The Conversation

Why I teach a course connecting Taylor Swift's songs to the works of Shakespeare, Hitchcock and Plath

Written by Elizabeth Scala, Professor of English, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts

Literary devices abound in Taylor Swift's body of work.John Shearer/TAS18 via Getty Images

Unusual Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

Title of course:

“The Taylor Swift Songbook”

What prompted the idea for the course?

This class is part of a group of introductory...

World Cup: This year's special Al Rihla ball has the aerodynamics of a champion, according to a sports physicist

Written by John Eric Goff, Professor of Physics, University of Lynchburg

Every World Cup, Adidas introduces a new ball, and this year's is called the Al Rihla.Joern Pollex/FIFA via Getty Images

As with every World Cup, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar the players will be using a new ball. The last thing competitors want is for the most important piece of equipment in the most important tournament in the world’s...

COVID-19, RSV and the flu are straining health care systems – two epidemiologists explain what the 'triple threat' means for children

Written by Rebecca S.B. Fischer, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Texas A&M University

Pediatric emergency rooms in some states are at or over capacity due to the surging number of respiratory infections. GOLFX/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Every fall and winter, viral respiratory illnesses like the common cold and seasonal flu keep kids out of school and social activities. But this year, more children than usual are ending up at...

Abortion rights referendums are winning – with state-by-state battles over rights replacing national debate

Written by Rachel Rebouche, Dean, James E. Beasley Professor of Law, Temple University

An anti-abortion activist prays in front of a Planned Parenthood center in Philadelphia in September 2022.Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

The abortion landscape in the U.S. has been upended over the past five months, as many clinics offering the procedure have closed and people have traveled across state borders to obtain abortions where it...

Ending Amazon deforestation: 4 essential reads about the future of the world's largest rainforest

Written by Jennifer Weeks, Senior Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation

A burnt area in Amazonas state, Brazil, Sept. 21, 2022. Fires in the Amazon are often set to clear land.Michael Dantas/AFP via Getty Images

Brazil’s president-elect, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was greeted with applause and cheers when he addressed the U.N. climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 16, 2022. As he had in his...

Doctors often miss depression symptoms for certain groups – a routine screening policy for all adult primary care patients could significantly reduce the gap

Written by Maria Garcia, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide.Thomas Barwick/Stone via Getty Images

Depression is a costly and debilitating condition that profoundly influences a person’s quality of life. In 2020, more than 21 million adults in the U.S. reported having at least one major depressive episode in the previous year. Depression symptoms...

Nancy Pelosi was the key Democratic messenger of her generation – passing the torch will empower younger leadership

Written by Gerald Warburg, Professor of Practice of Public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia

Nancy Pelosi's stepping aside will leave the door open for others.Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The announcement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that she will not run for another senior post opens the door for a new generation of national leaders in the Democratic Party.

Pelosi confirmed she was stepping down as Speaker of the...

How same-sex marriage gained bipartisan support – a decadeslong process has brought it close to being written into federal law

Written by Tim Lindberg, Assistant professor, political science , University of Minnesota

People gather to celebrate LGBTQ pride week in Washington, D.C. in June 2021.Paul Morigi/Getty Images

While public opinion and different state laws on abortion rights are sharply dividing the country, there’s growing indication that most people agree on another once-controversial topic – protecting same-sex marriage.

The U.S. Senate voted...

Some midterm polls were on-target - but finding which pollsters and poll aggregators to believe can be challenging

Written by W. Joseph Campbell, Professor of Communication Studies, American University School of Communication

A prominent GOP poll said Democratic U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire would lose her re-election bid to a Republican. Hassan won by 9 percentage points.AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Pollsters indulged in breezy self-congratulation in the aftermath of the 2022 midterm elections. Pre-election polls, they declared, did well overall in signaling...

Some midterm polls were on-target – but finding which pollsters and poll aggregators to believe can be challenging

Written by W. Joseph Campbell, Professor of Communication Studies, American University School of Communication

A prominent GOP poll said Democratic U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire would lose her re-election bid to a Republican. Hassan won by 9 percentage points.AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Pollsters indulged in breezy self-congratulation in the aftermath of the 2022 midterm elections. Pre-election polls, they declared, did well overall in signaling...