The Conversation

Time banks could ease the burden of elder care and promote connection

Written by Chao Guo, Professor of Nonprofit Management, University of Pennsylvania

Older people may need help getting the hang of using technology.Maskot/GettyImages

Long-term care for older people is challenging for everyone. The costs are high and the quality of care is unpredictable at best, often falling short.

The U.S. health care system is so hard to navigate that experts can find it aggravating. Even when people who need...

Hanukkah celebrates both an ancient military victory and a miracle of light – modern Jews can pick from either tradition

Written by Joshua Shanes, Emanuel Ringelblum Professor in Jewish History, University of California, Davis

The main ritual of Hanukkah is the lighting of the menorah.skynesher/ E+ via Getty Images

Friends and family will come together to celebrate, share gifts and eat traditional foods as the eight-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah begins on Dec. 14, 2025.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the center of ancient...

‘Are you married?’ Why doctors ask invasive questions during treatment

Written by Jill Inderstrodt, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, Indiana University

The demographic data collected at doctor's visits is useful to medical researchers.MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images

It’s a rare occasion when my worlds of biomedical informatics and serialized lesbian melodrama fandom collide.

But that’s exactly what happened earlier this summer when two of my favorite actresses appeared...

From FIFA to the LA Clippers, carbon offset scandals are exposing the gap between sports teams’ green promises and reality

Written by Brian P. McCullough, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

Under team owner Steve Ballmer, in the checkered shirt, the LA Clippers have cut their greenhouse gas emissions, but their carbon offsets raise questions.Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

If you go to a pro sports event today, there’s a good chance the stadium or arena will be powered at least in part by renewable energy. The team...

2026’s abortion battles will be fought more in courthouses and FDA offices than at the voting booth

Written by Rachel Rebouché, Professor of Law, The University of Texas at Austin

Medication abortions are increasingly common in states with abortion bans. Anti-abortion forces are pushing the courts and the White House to gut that access.Charlie Neibergall/AP Images

In 2026, the biggest battles over abortion will not be at the polls.

There will be a few contested measures on state ballots. Next year, Nevada’s government...

Trump administration’s immigrant detention policy broadly rejected by federal judges

Written by Cassandra Burke Robertson, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Professional Ethics, Case Western Reserve University

Federal agents search for undocumented immigrants in Chicago on Nov. 6, 2025.Scott Olson/Getty Images

In federal courtrooms across America, a pattern has emerged in cases in which immigrants are being rounded up and jailed without a hearing. That’s a departure from fundamental constitutional protections in the U.S. that provide the right to a...

Doulas play essential roles in reproductive health care – and more states are beginning to recognize it

Written by Adetola F. Louis-Jacques, Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida

Research shows that doulas improve birth experiences and outcomes.Antonio_Diaz/iStock via Getty Images Plus

A growing share of Americans, especially in rural areas, are losing access to reproductive health care. At the same time, American women are dying during or after pregnancy at higher rates than in any other high-income country.

As a result,...

From early cars to generative AI, new technologies create demand for specialized materials

Written by Peter Müllner, Distinguished Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University

The development of new computing technologies drives the demand for improved materials. Yuichiro Chino/Moment via Getty Images

Generative artificial intelligence has become widely accepted as a tool that increases productivity. Yet the technology is far from mature. Large language models advance rapidly from one generation to the next, and experts...

Germany’s plan to deport Syrian refugees echoes 1980s effort to repatriate Turkish guest workers

Written by Michelle Lynn Kahn, Associate Professor of History, University of Richmond

Refugees from Syria walk with their luggage to the refugee shelter in Hamburg.Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images

For 14 years while Syria’s brutal civil war raged, Germany provided a safe haven for those fleeing the violence. Now, a year after that conflict ended with the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, many in Germany...

New industry standards and tech advances make pre-owned electronics a viable holiday gift option

Written by Suvrat Dhanorkar, Associate Professor of Operations Management, Georgia Institute of Technology

It's easier than ever to repair or recycle electronic devices.Elisa Schu/picture alliance via Getty Images

Electronic gifts are very popular, and in recent years, retailers have been offering significant discounts on smartphones, e-readers and other electronics labeled as “pre-owned.” Research I have co-led finds that these pre-owned...