The Conversation

Was Trump's 'hope' Comey's command? We asked a language expert

Written by Thomas Holtgraves, Professor of Psychological Science, Ball State University

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference.AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Much of former FBI Director James Comey’s recent congressional testimony hinged on a single utterance from President Donald Trump: “hope.”

According to Comey, on Feb. 14 President Trump dismissed the other participants from an Oval Office meeting and...

Navigating the tricky waters of being a stepdad

Written by Joshua Gold, Professor of Educational Studies, University of South Carolina

Joining a family can be awkward: Are you supposed to act like a father? Should you discipline the kids? 'Man' via www.shutterstock.com

The American family is evolving. Fifty years ago, a nuclear family of two biological parents and children was the norm. But divorce rates and growing numbers of single parents have opened up more opportunities for...

In Tupac's life, the struggles and triumphs of a generation

Written by Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar, Professor of History and Founding Director, Center for the Study of Popular Music, University of Connecticut

Beginning June 16, moviegoers will be able to see the much-anticipated “All Eyez on Me,” the biopic of Tupac Shakur, one of the most iconic and influential musicians of the 20th century.

Since his death in 1996, Tupac’s place in the pantheon of cultural icons has been firmly cemented. Scores of books and documentaries have...

What Sharia law means: Five questions answered

Written by Asma Afsaruddin, Professor of Islamic Studies and former Chairperson, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, Indiana University

A page from the Quran.~crystalina~, CC BY

Editor’s note: A conservative grassroots organization, ACT for America, organized a “March against Sharia” in at least 20 cities across the United States on Saturday, June 10. Professor of Islamic Studies at Indiana University Asma Afsaruddin explains Sharia and dispels a number of myths...

Why treating breast cancer with less may be more

Written by Ashish A. Deshmukh, Assistant Professor, University of Florida

Women with breast cancer face many treatment decisions on the path to survivorship. One question has been: Can they have fewer doses of radiation and still keep their risks for recurrence low?

Women with breast cancer have long faced complicated choices about the best course of treatment.

One particular concern has been the daily radiation therapy...

From the Pentagon Papers to Trump: How the government gained the upper hand against leakers

Written by Margot Susca, Professorial Lecturer, American University School of Communication

'Drop' via www.shutterstock.com

In October 1969, a national security official named Daniel Ellsberg began secretly photocopying 7,000 classified Vietnam War documents. He had become increasingly frustrated with the systematic deception of top U.S. leaders who sought to publicly escalate a war that, privately, they knew was unwinnable.

In March 1971...

Want to understand the British election? Look online and listen to grime

Written by Nicholas D. Mirzoeff, Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication, New York University

Grime Jme MC with Labour candidate Jeremy Corbin.

Why did no one who gets paid for their opinion see Britain’s election result coming? Or Brexit? Or the Trump election? Perhaps everyone’s looking and listening in the wrong places.

Britain, like everywhere else in the capitalist world, is now a visual culture, as I showed in my book &ldquo...

The UK's plan to deny terrorists 'safe spaces' online would make us all less safe in the long run

Written by Molly Land, Professor of Law, University of Connecticut

In the wake of the recent attacks in Manchester and London, British Prime Minister Theresa May has called on social media companies to eliminate “safe spaces” online for extremist ideology. Despite losing the majority in the recent election, she is moving forward with plans to regulate online communications, including in cooperation...

As Fed 'returns to normal,' is the risk of recession rising?: Experts react

Written by Sheila Tschinkel, Visiting Faculty in Economics, Emory University

Fed Chair Janet Yellen speaks at a press conference following the rate-hike decision.AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Editor’s note: The Federal Reserve’s policy-setting committee raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point to a range of 1 percent to 1.25 percent, the second increase this year. The central bank also indicated that it will...

Silent partners: Are earthworms creating pathways for invasive plants?

Written by Kathryn M. Flinn, Assistant Professor of Biology, Baldwin Wallace University

A National Park Service staffer applies herbicide to invasive honeysuckle along the Natchez Trace Parkway.NPS

Small but mighty, earthworms transform the soil of any ecosystem they inhabit. In farm fields, we appreciate the way they recycle nutrients and aerate soil. But in forests, earthworms’ services can be less welcome.

Glaciers removed...