The Conversation

What we can learn from an Indonesian ethnicity that recognizes five genders

Written by Sharyn Graham Davies, Associate Professor of Social Sciences, Auckland University of Technology

On June 13, when a judge in Oregon allowed a person to legally choose neither sex and be classified as “nonbinary,” transgender activists rejoiced. It’s thought to be the first ruling of its kind in a country that, until now, has required that people mark “male” or “female” on official identity documents.

Th...

Disrupting pro-ISIS online 'ecosystems' could help thwart real-world terrorism

Written by Neil Johnson, Professor of Physics, University of Miami

Schematic diagram of an aggregate made up of linked users, with the mathematical equation that describes this online pro-ISIS ecology.Neil Johnson, CC BY-ND

Supporters of the Islamic State, or ISIS, around the world gather online, becoming members of virtual communities in much the same way any of us might join online groups focused on some common...

Appeals court upholds net neutrality rules -- why you should care

Written by Amanda Lotz, Professor of Communication Studies and Screen Arts & Cultures, University of Michigan

The court ruling will keep all internet traffic treated equally.Laptop with arrows via shutterstock.com

If you like binge-watching Netflix, streaming audio or online gaming, then you should be celebrating this week. And if your business depends on reaching a wide audience online, you should join in. A federal appeals court decision this week means...

Orlando after tragedy: much more than world's theme park

Written by Jeff Kunerth, Visiting Instructor, Journalism, Nicholson School of Communication , University of Central Florida

Orlando has long been characterized as a place of transients, a perpetual churn of people moving in and out. Orlando is a stop, a stepping stone, not a destination. The city once even referred to its homeless as “transients” – as if they were something temporary, rather than permanent.

I certainly felt temporary when I took my...

Losing control: The dangers of killer robots

Written by Bonnie Docherty, Lecturer on Law, Senior Clinical Instructor at Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic, Harvard University

Should we act to prevent this from ever happening?Armed robot via shutterstock.com

New technology could lead humans to relinquish control over decisions to use lethal force. As artificial intelligence advances, the possibility that machines could independently select and fire on targets is fast approaching. Fully autonomous weapons, also known as...

How will we remember black women on the anniversary of the Charleston shooting?

Written by Chad Williams, Associate Professor of African and Afro-American Studies, Brandeis University

The men and women of a Bible study at Charleston, South Carolina’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church welcomed Dylann Roof into their circle on June 17, 2015. Then, after an hour of discussion and prayer, the 21-year-old white supremacist took out a gun and opened fire on them. Declaring his hatred of African-Americans, Roof...

Stanford sexual assault: what changed with the survivor's testimony

Written by Leigh Gilmore, Distinguished Professor of Women's and Gender Studies, Wellesley College

As the case against Brock Turner, the Stanford swimmer who sexually assaulted a woman when she was unconscious, unfolded in court, his attorneys presented him as a young man whose inexperience with alcohol and desire to fit in with his teammates led to a drunken night of consensual sex.

Following Turner’s conviction and six-month sentence,...

Where does anti-LGBT bias come from – and how does it translate into violence?

Written by Dominic Parrott, Professor of Psychology, Georgia State University

In the United States, public support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community has increased in recent years. These changes are associated with increased visibility of openly gay characters on television, the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell" and the Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage.

Neve...

Why it's so hard for students to have their debts forgiven

Written by Neal H. Hutchens, Professor of Higher Education, University of Mississippi

Forgive me, for I have borrowed.Peg Hunter/Flickr, CC BY-NC

Outstanding student loan debt in the United States reached a record US$1.35 trillion in March, up six percent from a year earlier.

About 10 million people who borrowed from the government’s main student loan program – 43 percent – are currently behind or no longer making...

Raise a cup -- of coffee; WHO no longer says it can cause cancer

Written by Keri Szejda, Food Safety and Health Communication Scholar, Center for Research on Ingredient Safety, Arizona State University

Cup of coffee via ShutterstockFrom www.shutterstock.com, CC BY-SA

Since 1991, coffee has been saddled with the label, “possibly causes cancer.” As of June 15, coffee got a clean bill of health.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer – or IARC – is the WHO agency that evaluates evidence and scientific research on...