The Conversation

Paraguay's new president recalls an old dictatorship

Written by Ignacio González Bozzolasco, Professor of Comparative Politics, Universidad Católica de Asunción

Mario Abdo Benítez, or 'Marito,' as he's known, is the son of the private secretary to Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner. Reuters/Andres Stapff

Leer en español.

Almost three weeks after Paraguayans went to the polls to vote for president, vice-president, Congress and governors, the April 22 election results remain controversial.

Se...

No, the war in Afghanistan isn't a hopeless stalemate

Written by Robert M. Cassidy, Chamberlain Project Teaching Fellow, Wesleyan University

Afghan Northern Alliance fighters in 2001. Almost two decades later, the war continues.AP Photo/David Guttenfelder

The war in Afghanistan has become so protracted that it warrants the epithet the “Groundhog Day War.”

Fighting has gone on for nearly 17 years, with U.S. troops in Afghanistan seven years longer than the Soviets were.

The...

4 ways 'internet of things' toys endanger children

Written by Marie-Helen Maras, Associate Professor, Department of Security, Fire and Emergency Management, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York

Are toys sharing too much information on the internet?mhong84/Shutterstock.com

As Amazon releases an Echo Dot smart-home device aimed at children, it’s entering a busy and growing marketplace. More than one-third of U.S. homes with children has at least one “internet of things” connected toy – like a cuddly creature who can...

Sugars in mother's milk help shape baby's microbiome and ward off infection

Written by Steven Townsend, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University

Sugar mama? Researchers are teasing out the benefits of various molecules in human milk.Stefan Malmesjö, CC BY

While living in a mother’s womb, cushioned by amniotic fluid and protected from the outside world, babies have only minimal exposure to microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. Shortly after birth, a newborn’s collection...

A hangover pill? Tests on drunk mice show promise

Written by Yunfeng Lu, Professor Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles

Keep the buzz. Lose the hangover.By bogdanhoda/Shutterstock.com

“Civilization begins with distillation,” said William Faulkner, a writer and drinker. Although our thirst for alcohol dates back to the Stone Age, nobody has figured out a good way to deal with the ensuing hangover after getting drunk.

As a chemical engineering professor...

Avoid high student debt and dropping out by asking these 4 questions about any college

Written by Jake Murray, Faculty Director for Professional Education, BU School of Education, Boston University

High student debt levels and low salaries can make it difficult for graduates to get ahead.Burlingham/www.shutterstock.com

Even though for-profit colleges get a bad rap for being predatory and leaving students saddled with debt but no degree, a significant number of private nonprofit and public colleges have the same issues.

For example, a recent...

How one early 20th-century performer defanged her fat-shamers

Written by Lauren Rebecca Sklaroff, Associate Professor of History, University of South Carolina

Sophie Tucker defiantly embraced her fuller figure. AP Photo/Remo Nassi

It’s all-too-common for women – especially those in the public spotlight – to be criticized for their weight. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Lena Dunham and Rihanna have borne the brunt of fat-shamers.

Amy Schumer’s recent film “I Feel Pretty”...

Ohio voters make conservative choices in governor's primary – picking DeWine, Cordray

Written by Nathaniel Swigger, Associate Professor of Political Science, The Ohio State University

It's DeWine versus Cordray in the Ohio governor's race.AP Photo/John Minchillo

Ohio politics is shifting to the right.

As a political scientist at Ohio State University, that’s my takeaway from seeing Mike DeWine and Richard Cordray win overwhelming victories to secure their parties’ nominations in the primary for governor on May 8.

It...

Lava, ash flows, mudslides and nasty gases: Good reasons to respect volcanoes

Written by Brittany Brand, Assistant Professor of Geosciences, Boise State University

Lava flow moves in the Leilani Estates subdivision near Pahoa on the island of Hawaii, May 6, 2018.USGS via AP, CC BY

Volcanoes are beautiful and awe-inspiring, but the ongoing eruption of Kilauea on Hawaii’s Big Island is showing how dangerous these events can be. So far this event has destroyed dozens of homes and displaced hundreds of...

Studying chimpanzee calls for clues about the origins of human language

Written by Michael Wilson, Associate Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota

Nisarg Desai observes wild chimps known as Sandi, Ferdinand and Siri in Tanzania.Michael Wilson, CC BY-ND

Freud, Wilkie and the other chimpanzees peacefully fed and rested in the sun-dappled Tanzanian forest. Mzee Hilali stood next to me, writing notes on the chimpanzees’ behavior, as he had been doing for over 30 years as a field assistant...