The Conversation

How the ancient Jewish 'new year for trees' became an Israeli celebration of nature

Written by Shay Rabineau, Associate Professor of Israel Studies, Binghamton University, State University of New York

The cultural significance of Tu BiShvat has taken on new meaning in modern Israel.Teddy Brauner/National Photo Collection, Government Press Office (Israel)

As a professor who researches Israel’s extensive network of hiking trails, I’ve spent many days and nights in the field, walking long-distance routes and sleeping under the stars....

ChatGPT is great – you're just using it wrong

Written by Jonathan May, Research Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of Southern California

ChatGPT is better used for playacting than playing at finding facts.EvgeniyShkolenko/iStock via Getty Images

It doesn’t take much to get ChatGPT to make a factual mistake. My son is doing a report on U.S. presidents, so I figured I’d help him out by looking up a few biographies. I tried asking for a list of books about Abraham Lincoln...

A journey from work to home is about more than just getting there – the psychological benefits of commuting that remote work doesn't provide

Written by Matthew Piszczek, Assistant Professor of Management, Wayne State University

Commuting can create a ‘liminal space.’mikroman6/Moment via Getty Images

For most American workers who commute, the trip to and from the office takes nearly one full hour a day – 26 minutes each way on average, with 7.7% of workers spending two hours or more on the road.

Many people think of commuting as a chore and a waste of time....

Russia is violating the last remaining nuclear treaty with the US, according to Washington

Written by Nina Srinivasan Rathbun, Professor of International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Russian nuclear missiles are paraded in Red Square in Moscow in 2020. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

After decades of progress on limiting the buildup of nuclear weapons, Russia’s war on Ukraine has prompted renewed nuclear tensions between Russia and the U.S.

The U.S. State Department told Congress on Jan. 31, 2023, that Russia is not complying...

Why the Fed raised interest rates by the smallest amount since it began its epic inflation fight

Written by William Chittenden, Associate Professor of Finance, Texas State University

Markets reacted positively to Fed Chair Powell's acknowledging “disinflation” is happening. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

The Federal Reserve’s policy-setting committee lifted interest rates on Feb. 1, 2023, by a quarter of a percentage point to a range of 4.5% to 4.75%. The increase, the smallest since the Fed began an aggressive campaign...

What international law says about Israel's planned destruction of Palestinian assailants' homes

Written by Robert Goldman, Professor of Law, American University

Palestinians block roads to protest home demolitionAhmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)

After a deadly attack that killed seven people outside an East Jerusalem synagogue, the Israeli government responded by sealing off the home of the Palestinian suspect in preparation for its destruction. The family home of a 13-year-old accused in a separate...

City planners are questioning the point of parking garages

Written by Kevin J. Krizek, Professor of Environmental Design, University of Colorado Boulder

The typical car is parked 95% of the time.Nastco/iStock via Getty Images

For the past century, the public and private sector appear to have agreed on one thing: the more parking, the better.

As a result, cities were built up in ways that devoted valuable space to storing cars, did little to accommodate people who don’t own cars and forced...

Lung cancer rates have decreased for the Marlboro Man, but have risen steeply for nonsmokers and young women – an oncologist explains why

Written by Estelamari Rodriguez, Associate Director of Community Outreach in Thoracic Oncology, University of Miami

Around 20% of women with lung cancer have never smoked.Mallika Wiriyathitipirn/EyeEm via Getty Images

When many people think of an average lung cancer patient, they often imagine an older man smoking. But the face of lung cancer has changed. Over the past 15 years, more women, never smokers and younger people are being diagnosed with lung cancer.

In...

George Santos: A democracy can't easily penalize lies by politicians

Written by Miguel Schor, Professor of Law and Associate Director of the Drake University Constitutional Law Center, Drake University

George Santos, in the middle, lied his way to winning election to Congress, where he took the oath of office on Jan. 7, 2023.AP Photo/Alex Brandon

George Santos is not the first politician to have lied, but the fables he told to get elected to Congress may be in a class by themselves. Historian Sean Wilentz remarked that while embellishments...

US is spending record amounts servicing its national debt – interest rate hikes add billions to the cost

Written by Gerald P. Dwyer, Professor Emeritus of Economics and BB&T Scholar, Clemson University

Putting your money where his mouth is.DNY59/E+ via Getty Images

Consumers and businesses aren’t the only ones feeling the pain of higher borrowing costs because of Federal Reserve rate hikes. Uncle Sam is too.

The U.S. government spent a record US$213 billion on interest payments on its debt in the fourth quarter, up $63 billion from a year...