The Conversation

Mapping Brazil's political polarization online

Written by Pablo Ortellado, Professor of Public Policy, Universidade de Sao Paulo

People increasingly use social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter as their primary source for news and information. Studying social media habits, therefore, can offer rich insight into the political opinions of a nation.

Our team of computer scientists and social scientists from Brazil’s University of São Paulo began analyzing...

Can you be Christian and support the death penalty?

Written by Mathew Schmalz, Associate Professor of Religion, College of the Holy Cross

Pope Francis said the death penalty, can never be sanctioned because it 'attacks' the inherent dignity of all humans.AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, file

Pope Francis has declared the death penalty “inadmissible.” This means that the death penalty should not be used in any circumstance. It also alters the Catholic Catechism, a compendium of...

What colleges must do to promote mental health for graduate students

Written by Meghan Duffy, Professor, University of Michigan

Many graduate students report psychological distress, but the fear of stigma and other factors often dissuade them from seeking help. Dirima/www.shutterstock.com

Sara did not expect much to come from her visit to the university’s counseling center, but she was concerned enough about the dark thoughts she’d been having that she decided...

Ancient arts are inspiring modern electronics

Written by Shenqiang Ren, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

A stretchable electronic device whose design is inspired by the cut-paper art called kirigami.Doug Levere/University at Buffalo, CC BY-ND

After a few decades of electronics developing at a dizzying pace – from personal computers and flip phones to wearable devices, smartphones and tablets – there are signs technological breakthroughs...

Why 'Nigerian Prince' scams continue to dupe us

Written by Frank T. McAndrew, Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology, Knox College

These scammers don't exploit technological vulnerabilities – they exploit human ones.Alexandr III

With cryptocurrency fraud and IRS scams making headlines, I had thought Nigerian email schemes were a thing of the past, akin to the bygone days when a scammer might offer to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge.

So I was surprised to recently come across...

It's harder than you might expect for charities to give back tainted money

Written by Terri Lynn Helge, Professor of Law, Texas A&M University

Anti-opioid protest at the Harvard Art Museums, which the Sackler family has supported with charitable gifts.Jon Shaffer, CC BY-SA

The activist group Prescription Addiction Intervention Now, or PAIN, is organizing protests across the country at museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Sackler wing in New York City, Washington’s...

Here's what we know about CRISPR safety – and reports of 'genome vandalism'

Written by Jianhua Luo, Professor of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh

A standee of the movie 'Rampage' at a theater in Bangkok, Thailand. Scientists in the film used CRISPR to create a monster.By Sarunyu L/shutterstock.com

A movie just recently released called “Rampage” features Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson using a genetic engineering technology called CRISPR, to transform a gorilla, among other...

Does Monsanto's Roundup cause cancer? Trial highlights the difficulty of proving a link

Written by Richard G. "Bugs" Stevens, Professor, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut

Guilty or innocent?Mike Mozart, CC BY

Does glyphosate, the active ingredient in the widely used weedkiller Roundup, cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma? This question is at issue now in a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court. Hundreds more claims have been cleared to proceed in a federal multi-district lawsuit.

Much of this litigation is based on a 2015...

Trump administration and California are on collision course over vehicle emissions rules

Written by Meredith Hankins, Shapiro Fellow in Environmental Law and Policy, University of California, Los Angeles

California and the Trump administration are going different directions on mileage standards.AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

The Trump administration on Aug. 2 formally announced a proposal to freeze fuel economy standards and tailpipe emission standards for new cars. In addition, it is proposing to revoke California’s authority to set more...

¿Por qué duelen tanto las cortadas con papel?

Written by Gabriel Neal, Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Texas A&M University

Un niño que sufrió una cortada con papel.Suzanne Tucker/Shutterstock.com

Piense, por un instante, en lo que significa una cortada con papel.

Por lo general, ocurre de manera repentina e inesperada y cuando ya has llegado a ese punto de una labor que había estado aplazando. Rememore la sensación de alivio que...