father decide

Written by Luisel Ricks-Santi, Senior Associate Vice President Community Health, Education and Training, Old Dominion University; Associate Professor of Pharmacy, University of Florida

Joe Biden's Cancer Moonshot initiative had funded hundreds of cancer research projects across the country.AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

“Me encontraron càncer en la pròstata,” my father told me. “They found cancer in my prostate.”

As a cancer researcher who knows very well about the high incidence and decreased...

Independence Hall, Gettysburg and – Epcot? How Reagan helped elevate Disney to America’s roster of honored patriotic sites

Written by Bethanee Bemis, Museum Specialist, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

First lady Nancy Reagan kisses Mickey Mouse as President Ronald Reagan and Minnie Mouse watch 20 bands marching in the unofficial inaugural parade at Disney's Epcot Center on Memorial Day, May 27, 1985.Bettmann/Getty Images

A presidential or political visit is one of the ways in which the United States marks places as uniquely important. A space...