The Conversation

For American Jews, interfaith weddings are a new normal – and creatively weave both traditions together

Written by Samira Mehta, Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies & Jewish Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

A chuppah is used in many Jewish weddings, but how it's decorated can weave other cultures into the ceremony, too.Jason Finn/iStock via Getty Images Plus

More than 10 years ago, I attended a college friend’s wedding in New York City.

My friend is Muslim, her husband Jewish. They were married under a Jewish wedding canopy made from the...

Understanding how ions flow in and out of the tiniest pores promises better energy storage devices

Written by Ankur Gupta, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

The physics of how ions flow in supercapacitors required an update.Weiquan Lin/Moment via Getty Images

Modern life relies on electricity and electrical devices, from cars and buses to phones and laptops, to the electrical systems in homes. Behind many of these devices is a type of energy storage device, the supercapacitor. My team of engineers is...

Louisiana reclassifies abortion pills as controlled, dangerous substances − here’s what that means

Written by Jamie Rowen, Associate Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass Amherst

Misoprostol has a long history of safe and effective use.AP Photo/Allen G. Breed

Louisiana’s governor signed a bill on May 24, 2024, that reclassifies two abortion pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, as “controlled, dangerous substances.” Both pills have a long history of safe and effective use in medication abortions as well as...

What to watch for in Trump trial’s closing arguments, from a law school professor who teaches and studies them

Written by Jules Epstein, Professor of Law and Director of Advocacy Programs, Temple University

After more than four weeks of often sordid testimony, accusations of lying and even a warning from Judge Juan M. Merchan to a witness to stop giving him the side-eye, lawyers in the hush-money case involving former President Donald Trump began to make their closing arguments on Tuesday May 28, 2024.

In a jury trial, opening statements are meant to...

Colorado takes a new – and likely more effective – approach to the housing crisis

Written by Brian J. Connolly, Assistant Professor of Business Law, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan

A builder works on the construction of a new home. AP Photo/Mel Evans

In recent years, Colorado has been a poster child for the U.S. housing crisis. Previously a relatively affordable state, it has seen home prices increase nearly sixfold over the past three decades, outstripping even Florida and California.

Once a problem confined to coastal...

Animals self-medicate with plants − behavior people have observed and emulated for millennia

Written by Adrienne Mayor, Research Scholar, Classics and History and Philosophy of Science, Stanford University

A goat with an arrow wound nibbles the medicinal herb dittany.O. Dapper, CC BY

When a wild orangutan in Sumatra recently suffered a facial wound, apparently after fighting with another male, he did something that caught the attention of the scientists observing him.

The animal chewed the leaves of a liana vine – a plant not normally eaten by...

Muslim women who are registered to vote are more likely to donate money and volunteer than nonvoters

Written by Shariq Siddiqui, Assistant Professor & Director of the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, Indiana University

Having compassion toward people in need is a top motivation for this demographic group to give.Mohammed Elshamy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Civic engagement – including volunteering and registering to vote – rather than religiosity was more correlated with giving by Muslim American women, according to research we conducted with our...

6 ways to encourage political discussion on college campuses

Written by Rachel Wahl, Associate professor of education, University of Virginia

Encouraging curiosity about people with opposing views can go a long way to engender mutual respect.Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images

With deep divisions on college campuses – most recently over the conflict in the Gaza Strip and Israel – many observers fear that universities are not places where students can discuss divisive issues with...

What Philadelphians need to know about the city’s 7,000-camera surveillance system

Written by Albert Fox Cahn, Practitioner-in-Residence, Information Law Institute, New York University

Surveillance cameras are getting cheaper, more powerful and more ubiquitous.Denniro/iStock via Getty Images Plus

The Philadelphia Inquirer recently investigated Philadelphia’s use of what it described as a “little-scrutinized, 7,000-camera system that is exposing residents across the city to heightened surveillance with few rules or...

I want to keep my child safe from abuse − but research tells me I’m doing it wrong

Written by Melissa Bright, Founder and Executive Director, Center for Violence Prevention Research; Affiliate Faculty with the Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire

Protecting your child may require some open − and difficult − conversations.shapecharge/E+ via Getty Images

Child sexual abuse is uncomfortable to think about, much less talk about. The idea of an adult engaging in sexual behaviors with a child feels sickening. It’s easiest to believe that it rarely happens, and when it does, that...