The Conversation

What's in your genome? Parents-to-be want to know

Written by Carolyn Sue Richards, Professor of molecular and medical genetics, Oregon Health & Science University

By In The Light Photography/shutterstock.com

Every parent-to-be wants a healthy baby. And, when offered an opportunity, most couples want to know which disease-causing genes, or risk factors, they carry and could unwittingly pass to their children.

I’m a clinical molecular geneticist and wanted to understand exactly how much do people want...

Why medicine leads the professions in suicide, and what we can do about it

Written by Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University

Suicide is more prevalent among doctors than any other profession. Burnout could be a reason.Iuri Silvestre/Shutterstock.com

Earlier this month, one of us visited a prominent U.S. medical school to give a lecture on the topic of burnout and how physicians can find more fulfillment in the practice of medicine. Sadly, that very day, a fourth-year...

Women's higher education was pioneered by evangelical Christian leaders

Written by Andrea L. Turpin, Associate Professor of History, Baylor University

Evangelical Christian educator, Paige Patterson.AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser, File

Southern Baptist Convention leader Paige Patterson was asked to step down early Wednesday morning following a meeting of the board of trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he served as president. With a following of over 15 million, Southern...

Would Rachel Carson eat organic?

Written by Robert Paarlberg, Adjunct Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University

'Silent Spring' author Rachel Carson testifies before a Senate Government Operations Subcommittee in Washington, D.C. on June 4, 1963. Carson urged Congress to curb the sale of chemical pesticides and aerial spraying. AP

Rachel Carson, who was born on May 27, 1907, and launched the modern environmental movement with her 1962 book “Silent...

Could protest curb school violence? Lessons from the opt-out movement

Written by Sarah Stitzlein, Professor of Education and Affiliate Faculty in Philosophy, University of Cincinnati

Students walk out of school in March 2018 as part of a nationwide protest against gun violence.Lynne Sladky/AP

In the wake of the Santa Fe, Texas, school shooting, former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan voiced support for a school boycott. The boycott – which Duncan has said could take place in September – would involve keeping kids...

How 'media snacks' – from HQ Trivia to Candy Crush – are transforming the workplace

Written by Ethan Tussey, Associate Professor in the School of Film, Media & Theatre, Georgia State University

A quick distraction is at our fingertips – and app developers know it. JrCasas/Shutterstock.com

When Snow White sang “Whistle While You Work,” she was participating in a long tradition of using entertainment to manage the stresses of labor.

That same year, factory owners in the United Kingdom became interested in exploring whether...

Personality tests with deep-sounding questions provide shallow answers about the 'true' you

Written by Randy Stein, Assistant Professor of Marketing, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

A quirky quiz probably isn't going to tell you much about your innermost essence.StunningArt/Shutterstock.com

Have you ever clicked on a link like “What does your favorite animal say about you?” wondering what your love of hedgehogs reveals about your psyche? Or filled out a personality assessment to gain new understanding into whether...

How Stacey Abrams' 'black girl magic' turned Georgia a bit more blue

Written by Sharon Austin, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of African American Studies, University of Florida

Abrams savors her victory.AP Photo/John Bazemore

On May 22, 2018, Stacey Abrams, an African-American, 44-year-old former attorney, Georgia General Assembly House minority leader and Yale Law graduate beat former attorney white Georgia state legislator Stacey Evans in the Georgia Democratic gubernatorial primary. While the race was hard-fought, the...

Wall Street regulations need a facelift, not a minor Dodd-Frank makeover

Written by Jena Martin, Professor of Law, West Virginia University

Wall Street needs a new face.AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

Republicans finally managed to roll back some of the Wall Street regulations passed by Congress in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis after years of trying.

While it wasn’t a full repeal as some had hoped, it’s the first legislative overhaul since the Dodd-Frank Act became law...

What are these 'levels' of autonomous vehicles?

Written by Huei Peng, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan

What can this car do on its own, and what does it still need human help with?AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

As automated and autonomous vehicles become more common on U.S. roads, it’s worth a look at what these machines can – and can’t – do. At the University of Michigan’s Mcity, where I serve as director, we’re working...