The Conversation

Trump administration sets out to create an America its people have never experienced − one without a meaningful government

Written by Sidney Shapiro, Professor of Law, Wake Forest University

A worker removes letters from the U.S. Agency for International Development building.Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

The U.S. government is attempting to dismantle itself.

President Donald Trump has directed the executive branch to “significantly reduce the size of government.” That includes deep cuts in federal funding of scientific and...

Managers can help their Gen Z employees unlock the power of meaningful work − here’s how

Written by Kelly Kennedy, Ed.D., Director of Transformative Learning, University of Connecticut

Finding fulfilling and motivating work is a challenge for many people, but it can be especially difficult for those just starting their careers. And as Generation Z professionals – those born between 1997 and 2012 – increasingly seek personalized career paths, managers are tasked with helping employees find meaning in their roles while...

Identifying brands as Black-owned can pay off for businesses

Written by Oren Reshef, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Washington University in St. Louis

Labeling businesses as Black-owned can significantly boost their sales, we found in a recent study.

In June 2020, the business-review website Yelp introduced a feature allowing consumers to search for Black-owned restaurants. As professors who study digitization, inequality and the economics of technology, we were interested in understanding its...

What is a charter school, really? Supreme Court ruling on whether Catholic charter is constitutional will hinge on whether they’re public or private

Written by Preston Green III, John and Maria Neag Professor of Urban Education, University of Connecticut

The court's ruling could affect more than religion in schools.AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

In April 2025, the Supreme Court will hear arguments about whether the nation’s first religious charter school can open in Oklahoma. The St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School would be funded by taxpayer money but run by a local archdiocese and...

Israel’s bombing of Gaza caused untold environmental damage − recovery will take effort and time

Written by Lesley Joseph, Research Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering, University of South Carolina

Vast areas in Gaza have been reduced to rubble.Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The war in Gaza has come with an awful cost. Tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed, and thousands more are missing. And while a temporary ceasefire has allowed for increased aid delivery, easing the plight of those facing disease and hunger,...

Anti-DEI guidance from Trump administration misinterprets the law and guts educators’ free speech rights

Written by Paul M. Collins Jr., Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass Amherst

The Trump administration letter aims to stop teachers from discussing many topics with students.Hill Street Studios, DigitalVision/Getty Images

The Trump administration’s attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion have continued in the form of a “Dear Colleague” letter from the Department of Education to educational institutions...

What’s the shape of the universe? Mathematicians use topology to study the shape of the world and everything in it

Written by John Etnyre, Professor of Mathematics, Georgia Institute of Technology

You can describe the shape you live on in multiple dimensions.vkulieva/iStock via Getty Images Plus

When you look at your surrounding environment, it might seem like you’re living on a flat plane. After all, this is why you can navigate a new city using a map: a flat piece of paper that represents all the places around you. This is likely why...

AIs flunk language test that takes grammar out of the equation

Written by Rutvik Desai, Professor of Psychology, University of South Carolina

AIs can sound good without having a clue about what they're saying.Carol Yepes/Moment via Getty Images

Generative AI systems like large language models and text-to-image generators can pass rigorous exams that are required of anyone seeking to become a doctor or a lawyer. They can perform better than most people in Mathematical Olympiads. They can...

Philadelphia continues long history of Black-led protest meetings aimed at fighting racial inequity and prejudice

Written by Linn Washington, Jr., Professor of Journalism, Temple University

Philadelphians attend a meeting at Germantown’s Center in the Park on Feb. 25, 2025, to strategize a new Black agenda. Linn Washington Jr. , CC BY-NC-ND

A meeting in Philadelphia, held at a senior center on a bitter cold Saturday afternoon in late January 2025, drew nearly 300 people.

They came for two key reasons.

One was to voice outrage at...

Parrotfish support healthy coral reefs, but they’re not a cure-all, and sometimes cause harm

Written by Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip, Professor of Marine Ecology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

Rainbow and midnight parrotfish feed at Alacranes Reef in the Gulf of Mexico.Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip, CC BY-ND

After two years of record-breaking ocean heat, scientists are assessing the impacts of the world’s fourth mass bleaching event on coral reefs around the globe. At least 74 countries and territories are confirmed to have experienced...