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As Democratic primaries near, educators can teach hope to a polarized citizenry

  • Written by Sarah Stitzlein, Professor of Education and Affiliate Faculty in Philosophy, University of Cincinnati
Volunteers in Iowa ahead of the Iowa caucus listening to a speaker on Jan. 25, 2020. Stephen Maturen/ AFP via Getty images

With the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary approaching many Americans are making their choice, although there are those who are still struggling with who to vote for.

Elections often inspire hope, but that hope can quickly...

Read more: As Democratic primaries near, educators can teach hope to a polarized citizenry

Humans are hardwired to dismiss facts that don't fit their worldview

  • Written by Adrian Bardon, Professor of Philosophy, Wake Forest University
What's behind this natural tendency?Zhou Eka/Shutterstock.com

Something is rotten in the state of American political life. The U.S. (among other nations) is increasingly characterized by highly polarized, informationally insulated ideological communities occupying their own factual universes.

Within the conservative political blogosphere, global...

Read more: Humans are hardwired to dismiss facts that don't fit their worldview

How do woodpeckers avoid brain injury?

  • Written by Joanna McKittrick, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego
Male pileated woodpecker. FotoRequest/Shutterstock.com

Slamming a beak against the trunk of a tree would seem like an activity that would cause headaches, jaw aches and serious neck and brain injuries. Yet woodpeckers can do this 20 times per second and suffer no ill effects.

Woodpeckers are found in forested areas worldwide, except in Australia....

Read more: How do woodpeckers avoid brain injury?

The Senate has actually tied in an impeachment trial – twice

  • Written by Gerard Magliocca, Professor of Law, Indiana University
Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase presided over the Senate during President Andrew Johnson's impeachment trial.Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper/Wikimedia Commons

The Senate will soon vote on whether to call witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. This vote could be 50-50.

If a tie occurs, Chief Justice John Roberts can cast a...

Read more: The Senate has actually tied in an impeachment trial – twice

Supreme Court allows public charge clause that kept Nazi-era refugees from the US

  • Written by Laurel Leff, Associate Professor of Journalism, Northeastern University
President Donald Trump congratulates newly naturalized citizens via a recorded message at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami field office.AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

During the Nazi era, roughly 300,000 additional Jewish refugees could have gained entry to the U.S. without exceeding the nation’s existing quotas.

The primary...

Read more: Supreme Court allows public charge clause that kept Nazi-era refugees from the US

Why we knock on wood

  • Written by Rosemary V. Hathaway, Associate Professor of English, West Virginia University
Knocking on wood may be a holdover from the pagan days of Europe, when tree spirits were believed to bring luck. www.shuterstock.com

Ever said something like, “I’ve never gotten a speeding ticket” – and then quickly, for luck, rapped your knuckles on a wooden table or doorframe?

Americans accompany this action by saying,...

Read more: Why we knock on wood

Has Trump proposed a Middle East peace plan – or terms of surrender for the Palestinians?

  • Written by Yehudah Mirsky, Professor of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Brandeis University
Pondering peace in the Middle East or processing political problems at home?Susan Walsh/AP Photo

January 28, 2020, is a date that will be remembered in Middle Eastern history – but it will take some time before anyone knows for sure how it will be remembered.

The day didn’t start well for Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s...

Read more: Has Trump proposed a Middle East peace plan – or terms of surrender for the Palestinians?

Limiting Senate inquiry ignores Founders' intent for impeachment

  • Written by Clark D. Cunningham, W. Lee Burge Chair in Law & Ethics; Director, National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism, Georgia State University
Benjamin Franklin was a leading voice in the debates framing the Constitution.Howard Chandler Christy/Architect of the Capitol

Senators will soon decide whether to dismiss the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump without hearing any witnesses. In making this decision, I believe they should consider words spoken at the...

Read more: Limiting Senate inquiry ignores Founders' intent for impeachment

Britain's Brexit divorce is here – but the bickering over alimony payments and who gets the house is only beginning

  • Written by Garret Martin, Professorial Lecturer, American University School of International Service
The main immediate impact of Brexit is that UK lawmakers will have to vacate the EU Parliament. AP Photo/Francisco Seco

On Jan. 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally ceases to be a member of the European Union, 1,317 days after citizens of the U.K. narrowly voted to do so in their Brexit referendum.

