The Conversation

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...

Global warming to expose more people to Zika-spreading mosquito _Aedes aegypti_

Written by Andrew Monaghan, Scientist Research Applications Laboratory in Climate Science & Applications Program, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

A human-dependent mosquito, the range of the disease-carrying Aedes aegypti is projected to grow in the U.S. and affect more people globally. sanofi-pasteur/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

As Americans ready themselves for the arrival of mosquitoes this summer, many may be wondering whether they are at risk for tropical diseases like Zika and whether climate...

In the wake of tragedy, Trump takes rhetoric of fear to a whole new level

Written by Stephanie A. Martin, Assistant Professor of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Southern Methodist University

Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Greensboro, North Carolina on June 15, 2016.Jonathan Drake/Reuters

Donald Trump’s remarks in the aftermath of the Orlando shooting massacre – especially the reiteration of his call to temporarily ban Muslim immigration to the United States – angered leaders across America’s...

LGBT equality doesn't exist – but here's how to fight for it

Written by David Miller, Doctoral Student in Psychology, Northwestern University

When I came out as gay in my sophomore year of college, I absolutely loved going to Tigerheat – a kitschy 18-and-over gay club in Los Angeles. I mostly remember my nights there as frivolous fun, but they also had deeper meaning. That’s where I first learned how to openly and unabashedly celebrate being gay.

I danced wildly to Britney...

The Orlando shooting: exploring the link between hate crimes and terrorism

Written by Joshua D. Freilich, Professor of Criminal Justice, City University of New York

Some are calling the mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub an act of terrorism. Others are calling it a hate crime against the LGBT community. President Obama declared it an “act of terror and an act of hate.”

Can it be both?

It’s an important question. How extremist crimes are labeled by officials directly affects how...