The Conversation

Reduced sentencing for nonviolent criminals: What does the public think?

Written by Kevin Wozniak, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, University of Massachusetts Boston

Partisan politics in Washington has found a new victim: criminal justice reform.

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is trying to pass a bipartisan bill that would reduce punishments for less serious, nonviolent crimes. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and a few Republican senators are fighting the bill because they believe prosecutors need the...

From Caesar to Trump: Immunity is a hard thing to give up

Written by Cavan W. Concannon, Associate Professor of Religion, University of Southern California

U.S. President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Topeka, Kan., Oct. 6, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Two prosecutors working Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election have left and returned to jobs at the Justice Department, a possible sign that the investigation is winding down. Among the big questions...

Giant mosquitoes flourish in floodwaters that hurricanes leave behind

Written by Michael Reiskind, Assistant Professor of Entomology, North Carolina State University

An inch-long bloodsucker on the hunt for a meal.Ben Seese/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

After Hurricane Florence, reports started rolling in of “giant mosquito” sightings – and bitings – throughout North Carolina. What’s going on with these mega mosquitoes that can be as big as a quarter?

As a mosquito biologist, I often get...

Women with heart disease in sub-Saharan Africa face challenges, but stigma may be worst of all

Written by Allison Webel, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University

A nurse in Uganda uses a stethoscope to listen for heart problems at a screening and educational event Oct. 31, 2017.Tao Farren-Hefer, CC BY-SA

Heart disease is the number one killer of women, claiming a female life every minute. Yet it is often seen as a “man’s disease.” This disparity is magnified in sub-Saharan Africa, where we...

Why a large church group had little impact when it opposed Kavanaugh's nomination

Written by David Mislin, Assistant Professor of Intellectual Heritage, Temple University

Justice Anthony Kennedy swears in Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Numerous organizations demanded Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court be put on hold or withdrawn, in the wake of the sexual misconduct allegations against him. The most surprising one, perhaps, was from the National Council of...

Neil Armstrong and the America that could have been

Written by Joe Essid, Director, Writing Center, University of Richmond

Those mesmerized by NASA's accomplishments and ambitions wanted so much more out of the reticent Armstrong.AP Photo

According to a Gallup Poll from 1999, only 50 percent of those surveyed could even name Neil Armstrong as the first man to land on the moon.

How might the moon walker fare 19 years later?

The film “First Man,” starring Ryan...

Protecting wetlands helps communities reduce damage from hurricanes and storms

Written by Siddharth Narayan, Postdoctoral Fellow, Coastal Flood Risk, University of California, Santa Cruz

Protecting coastal wetlands, like this slough in Florida's Everglades National Park, is a cost-effective way to reduce flooding and storm damage.NPS/C. Rivas

2017 was the worst year on record for hurricane damage in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean from Harvey, Irma and Maria. We had hoped for a reprieve this year, but less than a month after...

Don't be afraid to talk about the costs of dealing with climate change

Written by Brian Greenhill, Associate Professor of Political Science, University at Albany, State University of New York

Climate change denial, underwater.Matt Brown/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

Climate advocates have struggled to persuade half of the U.S. public of the need to do more to slow the pace of global warming.

But even as climate scientists are sounding louder and louder alarms about the urgency of the situation, they disagree among themselves about how to proceed.

A...

Physical therapy important for women treated for breast cancer

Written by Mary Insana Fisher, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, University of Dayton

Surviving breast cancer has been the biggest treatment goal until recent years, when attention began to turn to surviving well, as these three women appear to be. fitzcrittle/Shutterstock.com

The survival rate for breast cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, is now about 90 percent, increased by nearly 20 percent since the 1970s.

Wi...

Being born in the wrong ZIP code can shorten your life

Written by Jessica Young, Assistant Professor of Health Studies, American University

Babies born 10 miles apart could represent a life expectancy difference of almost 33 years.Ana Prego/shutterstock.com

Newly released data on life expectancy across the U.S. shows that where we live matters for how long we live.

A person in the U.S. can expect to live an average of 78.8 years, according to the most recent numbers from the Centers...