The Conversation

Should AI be permitted in college classrooms? 4 scholars weigh in

Written by Nicholas Tampio, Professor of Political Science, Fordham University

Does AI enhance or cripple a person's analytical skills? Yevhen Lahunov/iStock via Getty Images Plus

One of the most intense discussions taking place among university faculty is whether to permit students to use artificial intelligence in the classroom. To gain perspective on the matter, The Conversation reached out to four scholars for their take...

Jobs are up, wages less so – and lower purchasing power could still lead the US into a recession

Written by Christopher Decker, Professor of Economics, University of Nebraska Omaha

Economists are feeling dismal for a reason.IS/Getty Images

Don’t be overly fooled by seemingly rosy jobs data heading into the Labor Day weekend.

Yes, the U.S. economy added 187,000 jobs in August 2023 – faster than the revised 157,000 increase for July and above most analysts’ expectations for the month. And yes, gains were seen...

As concern about Mitch McConnell's health grows, his legacy remains strong

Written by Al Cross, Professor and director emeritus, Institute for Rural Journalism, University of Kentucky

Mitch McConnell froze at a lectern in July 2023 and again more recently in August.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Even if Mitch McConnell’s health prevents him from accomplishing his stated goal of serving as Senate Republican leader through 2024, he will still be the longest-serving Senate leader of any party, one who remade the federal judiciary...

‘The Blind Side’ lawsuit spotlights tricky areas of family law

Written by Naomi Cahn, Professor of Law, University of Virginia

Sean Tuohy, Michael Oher and Leigh Anne Touhy pose for a photo before a University of Mississippi game in 2008.Matthew Sharpe/Getty Images

What’s the difference between adoption and conservatorship? Millions of dollars and the freedom to make your own choices, if you ask retired football player Michael Oher.

Oher, whose story was made into the...

North America’s summer of wildfire smoke: 2023 was only the beginning

Written by Charles O. Stanier, Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Iowa

Canada’s seemingly endless wildfires in 2023 introduced millions of people across North America to the health hazards of wildfire smoke. While Western states have contended with smoky fire seasons for years, the air quality alerts across the U.S. Midwest and Northeast this summer reached levels never seen there before.

The smoke left the air...

Trump's mug shot is now a means of entertainment and fundraising − but it will go down in history as an important cultural artifact

Written by Jonathan Finn, Professor of Communication Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University

One of the most anticipated events in the summer of 2023 was former President Donald Trump’s mug shot.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s office released Trump’s mug shot on Aug. 24, 2023, a little more than one week after a grand jury in Georgia indicted the former president and 18 associates for alleged attempts to overturn the...

Overly flexible connective tissue causes problems in joints and throughout the body − and is often missed by doctors

Written by Leslie Russek, Professor Emeritus of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University

Extreme flexibility can be an asset, but in some people it can be a liability.Lintao Zhang/Staff via Getty Images Sport

Connective tissue is found throughout the human body, within and between structures as varied as muscles, nerves and internal organs. Like an elaborate web, it holds everything together – providing the body shape and...

White men have controlled women’s reproductive rights throughout American history – the post-Dobbs era is no different

Written by Rodney Coates, Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Miami University

U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, a Democrat from Missouri, after participating in an abortion rights sit-in on July 19, 2022, in Washington.Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

More than a year after the Supreme Court ended federal protection for abortion rights in the United States, disagreements over abortion bans continue to reverberate around the country. Candidate...

United Auto Workers strike – if it happens – should channel the legacy of Walter Reuther, who led the union at the peak of its power

Written by Marick Masters, Professor of Business and Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Wayne State University

UAW President Walter Reuther, center, shakes hands with a Ford executive after agreeing on a three-year contract in 1967.Bettmann via Getty Images

The United Auto Workers are engaged in high-stakes labor negotiations that could lead to the union’s first simultaneous strike against all of Detroit’s Big Three automakers: General Motors,...

Michael Oher, Mike Tyson and the question of whether you own your life story

Written by Jorge L. Contreras, James T. Jensen Endowed Professor for Transactional Law and Director, Program on Intellectual Property and Technology Law, University of Utah

Michael Oher and his family celebrate his selection by the Baltimore Ravens at the 2009 NFL Draft. Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

What if you overcame a serious illness to go on to win an Olympic medal? Could a writer or filmmaker decide to tell your inspiring story without consulting you? Or do you “own” that story and control how it...