The Conversation

Healthy to eat, unhealthy to grow: Strawberries embody the contradictions of California agriculture

Written by Julie Guthman, Professor of Social Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz

Suspected infestation of Macrophomina phaseolina, a "novel" soil pathogen, in the non-fumigated buffer zone of a strawberry fieldJulie Guthman, CC BY-ND

Agricultural abundance is a pillar of the California dream. In 2016 the state turned out more than US$45 billion worth of meat, milk and crops. Long before nutritionists agreed that fresh fruits...

There are better ways to foster solar innovation and save jobs than Trump's tariffs

Written by Edward Barbier, Professor of Economics, Colorado State University

Sights like this Brooklyn rooftop covered with solar panels with a view of the Manhattan skyline have become more commonplace amid a U.S. renewable energy industry boom.AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

President Donald Trump’s decision to impose punitive duties on imported solar panels and related equipment is rankling most of the industry.

This was the...

What are chronophilias?

Written by Michael Seto, Forensic Research Director at the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Some people have unusual attractions to specific age groups.Varshesh Joshi on Unsplash, CC BY

Mr. Smith was a 27-year-old man referred for psychological treatment after sexually offending against a 13-year-old boy. He initially denied the charge, but eventually admitted to sexually abusing multiple youth. He later admitted he’d been attracted...

Is attraction to an age group another kind of sexual orientation?

Written by Michael Seto, Director of Forensic Rehabilitation Research at the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Some people have unusual attractions to specific age groups.Varshesh Joshi on Unsplash, CC BY

What might explain the unhappiness epidemic?

Written by Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University

Although measures of teen and adult happiness dropped during the high unemployment rates of the Great Recession, it didn’t rebound when the economy started to improve.ASDF_MEDIA/Shutterstock.com

We’d all like to be a little happier.

The problem is that much of what determines happiness is outside of our control. Some of us are...

Guarding against the possible Spectre in every machine

Written by Scott Shackelford, Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics; Director, Ostrom Workshop Program on Cybersecurity and Internet Governance; Cybersecurity Program Chair, IU-Bloomington, Indiana University

A call to better track manufacturing, shipping and distribution.Travel mania/Shutterstock.com

Security vulnerabilities in technology extend well beyond problems with software. Earlier this month, researchers revealed that the hardware at the heart of nearly every computer, smartphone, tablet and other electronic device is flawed in at least two...

Secret memo shows bipartisanship during Watergate succession crisis

Written by Joseph J. Fins, The E. William Davis Jr, M.D. Professor of Medical Ethics and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University

Gerald Ford, left, and Carl Albert wave on Dec. 6, 1973, just after Ford was sworn in as vice president. AP Photo

It was the height of Watergate and the Democratic speaker of the House, Carl Albert, needed advice. With Vice President Spiro Agnew’s resignation, and the Nixon presidency imperiled, Albert was suddenly next in line to become...

Deportees in Mexico tell of disrupted lives, families and communities

Written by Tobin Hansen, Ph.D. candidate in anthropology, University of Oregon

Ray was born in Mexico and moved to the United States with family members at age 10.

He told me in an interview in 2014, “I’m just a regular American like everyone else.” In middle school, Ray (a pseudonym to protect his identity) learned the Declaration of Independence and memorized all the presidents in order. His first job was...

Trump goes to Davos: 4 books he should read on first trip to gathering of global elites

Written by Christopher Michaelson, Professor of Ethics and Business Law, University of St. Thomas

This unassuming, snowy town becomes home to the global elite for a few days each year. AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

For the first time since 2000, a sitting American president is attending the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, which takes place in Davos, Switzerland, from Jan. 23-26.

The invitation-only gathering is basically a who’s...

When a mom feels depressed, her baby's cells might feel it too

Written by Benjamin W. Nelson, Doctoral Student in Clinical Psychology, University of Oregon

At just 18 months old, young children can show biological evidence of added stress.Coy_Creek/shutterstock.com

An estimated 1 in 9 women experience symptoms of postpartum depression. These symptoms – including mood swings, fatigue and reduced interest in activities – can make it difficult for mothers to bond with their newborns.

Early...