The Conversation

Adolescents have a fundamental need to contribute

Written by Andrew J. Fuligni, Professor of Psychiatry & Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles

Harnessing adolescents’ readiness to help can be good for them and their communities.YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV/Shutterstock.com

No longer children but not yet adults, adolescents need opportunities to learn and prepare for their entrance into the broader society. But, as schooling increasingly extends the adolescent period and teenagers get...

How slavery's lingering stain on the US Constitution spoils Elizabeth Warren's wealth tax proposal – for now

Written by Beverly Moran, Professor of Law and Sociology, Vanderbilt University

Slavery was a sticking point at the Constitutional Convention of 1787.Howard Chandler Christy/The Indian Reporter, CC BY

Key Democrats are proposing ways to make the rich pay more taxes.

I believe one of the most promising is Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax. There’s only one snag: It is arguably unconstitutional.

Under her proposal,...

Why the $22 trillion national debt doesn't matter – here's what you should worry about instead

Written by William D. Lastrapes, Professor of Economics, University of Georgia

Does a few more trillion make a difference?AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

The U.S. federal government’s debt load hit another milestone this month: It’s now a record US$22 trillion in nominal terms.

That’s $67,000 for every man, woman and child living in the U.S., and it’s up $2 trillion since President Donald Trump took...

Just what are 'zero tolerance' policies – and are they still common in America's schools?

Written by F. Chris Curran, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Zero tolerance polices in school discipline are on the decline, new data show.wavebreakmedia/www.shutterstock.com

When parents and educators discuss school discipline, one of the things that comes up most are “zero tolerance” policies. This term is often misused and misunderstood, according to new research I published recently.

Zero...

How energy efficiency delivers green dividends in red and blue states

Written by David Cash, Dean, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston

Installing smart meters saves energy and creates jobs.AP Photo/Gerry Broome

The Green New Deal, a bundle of proposed policies that would combat climate change, create green jobs and address economic inequities, is eliciting the usual partisan debate over what to do about global warming.

But one humble and noncontroversial way to reduce carbon...

Why blackface?

Written by Michael Millner, Associate Professor of English and American Studies, University of Massachusetts Lowell

1899 lithograph of white minstrel performer Carroll Johnson depicted in blackface, right.Library of Congress

Blackface is part of American culture’s DNA.

But America has forgotten that.

For almost two weeks, conflict has raged over the use of blackface by two current Virginia politicians when they were younger. The revelations have threatened...

Why it's so difficult for scientists to predict the next outbreak of a dangerous disease

Written by C. Brandon Ogbunu, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University

_Aedes aegypti_ mosquitoes, responsible for transmitting Zika.AP Photo/Felipe Dana

A two-year-old boy in rural Guinea died of Ebola in December 2014. Over the next two years, almost 30,000 people in West Africa would be infected with the Ebola virus.

Why, unlike previous 17 Ebola outbreaks, did this one grow so large, so quickly? What, if anything,...

To end the HIV epidemic, addressing poverty and inequities one of most important treatments

Written by Maria De Jesus, Associate Professor, American University and Research Fellow at Center on Health, Risk, and Society, American University School of International Service

Homelessness is a major driver of HIV/AIDS.Andrew Marcus/Shutterstock.com

In his State of the Union speech, President Trump called for ending the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and senior public health officials stated that the government plans to focus on highly impacted areas and...

A secure relationship with passwords means not being attached to how you pick them

Written by Merrill Warkentin, James J. Rouse Endowed Professor of Information Systems, Mississippi State University

Many people don't want to let go of how they create passwords.Tono Balaguer/Shutterstock.com

When you are asked to create a password – either for a new online account or resetting login information for an existing account – you’re likely to choose a password you know you can remember. Many people use extremely basic passwords, or...

This trait could be key to a lasting romance

Written by Toni Antonucci, Elizabeth M. Douvan Collegiate Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan

'I'm not perfect – and I know you aren't, either.'Pixabay

Passion and commitment are widely believed to be the foundation of strong romantic relationships.

But a relationship is made of two unique individuals, and personality traits these individuals possess or lack can often make a relationship more likely to endure.

In a recent study, we...