So what happens now? Does it mean the U.K. and...

Read more: Britain's Brexit divorce is here – but the bickering over alimony payments and who gets the house...

The US economy produced about $21.7 trillion in goods and services in 2019 - but what does GDP really mean?

  • Written by Dan Sichel, Professor of Economics, Wellesley College
It's just dollars and cents.mrfiza/Getty Images

Editor’s note: The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported on Jan. 30 that U.S. Gross Domestic Product climbed to an estimated nominal value of US$21.7 trillion. But what does that really mean? We asked Dan Sichel, an economist at Wellesley College, to explain what goes into that massive number...

Read more: The US economy produced about $21.7 trillion in goods and services in 2019 - but what does GDP...

More Articles ...

  1. The US economy produced about $21.7 trillion in goods and services in 2019 – but what does GDP really mean?
  2. Is the coronavirus outbreak as bad as SARS or the 2009 influenza pandemic? A biologist explains the clues
  3. What is a super spreader? An infectious disease expert explains
  4. Harvey Weinstein's 'false memory' defense is not backed by science
  5. How do I know if I might have coronavirus? 5 questions answered
  6. Modern tomatoes are very different from their wild ancestors – and we found missing links in their evolution
  7. Union gunboats didn't just attack rebel military sites – they went after civilian property, too
  8. 4 myths the Trump team promoted about Andrew Johnson
  9. Preventing genocide in Myanmar: Court order tries to protect Rohingya Muslims where politics has failed
  10. Brain organoids help neuroscientists understand brain development, but aren't perfect matches for real brains
  11. I track murder cases that use the 'gay panic defense,' a controversial practice banned in 9 states
  12. Britain is about to leave the EU – what's next?
  13. Islamophobia in the US did not start with Trump, but his tweets perpetuate a long history of equating Muslims with terrorism
  14. The meme endorsement you might have missed – and why it matters for 2020
  15. Hidden by a pleasant scent: The health consequences of flavor in e-cigarettes
  16. Beware the brokered convention that breaks up the party
  17. E-cig flavors may be more than alluring; they could cause damage themselves
  18. Teaching kids how to make guitars can get them hooked on engineering
  19. Why legislation is needed to make Holocaust education more prominent in public schools: 5 questions answered
  20. Worried about accidentally harassing a woman? Don't be
  21. When will there be a coronavirus vaccine? 5 questions answered
  22. A secret reason Rx drugs cost so much: A global web of patent laws protects Big Pharma
  23. Puerto Rico earthquakes imperil island's indigenous heritage
  24. Despite defeats, the Islamic State remains unbroken and defiant around the world
  25. Americans on the right and left change their minds after hearing where Trump stands
  26. Young California ranchers are finding new ways to raise livestock and improve the land
  27. Is workplace rudeness on the rise?
  28. Hate cancel culture? Blame algorithms
  29. After the trial's over, President Trump's impeachment battles could determine who holds real power in the US government
  30. Gay rights dispute is pulling apart the United Methodist Church, after decades of argument
  31. Obesity, second to smoking as the most preventable cause of US deaths, needs new approaches
  32. Don't be fooled – most independents are partisans too
  33. How Minneapolis made Prince
  34. Why it's unclear whether private programs for 'troubled teens' are working
  35. What is white-nose syndrome in bats?
  36. Study finds ethics can be taught – in finance, at least
  37. How CEOs, experts and philosophers see the world's biggest risks differently
  38. Atmospheric river storms can drive costly flooding – and climate change is making them stronger
  39. Does impeachment need a crime? Not according to framers of the Constitution
  40. If it's below 40 degrees in South Florida, the forecast calls for falling iguanas
  41. 5 obstacles that stop many students from taking an internship
  42. Why your zodiac sign is probably wrong
  43. In the terrorism fight, Trump has continued a key Obama policy
  44. Winning worker hearts and minds is key to companies achieving their green goals
  45. Are you in danger of catching the coronavirus? 5 questions answered
  46. The serious consequence of exercising too much, too fast
  47. 200 years of exploring Antarctica – the world's coldest, most forbidding and most peaceful continent
  48. When lesbians led the women's suffrage movement
  49. Precedent? Nah, the Senate gets to reinvent its rules in every impeachment
  50. Joaquin Phoenix's lips mocked - here's what everyone should know about cleft lip