The Conversation

It's time to end the debate about video games and violence

Written by Christopher J. Ferguson, Professor of Psychology, Stetson University

Playing violent video games doesn't make kids more aggressive.AP Photo/Paul Sakuma

In the wake of the Valentine’s Day shooting at a Broward County, Florida high school, a familiar trope has reemerged: Often, when a young man is the shooter, people try to blame the tragedy on violent video games and other forms of media. Florida lawmaker Jared...

How can women feel comfortable saying no when they are told they can't say yes?

Written by Heather Hensman Kettrey, Research Associate, Peabody Research Institute, Vanderbilt University

A male and female in a bar, looking like they may hook up consensually. photographee.eu/Shutterstock.com

The #MeToo movement has demonstrated huge success in raising awareness around sexual harassment and assault. This effort has faced backlash, such as Donald Trump’s recent tweets arguing that lives have been ruined by accusations –...

Black lung disease on the rise: 5 questions answered

Written by Anna Allen, Associate professor of Occupational Medicine, West Virginia University

Coal miner Scott Tiller works next to a drill in an underground coal mine roughly 40 inches high in Welch, West Virginia.AP Photo/David Goldman

Editor’s note: An article published Feb. 6, 2018 in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health had...

The media need to think twice about how they portray mass shooters

Written by Russell Frank, Associate Professor of Communications, Pennsylvania State University

Media portrayals of mass murderers may do more harm than good.Atstock Productions/Shutterstock.com

The lead story on The New York Times homepage provided the overview of the latest massacre at an American school: “17 Killed at Florida School; Toll May Climb.”

A “sidebar,” or secondary story, also on the homepage, bore this...

10 ways schools, parents and communities can prevent school shootings now

Written by Elizabeth Englander, Professor of Psychology, and the Director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC), Bridgewater State University

While politicians debate control, local communities can act now to keep kids safer at school.AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

After a shooter killed 17 people at a Florida high school, many have expressed frustration at the political hand-wringing over gun control and calls for prayer.

As a parent, I understand the desire for practical responses to school...

What the 5Pointz ruling means for street artists

Written by Leila Amineddoleh, Adjunct Professor of Law, Fordham University

Long Island City's 5Pointz, a mecca for graffiti artists, was demolished in 2014.AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

A four-and-a-half-year legal battle that pitted street artists against landowners has come to an end.

On Feb. 13, 21 graffiti artists were awarded US$6.7 million in damages after a developer whitewashed works of theirs located on his property.

A...

Outfitting the world's best athletes for the Winter Olympics

Written by Susan L. Sokolowski, Director & Associate Professor: Sports Product Design, University of Oregon

What is the right outerwear for top competition?U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team

At the first Winter Olympics, in Chamonix, France, in 1924, athletes competed in uniforms made from natural material resources like wool, cotton and leather; some had sport-specific modifications to aid in performance (like impact protection or warmth) or appearance (like...

Protecting every voter's ballot: 6 essential reads

Written by Jeff Inglis, Science + Technology Editor, The Conversation US

Does every person's vote count?AntonSokolov/Shutterstock.com

Every vote counts. It’s the key principle underlying democracy. Through the history of democratic elections, people have created many safeguards to ensure votes are cast and counted fairly: paper ballots, curtains around voting booths, locked ballot boxes, supervised counting,...

Why students at prestigious high schools still cheat on exams

Written by Eric M. Anderman, Professor, Educational Psychology, The Ohio State University

Several recent cheating scandals have rocked some of America's most prestigious high schools.Shutterstock.com

Some of us might think that academic integrity is sacred in high-performing schools and that students who attend such schools are unlikely to cheat. Since many of these schools are located in affluent neighborhoods, it seems logical to...

From FDR's food stamps to Trump's harvest boxes: The history of helping the poor get enough to eat

Written by Matt Gritter, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Angelo State University

The first food stamps program, created amid the Great Depression, lasted four years. Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

The Trump administration would like to slash what the government spends on food for low-income Americans.

Its latest budget proposal calls for reducing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) outlays by...