The Conversation

What meeting your spouse online has in common with arranged marriage

Written by Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics, Rochester Institute of Technology

David and Elizabeth Weinlick, a Minnesota couple who began their life together through an arranged marriage AP Photo/Kyle Potter

Most Americans who get married today believe they are choosing their own partners after falling in love with them. Arranged marriages, which remain common in some parts of the world, are a rarity here.

But while doing...

Resisting technology, Appalachian style

Written by Sherry Hamby, Research Professor of Psychology; Director of the Life Paths Appalachian Research Center, Sewanee: The University of the South

Each has its own merits, even in a technology-centric world.The Conversation from Shutterstock images by heinsbergsphotos, jannoon028, Troy Kellogg, CC BY-SA

When people hear “Appalachia,” stereotypes and even slurs often immediately jump to mind, words like “backwards,” “ignorant,” “hillbilly” or...

Half of Earth's satellites restrict use of climate data

Written by Mariel Borowitz, Assistant Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dust storms in the Gulf of Alaska, captured by NASA’s Aqua satellite.NASA

Scientists and policymakers need satellite data to understand and address climate change. Yet data from more than half of unclassified Earth-observing satellites is restricted in some way, rather than shared openly.

When governments restrict who can access data, or...

Why a census question about citizenship should worry you, whether you're a citizen or not

Written by Michael Blake, Professor of Philosophy, Public Policy, and Governance, University of Washington

What could be the consequences of including a question on citizenship?U.S. Department of Agriculture , CC BY-ND

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced last week that the 2020 census will include a question about citizenship. Ross argued that such a question is required for a “complete and accurate” count of Americans. Others in the...

Genes and environment have equal influence in learning for rich and poor kids, study finds

Written by Jeffrey Roth, Professor of Pediatrics, University of Florida

Two youngsters in a kindergarten classroom. A new study suggests that class may not affect their learning as much as previously believed. mangpoor2004/Shutterstock.com

More than 40 years ago, psychologist Sandra Scarr put forth a provocative idea: that genetic influence on children’s cognitive abilities is linked to their family’s...

5 things to know about the teacher strike in Oklahoma

Written by Erin McHenry-Sorber, Assistant Professor of Higher Education, West Virginia University

Following the success of the West Virginia teachers strike earlier this year that led to a 5 percent pay raise, teachers throughout the nation are rising to demand better conditions and better pay. The latest example is Oklahoma, where teachers went on strike on April 2.

Here are five things to know about the Oklahoma teacher strike:

1. This strike...

Why bodycam footage might not clear things up

Written by Deryn Strange, Associate Professor of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Police bodycam image of Lamar Wright, who was recovering from surgery when he was pepper-sprayed and zapped with a stun gun by two officers in Euclid, Ohio. AP/Euclid police

Stephon Clark, an African-American man, was killed by Sacramento police in his grandmother’s backyard last month, setting off protests and conflict over the...

A chicken in every backyard: Urban poultry needs more regulation to protect human and animal health

Written by Catherine Brinkley, Assistant Professor of Community and Regional Development, University of California, Davis

Ranging free in the yard.thedabblist, CC BY

Colorado has received a lot of attention recently as one of the first states to allow recreational marijuana, but it’s also legalizing other things. Denver, one of the nation’s hottest urban real estate markets, is surrounded by municipalities that allow backyard chicken flocks.

This...

It's not my fault, my brain implant made me do it

Written by Laura Y. Cabrera, Assistant Professor of Neuroethics, Michigan State University

Probes that can transmit electricity inside the skull raise questions about personal autonomy and responsibility.Hellerhoff, CC BY-SA

Mr. B loves Johnny Cash, except when he doesn’t. Mr. X has watched his doctors morph into Italian chefs right before his eyes.

The link between the two? Both Mr. B and Mr. X received deep brain stimulation (DBS),...

Costa Rica looks a little less exceptional after its heated election

Written by Rachel E. Bowen, Associate Professor of Political Science, The Ohio State University

Progressive values won in Costa Rica -- for now, at least.AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco

Carlos Alvarado Quesada has won the Costa Rican presidency with 61 percent of the vote, an overwhelming victory for a progressive candidate who entered election day in a dead heat with his conservative rival.

Alvarado Quesada, a 38-year-old former labor minister under...