The Conversation

What's at risk if scientists don't think strategically before talking politics

Written by John Besley, Associate Professor of Advertising and Public Relations, Michigan State University

Scientists have a lot to contribute – and a lot to lose. Mic image via www.shutterstock.com.

Earlier this fall, the nonpartisan nonprofit ScienceDebate.org released Donald Trump’s and Hillary Clinton’s responses to a set of questions about science policy. Shortly after, a group of 375 scientists wrote an open letter focused...

Here's why our next president should block AT T's Time Warner tie-up

Written by Richard Lachmann, Professor of Sociology, University at Albany, State University of New York

AT&T’s plan to buy Time Warner for US$85.4 billion is only the latest of a string of mega corporate mergers that have been announced in recent years.

That deal would combine the second-largest U.S. cellphone carrier with one of the biggest content producers in the world, with cable networks including HBO, TBS and CNN, as well as Warner...

In a post-truth election, clicks trump facts

Written by Matthew Jordan, Associate Professor of Media Studies, Pennsylvania State University

Digital media has feasted off Donald Trump's lies.Nick Lehr/The Conversation, CC BY-SA

One thing about the 2016 presidential race is undeniable: Donald Trump has lied or misled at an unprecedented level. Over 70 percent of his statements, according to Politifact, are “mostly false,” “false” or “pants on fire...

Trump's wall ignores the economic logic of undocumented immigrant labor

Written by Lise Nelson, Associate Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Associate Professor of Geography, Pennsylvania State University

In the final weeks of his campaign, Donald Trump has reiterated his call to build a wall between Mexico and the United States. A Pew Research survey shows his supporters are united by, perhaps more than any other issue, anti-immigrant sentiment.

To him, like many of his supporters, this wave of invading “criminals” supported and abetted...

Americans and Russians see the world differently, and that's hurting Syrians

Written by Laura Roselle, Professor of Political Science and Policy Studies, Elon University

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently said that he sometimes feels like he’s living in a “parallel universe” compared to his Russian counterpart when it comes to Syria.

This parallel universe can be explained by analyzing the strategic narratives of the United States and Russia since the end of the Cold War.

My forthcoming...

Alcoholism research: A virus could manipulate neurons to reduce the desire to drink

Written by Yifeng Cheng, Ph.D. Candidate, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Texas A&M University

Heavy drinking can cause brain changes that make you want to drink more. Alcohol shots image via www.shutterstock.com.

About 17 million adults and more than 850,000 adolescents had some problems with alcohol in the United States in 2012. Long-term alcohol misuse could harm your liver, stomach, cardiovascular system and bones, as well as your brain....

Why sports fans need villains

Written by Vassilis Dalakas, Professor of Marketing, California State University San Marcos

As the new NBA season begins, the Golden State Warriors find themselves in an unfamiliar role: villain.

After the Warriors drafted Stephen Curry from unheralded Davidson College in 2009, fans across the country became enamored with his exciting style of play. Through the years, the team added players to complement Curry’s scoring prowess...

Is Clinton or Trump a better choice for parents?

Written by Renee Cramer, Professor of Law, Politics and Society, Drake University

When asked, at the close of the second presidential debate, to say something nice about her opponent, Hillary Clinton responded by complimenting Donald Trump’s children. They are, she said, “able and devoted.”

Parenting has been a central theme of this election cycle. As part of an effort to render Clinton more vibrantly human,...

What does Trump have to do with the Hindu sacred syllable, om?

Written by Finnian M.M. Gerety, Visiting Assistant Professor, Religious Studies, Brown University

A poster of Hindus for Trump, which shows Donald Trump in a 'yogi' pose.HIndus for Trump

Republican nominee Donald Trump was recently invited to a fundraising event organized by a conservative group of Hindu Americans, the Republican Hindu Coalition. A poster from the event, which describes the group as “Hindus for Trump,” portrays the...

As incomes rise in China, so does concern about pollution

Written by Matthew Kahn, Professor of Economics, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Over the last 40 years, hundreds of millions of people in China have escaped poverty as this enormous nation urbanized and became a manufacturing powerhouse fueled by cheap coal and cheap labor. But this development strategy has imposed enormous environmental costs on the Chinese people. Air pollution levels have soared, rural areas face severe...