The Conversation

Why both Israel and Hezbollah are eager to avoid tit-for-tat attacks escalating into full-blown war

Written by Asher Kaufman, Professor of History and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

Hezbollah commander Wissam al-Tawil, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.Hezbollah Military Media, via AP

The killing of a Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon on Jan. 8, 2024, has raised concern that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could escalate into a regional war.

Wissam al-Tawil, the head of a unit that operates on Lebanon’s...

Taiwanese election may determine whether Beijing opts to force the issue of reunification

Written by Meredith Oyen, Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Posters of presidential candidate William Lai and his running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim.Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images)

When the votes are being tallied in Taiwan’s presidential election, it won’t be only the 23.6 million inhabitants of the island eagerly awaiting a result – in Beijing and Washington, too, there will be some...

Plagiarism is not always easy to define or detect

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

Quite a few high-profile careers in higher education have been upended as of late amid questions of academic integrity. Marc Tessier-Lavigne, who had served as president of Stanford University for seven years, stepped down in 2023 after it was determined that he had falsified information for a dozen academic papers. The latest casualty is Claudine...

LGBTQ+ workers want more than just pride flags in June

Written by Dorian Rhea Debussy, Lecturer of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, The Ohio State University

Recognition helps. Benefits may help more.Kosamtu/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Every year, more and more companies seem to recognize Pride Month. But a recent analysis shows that LGBTQ+ workers expect more than this once-a-year acknowledgment from their employers. In fact, some employees actually criticize such behavior as mere pinkwashing.

So, what do...

Take laughter, add tears − the secret recipe for the most-liked Super Bowl ads

Written by Niusha Jones, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Boise State University

Emotions often run high during the Super Bowl -- and that includes during the commercial breaks.Nathan Howard/Associated Press

Viewers gravitate toward Super Bowl commercials that incorporate both happiness and sadness, our 2023 study shows.

On the other hand, advertisements that blend happiness and fear turn people off.

And people are indifferent...

Voters don't always have final say -- state legislatures and governors are increasingly undermining ballot measures that win

Written by Anne Whitesell, Assistant Professor, Political Science, Miami University

Supporters of Issue 1, which would codify reproductive rights, including abortion, in the Ohio Constitution, cheer election results on Nov. 7, 2023.Andrew Spear/Getty Images

Less than half of Americans trust elected officials to act in the public’s interest.

When voters want something done on an issue and their elected officials fail to act,...

I set out to investigate where silky sharks travel − and by chance documented a shark's amazing power to regenerate its sabotaged fin

Written by Chelsea Black, Ph.D. Candidate in Marine Ecosystems and Society, University of Miami

Rather than a tracking tag telling scientists where this shark traveled, its violent removal let them observe an unexpected regeneration process.Josh Schellenberg, CC BY-ND

I made an accidental and astonishing discovery while studying the movements of sharks off the coast of Jupiter, Florida. I set out to record the migration routes of silky...

What Taoism teaches about the body and being healthy

Written by Michael Naparstek, Lecturer in Religious Studies, University of Tennessee

Daoism, which emphasizes harmony with nature, can inform individuals on their relationship with the environment.Ma Yuan 'Walking on Path in Spring.' National Palace Museum via Wikimedia Commons

New Year’s resolutions often come with a renewed investment in making our bodies healthier. Many may take to the newest diet plan or sign up for a...

Rabies is an ancient, unpredictable and potentially fatal disease − two rabies researchers explain how to protect yourself

Written by Rodney E. Rohde, Regents' Professor & Chair, Medical Laboratory Science, Texas State University

Rabies virus (red) has an incubation period that can last from days to months.NIAID/Flickr, CC BY

A feral kitten in Omaha, Nebraska, tested positive for rabies in November 2023. It died of the raccoon variant of the virus, which is typically found only in the Appalachian Mountains. Detecting this variant hundreds of miles away in the Midwest raised...

Trump’s arguments for immunity not as hopeless as some claim

Written by Ofer Raban, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Oregon

Donald Trump has claimed that presidents are immune from prosecution for official acts.AP Photo/Toby Brusseau

Former President Donald Trump’s claims of immunity from criminal prosecution will be argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Jan. 9, 2024 – on an interlocutory appeal from his trial for...