The Conversation

What is heaven?

Written by Joanne M. Pierce, Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross

Illustration of Dante's Paradiso.Giovanni di Paolo

When a family member or a friend passes away, we often find ourselves reflecting on the question “where are they now?” As mortal beings, it is a question of ultimate significance to each of us.

Different cultural groups, and different individuals within them, respond with numerous,...

How the PROSPER Act could negatively impact LGBTQ students

Written by Timothy R. Bussey, Assistant Director for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Kenyon College

Congress is currently considering the PROSPER Act, which could have a dramatic impact on LGTBQ students.Peshkova/www.shutterstock.com

The PROSPER Act, a bill to reauthorize and overhaul key elements of higher education law, could be brought for a vote in the House of Representatives any day now. Even so, the actual level of support for the PROSPER...

Has Trump violated his oath of office? A primer on presidential duty and accountability

Written by Stefanie Lindquist, Foundation Professor of Law and Political Science, Arizona State University

Donald Trump, taking the presidential oath of office in 2017AP/Matt Rourke

After his joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, U.S. President Donald Trump was barraged with criticism from both friends and foes.

Standing next to Putin, Trump repudiated U.S. intelligence that the Russians interfered with the 2016...

¿Qué hace ICE, la agencia federal que aplica las leyes de inmigración d EEUU?

Written by Tanya Golash-Boza, Professor, University of California, Merced

Los manifestantes sostienen carteles delante de la oficina del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE).AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

¿Será que usted haya oído el eslogan “Abolish ICE”?

Esta frase en inglés -que quiere decir “Eliminen el ICE”, el Immigration and Customs Enforcement, o...

¿Qué hace ICE, la agencia federal que aplica las leyes de inmigración en EEUU?

Written by Tanya Golash-Boza, Professor, University of California, Merced

Los manifestantes sostienen carteles delante de la oficina del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE).AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

¿Será que usted haya oído el eslogan “Abolish ICE”?

Esta frase en inglés -que quiere decir “Eliminen el ICE”, el Immigration and Customs Enforcement, o...

The US is a whole lot richer because of trade with Europe, regardless of whether EU is friend or 'foe'

Written by Greg Wright, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California, Merced

Trump and Merkel: Friends, foes or frenemies?AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

President Donald Trump recently questioned the value of the long-standing United States-Europe alliance. When asked to identify his “biggest foe globally,” he declared: “I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade.”

This view...

Ozone pollution in US national parks is nearly the same as in large cities

Written by David Keiser, Assistant Professor of Economics, Iowa State University

A clear day at Acadia National Park in Maine.John Marino, CC BY

“Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue” – John Muir, My First Summer in the Sierra (1911)

Most Americans associate U.S. national parks with pristine environments that represent the very best of nature. In the 1916 law that...

New treatment in the works for disfiguring skin disease, vitiligo

Written by John Harris, Associate Professor of Dermatology, University of Massachusetts Medical School

This African woman suffers from an autoimmune disease called vitiligo which causes the loss of skin pigment.By andreonegin/shutterstock.com

In many parts of the world there is great shame and stigma tied to vitiligo, an autoimmune disease of the skin that causes disfiguring white spots, which can appear anywhere on the body. In some societies,...

Health clubs using tanning beds to attract members despite cancer risks, new study shows

Written by Sherry Pagoto, Professor of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut

Individuals using indoor tanning are exposed to two types of UV rays -- UVA and UVB -- that damage skin and DNA and can lead to cancer, including the deadliest one: melanoma. Young users are most at risk.By Rido/shutterstock.com

I drove past Planet Fitness on the way to my 10-year-old’s gymnastics class and had to chuckle at their sign...

What criminal conspiracy charges against an alleged Russian spy might mean for the NRA: 3 questions answered

Written by Brian Galle, Professor of Law, Georgetown University

Maria Butina, founder of a Russian gun group, allegedly infiltrated the Republican Party. AP Photo

Editor’s note: U.S. authorities have arrested Mariia Butina, a Russian advocate for firearms ownership also known as Maria. In a criminal complaint that led to her indictment, the Justice Department accused her of secretly infiltrating American...