The Conversation

The internet is designed for corporations, not people

Written by Gordon Hull, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Director of Center for Professional and Applied Ethics, University of North Carolina – Charlotte

Conversations on Facebook ethics are part of a bigger conversation about information architecture.AP Photo/Alastair Grant

Urban spaces are often designed to be subtly hostile to certain uses. Think about, for example, the seat partitions on bus terminal benches that make it harder for the homeless to sleep there or the decorative leaves on railings...

Want to understand gun owners? Watch their videos

Written by Connie Hassett-Walker, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, Kean University

It was an ordinary day in 2011, when I found myself watching a YouTube video of a gun owner making a semi-automatic rifle discharge bullets rapidly, as if it were an automatic weapon.

My husband, a gun owner, watched firearms videos like this one. But I had never seen one. Intrigued, I sat down on the couch to absorb the imagery.

Hooking his thumb...

As the Royal Wedding approaches, what can one of the world’s greatest novels teach us about marriage?

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

In Leo Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina,' each character approaches marriage with a different set of expectations – and many succumb to disappointment.Internet Archive Book Images

You can tell a lot about our culture by the way we talk about marriage. Take the upcoming exchange of vows between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Press coverage will focus...

We calculated how much money trees save for your city

Written by Theodore Endreny, Professor of Water Resources & Ecological Engineering, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry

For a megacity, Tokyo is rich in trees.gillyberlin/flickr, CC BY-SA

Megacities are on the rise. There are currently 47 such areas around the globe, each housing more than 10 million residents.

More than half the global population now lives in urban areas, comprising about 3 percent of the Earth. The ecological footprint of this growth is vast and...

Pompeo confirmation makes Mideast war more likely

Written by Gregory Aftandilian, Lecturer, Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University

The United States Senate has confirmed CIA director Mike Pompeo, the hawkish former Kansas congressman, as secretary of state. He replaces Rex Tillerson, who was fired via Twitter on March 13.

As a former Middle East analyst at the State Department, I believe that having Pompeo as America’s top diplomat will endanger the Iran nuclear deal.

In...

3 reasons why teachers are striking right now

Written by Deana Rohlinger, Professor of Sociology, Florida State University

Teachers and students wave to motorists in Peoria, Ariz.AP Photo/Matt York

Teachers from Arizona and Colorado are joining teachers in Oklahoma and Kentucky on the picket line.

These teacher strikes will likely intensify the debate among elected officials over where education fits in state budget priorities. They may also prompt Americans to consider...

Armenia rejects the 'politics of eternity'

Written by Chase Johnson, Research Associate, Frank Church Institute, Boise State University School of Public Service , Boise State University

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in 2017.AP/Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo

Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, three countries in the South Caucasus once ruled by the former Soviet Union, still operate in the shadow of what is now called Russia.

The three states are located between Iran and Turkey on...

Senate confirmation: The grilling can be grueling

Written by Capri Cafaro, Executive in Residence, American University School of Public Affairs

Sens. Bob Corker and Bob Menendez look on during the second round of questioning of Secretary of State-designate Mike Pompeo. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the CIA is facing a confirmation battle in the Senate. His nominee to Veterans Affairs, Ronny Jackson, withdrew his controversial nomination before he...

VA nominee debacle may distract from the agency's 3 major problems

Written by Richard Lachmann, Professor of Sociology, University at Albany, State University of New York

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson is Trump's nominee to lead the VA.AP Photo/Alex Brandon

The White House has withdrawn the nomination of its physician, Adm. Ronny Jackson, to be secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Jackson is best known for his fulsome report on Trump’s health following an annual physical in January 2018.

His nomination came into...

Why cities are becoming reluctant to host the World Cup and other big events

Written by Mark Wilson, Professor and Program Director, Urban & Regional Planning, School of Planning, Design and Construction, Michigan State University

Riot police drill outside Saint Petersburg's new soccer stadium ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky

Getting ready to welcome millions of visitors – as Russia is now doing in Moscow, Sochi and other cities in advance of the 2018 World Cup soccer tournament – takes years of planning and lots of construction....