The Conversation

1917: Woodrow Wilson's call to war pulled America onto a global stage

Written by Gordon Stables, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Director of Debate & Forensics, & Clinical Professor of Communication, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

President Woodrow Wilson addressing a joint session of Congress on April 2, 1917, urging a declaration that a state of war exists.AP Photo

On April 2, 1917 President Woodrow Wilson addressed a joint session of Congress to request a declaration of war against Germany.

It was a somewhat surprising turn of events. Earlier in his presidency, Wilson...

Healthy soil is the real key to feeding the world

Written by David R. Montgomery, Professor of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington

Planting a diverse blend of crops and cover crops, and not tilling, helps promote soil health. Catherine Ulitsky, USDA/Flickr, CC BY

One of the biggest modern myths about agriculture is that organic farming is inherently sustainable. It can be, but it isn’t necessarily. After all, soil erosion from chemical-free tilled fields undermined the...

Can better advice keep you safer online?

Written by Elissa Redmiles, Ph.D. Student in Computer Science, University of Maryland

Who's giving you advice?Advice via shutterstock.com

Many Americans are worried about their online privacy and security. And rightly so: Nearly half of Americans have encountered at least one serious problem with online safety.

There are a wide range of potential problems: Some people fall victim to criminally malicious attackers who steal personal...

From shell-shock to PTSD, a century of invisible war trauma

Written by MaryCatherine McDonald, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Old Dominion University

Some soldiers' wounds in WWI were more mental than physical.George Metcalf Archival Collection, CC BY-NC-ND

In the wake of World War I, some veterans returned wounded, but not with obvious physical injuries. Instead, their symptoms were similar to those that had previously been associated with hysterical women – most commonly amnesia, or some...

How World War I ushered in the century of oil

Written by Brian C. Black, Distinguished Professor of History and Environmental Studies, Pennsylvania State University

The Navy converted to oil from coal a few years before the U.S. entered World War I, helping to solidify petroleum's strategic status.Naval History and Heritage Command

On July 7, 1919, a group of U.S. military members dedicated Zero Milestone – the point from which all road distances in the country would be measured – just south of the...

'Default' choices have big impact, but how to make sure they’re used ethically?

Written by Mary Steffel, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Northeastern University

Lawmakers in Texas just introduced a bill that would make a small change but potentially a big difference to the thousands of people awaiting organ transplants in the state. It also illustrates the subtle power of choice “defaults.”

The bill would tweak the text in driver’s license applications from “Would you like to join...

Can the study of epigenomics lead to personalized cancer treatment?

Written by Fabian V. Filipp, Assistant Professor of Systems Biology and Cancer Metabolism, University of California, Merced

Molecular insight into our own DNA is now possible, a field called personal genomics. Such approaches can let us know when we might have cancer-causing alterations in our genes. Well-known examples are the melanoma oncogene BRAF kinase, the breast cancer gene BRCA1 and the prostate specific antigen PSA.

But there is more to cancer and other...

The federal government will stop collecting data on LGBT seniors. That's bad news for their health

Written by Brandon Brown, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of California, Riverside

AIDS Memorial Quilt on display in Washington, D.C., 2012. HIV is a particular health concern for LGBT seniors. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

You’ve likely read the front-page news about accessible gender-neutral bathrooms. This has gained attention, not only as a human rights issue, but also a political one.

What we don’t usually read is...

Should Americans fear the 'nuclear option' in Congress?

Written by Jon Gould, Professor of Public Affairs and Law, American University

GOP Senate Judiciary Committee members after voting in favor of sending Gorsuch to the full Senate for confirmation.Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Soon Senate Republicans are likely to consider a “nuclear option” to put Judge Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court.

Just like a nuclear strike, the repercussions are likely to be wide-ranging and...

Baseball season begins: Five essential reads

Written by Nick Lehr, Editor, Arts and Culture, The Conversation

Members of the grounds crew spray the field before the Opening Day game between the Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins.AP Photo/Alex Brandon

“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball,” National Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman Rogers Hornsby once said. “I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out...