The Conversation

Students understand calculus better when the lessons are active

Written by Laird Kramer, Professor of Physics, Florida International University

A new study found that college students better understand complex calculus concepts in active learning classes. Hill Street Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images

College students learn more calculus in an active learning course in which students solve problems during class than in a traditional lecture-based course. That’s according to a peer...

The Gaza Strip − why the history of the densely populated enclave is key to understanding the current conflict

Written by Maha Nassar, Associate Professor in the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies, University of Arizona

Destruction from the latest siege of Gaza.Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The focus on conflict in the Middle East has again returned to the Gaza Strip, with Israel’s defense minister ordering a “complete siege” of the Palestinian enclave.

The military operation, which involves extensive bombing of residences, follows a surpri...

America's farmers are getting older, and young people aren't rushing to join them

Written by David R. Buys, Associate Professor of Health, Mississippi State University

Seeking greenhorns with green thumbs.Steve Smith/Tetra Images via Getty Images

CC BY-ND

On Oct. 12, National Farmers’ Day, Americans honor the hardworking people who keep the world fed and clothed.

But the farming labor force has a problem: It’s aging rapidly.

The average American farmer is 57 and a half years old, according to the most...

Peace in Sudan is elusive for any would-be mediators – but a new window of opportunity has opened for outside intervention

Written by Hyeran Jo, Associate Professor of Political Science, Texas A&M University

The Sudanese military has been at war with the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group since April 2023.AFP via Getty Images

More than five months have passed since intense fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group also known as the RSF. In that time, more than 7,000 people have been killed and n...

Exxon, Apple and other corporate giants will have to disclose all their emissions under California's new climate laws – that will have a global impact

Written by Lily Hsueh, Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Arizona State University

Marathon Petroleum Corporation's Los Angeles refinery, California's largest producer of gasoline. David McNew/Getty Images

Many of the world’s largest public and private companies will soon be required to track and report almost all of their greenhouse gas emissions if they do business in California – including emissions from their...

Supreme Court to hear arguments in key case about gerrymandering

Written by Claire Wofford, Associate Professor of Political Science, College of Charleston

Tourists visit the Supreme Court building on June 23, 2023, in Washington.Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images News via Getty Images

A South Carolina case about gerrymandering – the drawing of legislative district lines to maximize political power – that could affect voting rights around the country will be one of the cases decided by the U.S....

Is Taiwan a country or not?

Written by Joshua Holzer, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Westminster College

A soldier holds Taiwan's national flag during military drills. AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying

Defining what is and isn’t a country is a lot more complicated than many people would realize. Take the case of Taiwan.

On Aug. 30, 2023, a committee of the U.K. Parliament referred to Taiwan as an “independent country” in a report. This is the...

How 'nones' − the religiously unaffiliated − are finding meaning, purpose and spirituality in psychedelic churches

Written by Morgan Shipley, Foglio Endowed Chair of Spirituality & Associate Chair of Religious Studies, Michigan State University

An ayahuasca ceremony at a Hummingbird Church in Hildale, Utah, in 2022. AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

More and more surveys point to decreasing membership in religious institutions and a corresponding rise of “nones.” Many people might assume that this indicates the absence of belief or a lack of spirituality.

Particularly in the West,...

Claudia Goldin’s Nobel Prize win is a victory for women in economics − and the field as a whole

Written by Veronika Dolar, Associate Professor of Economics, SUNY Old Westbury

The world's newest Nobel laureate takes a bow.Carlin Stiehl/Getty Images

Economic history has long been chronicled through a male lens, emphasizing the contributions of men and their viewpoints. For proof, just look to the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. It’s been awarded to 90 men since 1969 – and just three women.

The third...

Why more school counselors and psychologists alone won't solve America's mental health crisis among students

Written by Joni Williams Splett, Associate Professor of School Psychology, University of Florida

Student-to-counselor ratios in America's schools often exceed what is recommended.SDI Productions via Getty Images

Of all the challenges that threaten the well-being of America’s schoolchildren, one of the most serious and severe is the lack of school counselors and school psychologists. Despite the increased demand for their services,...