The Conversation

Fake news, echo chambers and filter bubbles: Underresearched and overhyped

Written by William H. Dutton, Professor of Media and Information Policy, Michigan State University

Don't panic: An international survey finds concerns about fake news are overblown.studiostoks/shutterstock.com

In the early years of the internet, it was revolutionary to have a world of information just a click away from anyone, anywhere, anytime. Many hoped this inherently democratic technology could lead to better-informed citizens more easily pa...

How African-Americans disappeared from the Kentucky Derby

Written by Katherine Mooney, Assistant Professor of History, Florida State University

From 1921 to 2000, no black jockeys competed. Wikimedia Commons

When the horses enter the gate for the 143rd Kentucky Derby, their jockeys will hail from Louisiana, Mexico, Nebraska and France. None will be African-American. That’s been the norm for quite a while. When Marlon St. Julien rode the Derby in 2000, he became the first black man to...

How pre-existing conditions became front and center in health care vote

Written by Simon Haeder, Assistant Professor of Political Science, West Virginia University

Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.) speaks to reporters outside the White House on May 3, 2017 after a meeting with the president on proposed legislation that could limit coverage for preexisting conditions. Susan Walsh/AP

Pre-existing conditions became the focus of debate on the American Health Care Act, which was narrowly passed 217-213 by the House of...

Who are Jehovah's Witnesses?

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

The Russian Supreme Court recently sanctioned Jehovah’s Witnesses as an extremist group. This ruling criminalizes Jehovah’s Witnesses who express their beliefs and allows the Russian government to liquidate any property held by the organization.

There are over eight million Jehovah’s Witnesses in 240 countries worldwide. Russia,...

Court ruling is a first step toward controlling air pollution from livestock farms

Written by Martin C. Heller, Senior Research Specialist, Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan

Hog feeding operation near Tribune, Kansas.AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Editor’s note: Most livestock farming in industrialized countries takes place on large enclosed farms, known in the United States as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), that house hundreds or thousands of animals. Many environmental and public health groups say...

Behind closed doors: What the Piltdown Man hoax from 1912 can teach science today

Written by Samuel Redman, Assistant Professor of History, University of Massachusetts Amherst

When new discoveries are jealously guarded under lock and key, science suffers.Andy Wright, CC BY

In 1912, Charles Dawson, an amateur archaeologist in England, claimed he’d made one of the most important fossil discoveries ever. Ultimately, however, his “Piltdown Man” proved to be a hoax. By cleverly pairing a human skull with an...

More and more restaurants list calories on their menus. What about salt?

Written by Alyssa Moran, Sc.D. candidate in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University

Do you know how much salt is in your food?Jorge Royan, CC BY-SA

Which do you think has more salt: a Panera Bread wild blueberry scone or a large order of Burger King french fries?

Starting May 5, restaurants and food stores across the U.S. were going to be required to include calorie counts on their menus. The Trump administration has delayed calorie...

Rewriting NAFTA has serious implications beyond just trade

Written by Jessica Trisko Darden, Assistant Professor of International Affairs, American University School of International Service

President Donald J. Trump has called the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) our “worst trade deal.”

After flip-flopping between scrapping NAFTA altogether and saying that the agreement required only tweaks, President Trump is trying to force a renegotiation of a deal that supports three million American jobs.

While this may seem...

What makes Kim Jong Un tick?

Written by Stephen Benedict Dyson, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Connecticut

Kim Jong Un is a “smart cookie,” President Donald Trump said recently of North Korea’s leader.

“He’s 27 years old,” Trump mused. “His father dies, [he] took over a regime. So say what you want but that is not easy.”

Kim, who has assassinated his internal rivals using anti-aircraft guns and chemical...

How did health insurance get so complicated? Here are some answers

Written by J.B. Silvers, Professor of Health Finance, Case Western Reserve University

Rep. Fred Upton, left, (R-Mich.) and Rep. Greg Waldon (R-Ore.) outside the White House on May 3, 2017, after meeting with Pres. Trump to discuss the heath care law. Susan Walsh/AP

With the passage of the Republicans’ health care act, the House of Representatives seems to be saying that coming up with a plan to insure Americans really...