The Conversation

FTX's collapse mirrors an infamous 18th century British financial scandal

Written by Amy Froide, Professor of History, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Sam Bankman-Fried, once considered a star in the freewheeling world of cryptocurrency, has been charged with conspiracy, fraud and money laundering.Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Enron. Bernie Madoff. FTX.

In modern capitalism, it seems as if stories of companies and managers who engage in fraud and swindle their investors occur like the...

Christmas isn't always holly jolly – even some of its best-loved songs are bittersweet

Written by David W. Stowe, Professor of Religious Studies, Michigan State University

'Joy to the World' may be one of the most famous hymns, but the Yuletide season isn't always cheery.Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images

In American culture, Christmas is supposed to be synonymous with joy. The familiar carols proclaim this message, with “Joy to the World” resounding in thousands of churches, while its secular...

Teddy Roosevelt's failed Bull Moose campaign may portend the future of the GOP and Donald Trump

Written by Jerald Podair, Professor of History, Lawrence University

A bold and brash Teddy Roosevelt during a visit to the Badlands in 1885. MPI/Getty Images

What happens when a former president decides he wants his old job back, regardless of what stands in his way?

As Donald Trump launches his third run for the White House, it is useful to look back at another ex-president, Theodore Roosevelt, whose campaign to...

How female Iranian activists use powerful images to protest oppressive policies

Written by Parichehr Kazemi, PhD Candidate, University of Oregon

Women have been at the forefront of protests in Iran.Hawar News Agency via AP via AP

Images of unveiled Iranian women and adolescent girls standing atop police cars or flipping off the ayatollah’s picture have become signature demonstrations of dissent in the past few months of protest in Iran.

In fact, among the Iranian protest photos...

Twitter in 2022: 5 essential reads about the consequences of Elon Musk's takeover of the microblogging platform

Written by Eric Smalley, Science + Technology Editor

It's safe to say that Elon Musk has transformed Twitter.Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images

You would be forgiven for growing numb to the almost daily assault of headlines proclaiming the latest stunning development involving Elon Musk’s tenure as owner and manager of Twitter. The microblogging platform has seen a rise in hate speech and...

Unusual, long-lasting gamma-ray burst challenges theories about these powerful cosmic explosions that make gold, uranium and other heavy metals

Written by Eleonora Troja, Associate Professor of Astrophysics, University of Rome Tor Vergata

When two neutron stars merge and create a black hole, they produce a powerful blast of gamma rays. A. Simonnet (Sonoma State Univ.) and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, CC BY-ND

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

A bright flash of gamma rays from the constellation Boötes that lasted nearly...

Who is at the manger? Nativity sets around the world show each culture's take on the Christmas story

Written by Kayla Harris, Librarian/Archivist at the Marian Library and Associate Professor, University of Dayton

A handmade Nativity from Kyrgyzstan by an unknown artisan. Instead of a stable, it features a yurt, the traditional home of nomadic Kyrgyz people.The Marian Library, University of Dayton, CC BY-NC-SA

For many Christians around the world, celebrating the Nativity, or the birth of Jesus Christ, is the most important part of the Christmas season.

Among...

Deja de usar “latinx” si realmente quieres ser inclusivo

Written by Melissa K. Ochoa, Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies, Saint Louis University

“Latine” es mucho más adaptable al idioma español.Mario Garza, CC BY-SA

La mayoría de los debates sobre el uso de “latinx” (se pronuncia la-tin-ex) se han dado en Estados Unidos. Pero la palabra ha empezado a propagarse en países hispanohablantes, donde no ha sido del todo adoptada.

En julio de...

Did He Jiankui 'Make People Better'? Documentary spurs a new look at the case of the first gene-edited babies

Written by G. Owen Schaefer, Assistant Professor in Biomedical Ethics, National University of Singapore

He Jiankui seemed unprepared for the furor set off by his bombshell announcement.The He Lab/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

In the four years since an experiment by disgraced scientist He Jiankui resulted in the birth of the first babies with edited genes, numerous articles, books and international commissions have reflected on whether and how heritable...

Americans’ personal savings rate is near an all-time low – an economist explains what it means as a potential recession looms

Written by Arabinda Basistha, Associate Professor of Economics, West Virginia University

Is Americans' low savings rate a problem?Maneerat/EyeEm via Getty Images

The rate at which Americans are saving money has dipped close to an all-time low, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The personal savings rate was 2.3% as of October, down from 7.3% a year earlier. It’s the lowest since July 2005, when the rate hit a record...