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Why al-Qaida is still strong 16 years after 9/11

  • Written by Tricia Bacon, Assistant Professor of Justice, Law & Criminology, American University
imageManhattan on Sept. 11, 2001AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer

Sixteen years ago, on September 11, 2001, al-Qaida conducted the most destructive terrorist attack in history.

An unprecedented onslaught from the U.S. followed. One-third of al-Qaida’s leadership was killed or captured in the following year. The group lost its safe haven in Afghanistan,...

Read more: Why al-Qaida is still strong 16 years after 9/11

At the beauty salon, Dominican-American women conflicted over quest for straight hair

  • Written by Melissa Godin, Rhodes Scholar Studying Development, New York University
imageA Dominican immigrant cuts the hair of a customer at her New York City salon.Seth Wenig/AP Photo

When Chabelly Pacheco – a Dominican-American who moved to Long Island when she was five years old – walks into her favorite Dominican salon on Brooklyn’s Graham Avenue, it’s more like entering a home than a business.

The salon is...

Read more: At the beauty salon, Dominican-American women conflicted over quest for straight hair

A deadly herpes virus is threatening oysters around the world

  • Written by Colleen Burge, Assistant Professor, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
imageColleen Burge counts oysters on an oyster aquaculture lease in California. Collin Closek, CC BY-ND

Oysters, a delicacy eaten on most coastlines of the world, are a multi-billion-dollar industry. They also are intriguing to study from a health perspective. Oysters feed by filtering tiny plankton from the surrounding water, processing up to 50 gallons...

Read more: A deadly herpes virus is threatening oysters around the world

Can random bits of DNA lead to safe, new antibiotics and herbicides?

  • Written by Kevin M. Folta, Professor and Chair, Horticultural Sciences Department, Graduate Program in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Florida
imagePlants make proteins based on whatever genetic material you give them.Carl Davies, CSIRO, CC BY

I was cutting my grass when the battery in my iPod died. Instead of enjoying the distraction of music, my brain switched to its usual nerd mode of thinking about molecules. Within a few passes of cut grass, I was pondering the biggest “Why...

Read more: Can random bits of DNA lead to safe, new antibiotics and herbicides?

The only safe email is text-only email

  • Written by Sergey Bratus, Research Associate Professor of Computer Science, Dartmouth College
imageFor safety, look to text-only messaging.The Conversation, via picascii.com, publicdomainpictures.net and kelvinsong, CC BY-ND

It’s troubling to think that at any moment you might open an email that looks like it comes from your employer, a relative or your bank, only to fall for a phishingscam. Any one of the endless stream of...

Read more: The only safe email is text-only email

Does marijuana affect your sleep?

  • Written by Deirdre Conroy, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan
imageResults may vary.Stokkete/shutterstock.com

If you speak to someone who has suffered from insomnia at all as an adult, chances are good that person has either tried using marijuana, or cannabis, for sleep or has thought about it.

This is reflected in the many variations of cannabinoid or cannabis-based medicines available to improve sleep –...

Read more: Does marijuana affect your sleep?

Cholera fears rise following Atlantic hurricanes: Are we making any progress?

  • Written by Lauren Carruth, Assistant Professor, School of International Service, American University School of International Service

As hurricanes barrel through some of the most impoverished communities in the Western Hemisphere, and as floods ravage Yemen,Sierra Leone, Bangladesh and India, now is the time to rethink and prioritize cholera epidemic prevention and response.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew in 2016, a surge of cholera in Haiti increased the death toll from...

Read more: Cholera fears rise following Atlantic hurricanes: Are we making any progress?

'Is truth overrated?' What the experts say

  • Written by Daniel Klyn, Intermittent Lecturer I in Information, University of Michigan
imageIs speaking some evil really so bad?VMKphotos/shutterstock

Editor’s note: As part of our collaboration with “Third Rail with OZY,” we asked scholars from a variety of disciplines to answer the question: “Is truth overrated?”

Objectivity and truth in the fake news era

Maryanne Reed, West Virginia University

image

Seek the truth...

