The Conversation

Debunking the 6 biggest myths about 'technology addiction'

Written by Christopher J. Ferguson, Professor of Psychology, Stetson University

Using this many devices at once doesn't mean a person is addicted to technology.Pressmaster/Shutterstock.com

How concerned should people be about the psychological effects of screen time? Balancing technology use with other aspects of daily life seems reasonable, but there is a lot of conflicting advice about where that balance should be. Much of...

These CRISPR-modified crops don't count as GMOs

Written by Yi Li, Professor of Plant Science, University of Connecticut

The lighter citrus plants have been edited using CRISPR to alter the phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene which gives them a white color. Yi Li, CC BY-SA

To feed the burgeoning human population, it is vital that the world figures out ways to boost food production.

Increasing crop yields through conventional plant breeding is inefficient – the...

Why Michigan needs to draw more revenue from its booming bottled water industry

Written by Nicholas Schroeck, Director of the Transnational Environmental Law Clinic; Assistant Professor of Law, Wayne State University

All bottled water comes from somewhereSteven Depolo, CC BY-SA

Michigan recently approved Nestle’s request for permission to pump 400 gallons of water per minute from a well in the rural town of Evart, about 80 miles northeast of Grand Rapids. State environmental authorities approved this 60 percent increase despite poor timing and...

Beyond honey bees: Wild bees are also key pollinators, and some species are disappearing

Written by Kelsey K. Graham, Postdoctoral research associate, Michigan State University

Wild bumble bees provide natural pollination for blueberries in North America.John Flannery, CC BY-ND

Declines in bee populations around the world have been widely reported over the past several decades. Much attention has focused on honey bees, which commercial beekeepers transport all over the United States to pollinate crops.

However, while honey...

It's time to ask deeper questions about school shootings

Written by Bryan Warnick, Professor of Education, The Ohio State University

Santa Fe High School graduates bow their heads in prayer during a service Sunday, May 20, 2018, in Santa Fe, Texas.David J. Phillip/AP

To what extent does school – through things like athletics, homecoming royalties or dances – encourage what some political scientists have called the “status tournament of adolescence” that...

Supreme Court ruling against class action lawsuits is a blow for workers – and #MeToo

Written by Michele Gilman, Venable Professor of Law, University of Baltimore

The Supreme Court on May 21 narrowly ruled that employees who sign arbitration agreements cannot band together to sue their employers for unpaid wages.

As a law professor who directs a clinical legal program that regularly represents low-wage workers, I believe this ruling essentially allows employers to hide workplace injustices while also...

Why California's new rooftop mandate isn't good enough for some solar power enthusiasts

Written by Garth Heutel, Associate Professor of Economics, Georgia State University

Solar panels being installed in new housing under construction in Sacramento, Calif. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

More California rooftops will soon sport solar panels, partly due to a new state mandate requiring them for all new houses and low-rise residential buildings by 2020.

This rule immediately sparked lively debates. Even experts who generally...

U.S. Forces in South Korea: A seven-decade commitment

Written by Frances Tilney Burke, PhD student, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University

Why does the U.S. have troops in South Korea?

A groundbreaking diplomatic event — the planned summit on June 12 between North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump — may be in jeopardy. The actions of U.S. troops in South Korea are at the center of that conflict.

North Korea’s official Central News Agency stated that...

What you see in a 3D scan of yourself could be upsetting

Written by Jessica Ridgway Clayton, Assistant Professor of Retail Entrepreneurship, Florida State University

What does a machine see when it looks at you?Jessica Ridgway

Amazon is reportedly looking for people who are willing to have their bodies scanned in 3D in order to track and measure subtle changes in their sizes and shapes. It’s part of the company’s broader push to sell more clothes by more accurately predicting how garments will fit...

A clinical trial wants your DNA – what should you do?

Written by Martin Schiller, Executive Director of the Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Reading over the consent form.megaflopp/shutterstock.com

On May 6, the “All of Us” study started enrolling participants. This national study will be one of the largest ever examining the connection between genetics, behavior and medical outcomes, with a goal of 1 million or more participants. Anyone over the age of 18 in the U.S. can...