The Conversation

'Time warp' takes students to Native American past to search for solutions for the future

Written by Eric M. Anderman, Professor of Educational Psychology and Quantitative Research, Evaluation, and Measurement, The Ohio State University

Students become more emotionally engaged with history when it's presented in an interactive way, research shows.SDI Productions via Getty Images

The eyes of the fifth graders in Ms. Evans’ class widened as they saw a dazzling light on the classroom smartboard and the phrase, “Let’s do the Time Warp!”

Ms. Evans, who teaches at...

This Thanksgiving − and on any holiday − these steps will help prevent foodborne illness

Written by Kimberly Baker, Food Systems and Safety Program Team Director and Assistant Extension Specialist, Clemson University

A delicious – and safe – holiday spread involves careful foreplanning and preparation.Lauri Patterson/E+ via Getty Images

Thanksgiving is a time for gathering with friends and family around the dinner table. No one wants to cause their family or friends to get sick from a foodborne illness on this holiday or any other occasion.

The...

In America, national parks are more than scenic − they’re sacred. But they were created at a cost to Native Americans

Written by Thomas S. Bremer, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, American Religious History, Rhodes College

'Valley of the Yosemite' by the 19th-century artist Albert Bierstadt, owned by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.VCG Wilson/Corbis via Getty Images

Abraham Lincoln has an almost saintly place in U.S. history: the “Great Emancipator” whose leadership during the Civil War preserved the Union and abolished slavery.

Often overlooked among his...

Thank gluten's complex chemistry for your light, fluffy baked goods

Written by Kristine Nolin, Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Richmond

Gluten is in a variety of breads and baked goods − it helps them rise and gives bread its characteristic texture. Adam Gault/OJO Images via Getty Images

Within the bread, rolls and baked goods on many tables this holiday season is an extraordinary substance – gluten. Gluten’s unique chemistry makes foods airy and stretchy.

I’m...

Airlines are frustrating travelers by changing frequent flyer program rules – here's why they keep doing it

Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Clinical Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy and Law, Boston University

A boom time for airlines can a bust for loyal passengers.Martin-dm/E+/Getty Images

As the U.S. holiday travel season picks up, many people are noticing that their frequent flyer benefits aren’t going as far as they used to.

In September 2023, Delta Air Lines revamped its frequent flyer program to make it tougher to earn status — a...

Thanksgiving stories gloss over the history of US settlement on Native lands

Written by Lisa Michelle King, Associate Professor of English, University of Tennessee

Native Americans depicted at the first Thanksgiving feast, in a 1960 film about the Pilgrims’ first year in America.AP Photo

Too often, K-12 social studies classes in the U.S. teach a mostly glossed-over story of U.S. settlement. Textbooks tell the stories of adventurous European explorers founding colonies in the “New World,” and...

Good profits from bad news: How the Kennedy assassination helped make network TV news wealthy

Written by Michael J. Socolow, Professor of Communication and Journalism, University of Maine

President John F. Kennedy is seen shortly before his assassination on Nov. 22, 1963.Associated Press

In journalism, bad news sells. “If it bleeds, it leads” is a famous industry catchphrase, which explains why violent crime, war and terrorism, and natural disasters are ubiquitous on TV news.

The fact that journalists and their employers...

Immune health is all about balance – an immunologist explains why both too strong and too weak an immune response can lead to illness

Written by Aimee Pugh Bernard, Assistant Professor of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

When immune cells become overactive, your immune system itself can cause disease.NIAID/Flickr, CC BY-SA

For immune health, some influencers seem to think the Goldilocks philosophy of “just right” is overrated. Why settle for less immunity when you can have more? Many social media posts push supplements and other life hacks that...

Education linked to better employment prospects upon release from prison

Written by Ben Stickle, Professor of Criminal Justice Administration, Middle Tennessee State University

Better job prospects. Higher wages. A greater chance of staying out of jail. Those are the key outcomes that we discovered for incarcerated people who get an education while serving their time.

Our findings were published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice. They are based on an analysis of research studies on the effects of prison...

What a biannual gathering of 1967 Impalas reveals about the blurry line between fandom and religion

Written by Joseph P. Laycock, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Texas State University

In the cult TV series 'Supernatural,' the car driven by the two protagonists is a star in its own right.Natasha Mikles, CC BY-SA

Among the many spooky events happening over Halloween weekend was the biannual “Haunting of Impalas” at Family Business Brewing, a 15-acre brewery in Dripping Springs, Texas, owned by actor and musician Jensen...