Read more: 'Is truth overrated?' What the experts say

Why social media apps should be in your disaster kit

  • Written by Daniel P. Aldrich, Professor of Political Science, Public Policy and Urban Affairs and Director, Security and Resilience Program, Northeastern University
imageShutterstock.com

With floodwaters at four feet and rising, a family in Houston, Texas abandoned their possessions and scrambled to their roof during Hurricane Harvey to sit with their pets and await rescue. Unable to reach first responders through 911 and with no one visible nearby, they used their cellphones to send out a call for help through a...

Read more: Why social media apps should be in your disaster kit

Are catastrophic disasters striking more often?

  • Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Economist and Research Scientist, The Ohio State University

No sooner had Hurricane Harvey’s record rains receded from Houston and neighboring cities than the residents of Florida began bracing for a wallop from an even more powerful storm. And hurricane season hasn’t even peaked yet.

This begs the question: Is the number of major natural disasters striking the United States actually...

Read more: Are catastrophic disasters striking more often?

More Articles ...

  1. 'Third Rail with OZY' asks 'Is truth overrated?' 6 essential reads
  2. 6 rules for rebuilding infrastructure in an era of 'unprecedented' weather events
  3. 'Is truth overrated?' 6 essential reads
  4. Want better sleep? Spend face-to-face time with your friends and family
  5. Parkinson's disease: New drugs and treatments, but where are the doctors?
  6. Massive sunspots and huge solar flares mean unexpected space weather for Earth
  7. How fashion adapted to climate change – in the Little Ice Age
  8. Why UN sanctions against North Korea's missile program failed
  9. The world is facing a global sand crisis
  10. How flood insurance works: 6 questions answered
  11. Are natural disasters part of God's retribution?
  12. Why can't more American women access medications for preterm birth?
  13. Christian faith doesn't just say disasters are God's retribution
  14. Post-DACA: How Congress can replace Obama's program and make it even better
  15. How DACA affected the mental health of undocumented young adults
  16. The 'internet of things' is sending us back to the Middle Ages
  17. In defense of HBO's counterfactual 'Confederate'
  18. How a tiny portion of the world's oceans could help meet global seafood demand
  19. Apple and 7-Eleven show why Trump's threat to sever China trade over Korea rings hollow
  20. In cities and on ranches, planning is key to protect animals during disasters
  21. Why giving cash, not clothing, is usually best after disasters
  22. Finger size does matter... in sports
  23. How Muslim Americans are fighting Islamophobia and securing their civil rights
  24. Don't blame food stamps for obesity in America
  25. What victims of Hurricane Harvey can learn from Katrina as rebuilding begins
  26. What Hurricane Harvey says about risk, climate and resilience
  27. What the Industrial Revolution really tells us about the future of automation and work
  28. Want a job? It's still about education.
  29. Why Hurricane Harvey donors shouldn't boycott the Red Cross
  30. Explaining the Muslim pilgrimage of hajj
  31. How can job loss be bad for health, and recession be good for it?
  32. Education isn't a commodity for labor
  33. How algorithms and human journalists will need to work together
  34. Why Texans heard conflicting messages about evacuating ahead of Hurricane Harvey
  35. Remembering America's lost buildings
  36. 'Cajun Navy' rescuers in Hurricane Harvey show vital role of volunteer boats
  37. Massachusetts executed two Italian immigrants 90 years ago: Why the global fallout still matters
  38. Old West theme parks paint a false picture of pioneer California
  39. Public libraries can (literally) serve as a shelter from the storm
  40. After Harvey, many Texans will think differently about hurricane risks
  41. What is the online equivalent of a burning cross?
  42. Robots won't steal our jobs if we put workers at center of AI revolution
  43. Why Princess Diana conspiracies refuse to die
  44. Flooding from Hurricane Harvey causes a host of public health concerns
  45. Una mejor idea para la frontera entre EUA y México: invertimos en el río, no en un muro
  46. Choose better passwords with the help of science
  47. With better data, we can help set refugees up for success
  48. How corporate CEOs found their political voice
  49. Stretching your donation dollars: 5 tips
  50. What made the rain in Hurricane Harvey so extreme?