The Conversation

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...

Global toll from landslides is heaviest in developing countries

Written by A. Joshua West, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences and Zinsmeyer Early Career Chair in Marine Studies, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Searching for victims after a rain-triggered mudslide that blanketed a village and killed at least 178 people in north China's Shanxi province, Sept. 13, 2008. AP Photo/Andy Wong

This month’s tragic mudslides in Montecito, California are a reminder that natural hazards lurk on the doorsteps of many U.S. homes, even in affluent communities....

Why so many Americans think Buddhism is just a philosophy

Written by Pamela Winfield, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Elon University

Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, Seattle, Washington.Wonderlane, CC BY

In East Asia, Buddhists celebrate the Buddha’s death and entrance into final enlightenment in February. But at my local Zen temple in North Carolina, the Buddha’s enlightenment is commemorated during the holiday season of December, with a short talk for the...

DeVos speech shows contempt for the agency she heads

Written by Mark Hlavacik, Assistant Professor of Communication Specializing in Education Policy, University of North Texas

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wipes her brow during an October 2017 appearance in Bellevue, Wash.AP/Ted S. Warren

When Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos spoke at the American Enterprise Institute on Jan. 16, she began by emphasizing her role as an outsider.

“Outside Washington. Outside the LBJ building,” she said of the...

What the government shutdown means for the health of Americans

Written by Morten Wendelbo, Lecturer, Bush School of Government and Public Service; Research Fellow, Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs; and, Policy Sciences Lecturer, Texas A&M University Libraries, Texas A&M University

The sun casts a shadow over the Capitol on Friday, Jan. 19.AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

The federal government shut down this weekend, as Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending measure. Many may wonder what this means for the nation’s public health battles against threats like the flu and the opioid crisis.

In a shutdown, contingency plans...

Shutdown under a unified government? Blame Trump

Written by Jennifer Victor, Associate Professor of Political Science, George Mason University

Trump on Jan. 19, 2018AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Government shutdowns are rare.

This one is unique because the U.S. has never before experienced a shutdown under a unified government, a time when the White House and Congress are controlled by the same party.

The policy consequences of this shutdown are likely to be minimal. And, the shutdown itself will...

Fungi can help concrete heal its own cracks

Written by Congrui Jin, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Could a secret ingredient make crumbling concrete a thing of the past?m_e_mccarron, CC BY-SA

Infrastructure supports and facilitates our daily lives – think of the roads we drive on, the bridges and tunnels that help transport people and freight, the office buildings where we work and the dams that provide the water we drink. But it’s...

Will a federal government shutdown damage the US economy?

Written by Scott R. Baker, Assistant Professor of Finance, Northwestern University

The Lincoln Monument was a casualty of the last shutdown, in 2013.(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

The federal government shut down for the first time in a little more than four years after Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on a last-minute deal to keep funds flowing for another few weeks.

The immediate and most visible impact will be in the...

20 years since America's shock over Clinton-Lewinsky affair, public discussions on sexual harassment are changing

Written by Juliet Williams, Professor of Gender Studies, University of California, Los Angeles

Twenty years ago, major news outlets reported allegations that then-President Bill Clinton had a sexual relationship with a 22-year-old White House intern.

Looking back, the Clinton-Lewinsky affair heralded a sea change in political discourse by normalizing public discussion of sex acts. Today, it is hard to believe that esteemed presidents, from Th...

Climate change and weather extremes: Both heat and cold can kill

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

Extreme cold weather in Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 3, 2018.AP Photo/David Goldman

Climate change is increasing the frequency and strength of some types of extreme weather in the United States, particularly heat waves. Last summer the U.S. Southwest experienced life-threatening heat waves, which are especially dangerous for elderly people and other...