The Conversation

Marijuana expands into 3 more states, but nationwide legalization still unlikely

Written by Daniel J. Mallinson, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Administration, School of Public Affairs, Pennsylvania State University

Has marijuana legalization reached a tipping point?AP Photo/David Dermer, File

The midterm elections have further loosened marijuana restrictions in the United States. Voters in three of four states with ballot proposals on marijuana approved those initiatives.

In Utah and Missouri, voters on Tuesday decided that patients should have access to...

2 economic policies likely to change with Democrats in control of House

Written by Steven Pressman, Professor of Economics, Colorado State University

House Democrats will finally have a say in economic policy. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the midterm elections was that, unlike 2016, there wasn’t one. Polls and pundits expected Democrats would take control of the House and Republicans would keep the Senate, and that’s exactly what we’re getting.

Th...

What image will define the 2018 election?

Written by Bob Britten, Teaching Associate Professor, West Virginia University

Images of Donald Trump from the midterm campaign.Illustration by Bob Britten

Every election has its iconic images. Or does it?

There are standout images from previous campaigns. Barack Obama’s “Hope” poster, with all its homages and parodies, is a classic example.

A supporter holds the poster of Barack Obama by Shepard Fairey, in...

Threats remain to US voting system – and voters' perceptions of reality

Written by Richard Forno, Senior Lecturer, Cybersecurity & Internet Researcher, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

As Americans go to the polls, the voting process and the information environment are still not secure.AP Photo/David Goldman

As the 2018 midterms proceed, there are still significant risks to the integrity of the voting system – and information warfare continues to try to influence the American public’s choices when they cast their...

Hurricanes and water wars threaten the Gulf Coast's new high-end oyster industry

Written by Daniel R. Petrolia, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University

Gulf Coast oysters on the half shell at Wintzell's, Mobile, Ala. donireewalker, CC BY

For Cainnon Gregg, 2018 started out as a great year. After leaving his job as an installation artist to become a full-time oyster farmer in Wakulla County, Florida in 2017, Gregg began raising small oysters in baskets or bags suspended in the shallow, productive...

A game plan for technology companies to actually help save the world

Written by Bhaskar Chakravorti, Dean of Global Business, The Fletcher School, Tufts University

Working together, people and technology companies can make a lot of progress.Pedro Tavares/Shutterstock.com

Smartphones, computers and social media platforms have become indispensable parts of modern life, but the technology companies that make them and write their software are under siege. In any given week, Facebook or Google or Amazon does...

Racial and ethnic minorities are more vulnerable to wildfires

Written by Phil Levin, Professor of Practice in Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington

An Oregon wildfire in August 2018.U.S. Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Region

Over the last decade, the U.S. has seen an average of 70,512 wildland fires every year, annually burning about 6.8 million acres. With climate change, scientists expect fires to become more frequent and more severe.

However, some people are more affected by these events...

Colonizing Mars means contaminating Mars – and never knowing for sure if it had its own native life

Written by David Weintraub, Professor of Astronomy, Vanderbilt University

Once people get there, Mars will be contaminated with Earth life.NASA/Pat Rawlings, SAIC, CC BY

The closest place in the universe where extraterrestrial life might exist is Mars, and human beings are poised to attempt to colonize this planetary neighbor within the next decade. Before that happens, we need to recognize that a very real possibility...

New findings add twist to screen time limit debate

Written by Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University

If screens are kept at an arm's length, measures of well-being tend to improve.SawBear/Shutterstock.com

Many parents want to know how much time their kids should be spending in front of screens, whether it’s their smartphones, tablets or TV.

For years, the American Academy of Pediatrics had suggested a limit of two hours a day of TV for...

How Christian missionary media shaped the world

Written by Jason Bruner, Director of Undergraduate Studies & Assistant Professor, Religious Studies, Arizona State University

Missionary media has played an important role in shaping world news.Pamla J. Eisenberg/Flickr.com, CC BY-SA

The Christian Broadcasting Network, founded over 50 years ago by evangelist Pat Robertson, has now launched the first 24-hour Christian television news channel.

Robertson said that the channel would help viewers understand how current events...