The Conversation

The unique case for rural charter schools

Written by Karen Eppley, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, Pennsylvania State University

Rural schools are an often overlooked part of the public education system.Sascha Erni/flickr, CC BY

The recent appointment of Betsy DeVos as secretary of education has brought rural schools into the national conversation in ways never seen before. At her confirmation hearing, DeVos said that guns might have a place in schools in order to protect...

How the Trump budget undercuts security risks posed by pandemics

Written by Maureen Miller, Professor, Columbia University Medical Center

President Trump proposed a US$54 billion military budget increase to solidify the security of our nation. However, the government also recognizes pandemic threats as an issue of national security – one that knows no borders.

In the last four years, we have faced the Ebola epidemic – contained after significant loss of life – and...

Facial recognition is increasingly common, but how does it work?

Written by Jessica Gabel Cino, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Law, Georgia State University

Mapping a face is the starting point.Anton Watman/shutterstock.com

The Trump administration’s efforts to impose new immigration rules drew attention – and legal fire – for its restrictions on the ability of people born in certain majority Muslim countries to enter the U.S. In the frenzy of concern, an obscure piece of the...

Farmers can profit economically and politically by addressing climate change

Written by Matthew Russell, Resilient Agriculture Coordinator, Drake University

President Trump, congressional Republicans and most American farmers share common positions on climate change: They question the science showing human activity is altering the global climate and are skeptical of using public policy to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

But farmers are in a unique position to tackle climate change. We have the...

How Christianity shaped the experience and memories of World War I

Written by Jonathan Ebel, Associate Professor of Religion, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The crosses at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France.Jonathan Ebel, CC BY

Thursday, April 6, 2017, marks 100 years since the United States entered World War I. World War I does not occupy the same space in America’s cultural memory as the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War II or the Vietnam War.

The men and women who fought...

The unique strategy Netflix deployed to reach 90 million worldwide subscribers

Written by Amanda Lotz, Fellow at the Peabody Media Center and Professor of Communication Studies and Screen Arts & Cultures, University of Michigan

The areas in red indicate where Netflix has cultivated subscribers.NordNordWest/Wikimedia Commons

In just a decade, Netflix has grown from a video service with seven million U.S. subscribers to one that reaches 93 million people worldwide.

Its growth and ability to break into well-established industries – first video rental, now television...

Ecuador's populist electoral victory for Moreno shows erosion of democracy

Written by Carlos De la Torre, Professor of Sociology, University of Kentucky

After 10 years in power, Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa will step down.

However, political power isn’t falling far from the tree. Correa’s hand-picked successor and former vice president, Lenin Moreno, has declared victory against liberal banker Guillermo Lasso. The election has calmed fears that Correa might attempt to cling...

How Ayn Rand's 'elitism' lives on in the Trump administration

Written by Firmin DeBrabander, Professor of Philosophy, Maryland Institute College of Art

Elvert Barnes, CC BY

Trump’s secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, has said Ayn Rand’s novel “Atlas Shrugged” is his favorite book. Mike Pompeo, head of the CIA, cited Rand as a major inspiration. Before he withdrew his nomination, Trump’s pick to head the Labor Department, Andrew Puzder, revealed that he devotes much...

1917: Woodrow Wilson's call to war pulled America onto a global stage

Written by Gordon Stables, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Director of Debate & Forensics, & Clinical Professor of Communication, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

President Woodrow Wilson addressing a joint session of Congress on April 2, 1917, urging a declaration that a state of war exists.AP Photo

On April 2, 1917 President Woodrow Wilson addressed a joint session of Congress to request a declaration of war against Germany.

It was a somewhat surprising turn of events. Earlier in his presidency, Wilson...

Healthy soil is the real key to feeding the world

Written by David R. Montgomery, Professor of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington

Planting a diverse blend of crops and cover crops, and not tilling, helps promote soil health. Catherine Ulitsky, USDA/Flickr, CC BY

One of the biggest modern myths about agriculture is that organic farming is inherently sustainable. It can be, but it isn’t necessarily. After all, soil erosion from chemical-free tilled fields undermined the...