The Conversation

Why the South still has such high HIV rates

Written by Thurka Sangaramoorthy, Professor of Anthropology, University of Maryland

Reggie Batiste with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Atlanta administers an HIV test. David Goldman/AP

Increased funding, targeted prevention efforts and better treatment have helped to slow down the HIV epidemic in the United States. The number of new HIV-positive cases has decreased significantly, according to the Centers for Disease Control...

The rise – and possible fall – of the graphing calculator

Written by Frederick Peck, Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Montana

Graphing calculators – like the ones used in this seventh grade Dallas classroom – have become ubiquitous in U.S. education.AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

The first handheld graphing calculator, the Casio fx-7000G, appeared in 1985.

Since then, graphing calculators have become a common – and controversial – tool for learning...

Matchmaker, matchmaker, find me a school: College admissions in China

Written by Yan Chen, Professor of Information, University of Michigan

High school students in the United States work hard under great pressure to get into their chosen colleges. They must maintain high grades in challenging courses throughout high school, score well on ACT or SAT exams, painstakingly fill out applications – and then wait and hope.

It’s not easy, and it can be heartbreaking if...

Climate change is shrinking the Colorado River

Written by Brad Udall, Senior Research Scientist, Colorado Water Institute, Colorado State University

Lake Powell, photographed April 12, 2017. The white 'bathtub ring' at the cliff base indicates how much higher the lake reached at its peak, nearly 100 feet above the current level.Patti Weeks

The nation’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead on the Arizona/Nevada border and Lake Powell on the Arizona/Utah border, were brim full in the year...

What went wrong with the F-35, Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter?

Written by Michael P. Hughes, Professor of Finance, Francis Marion University

Everything to everyone – or is the F-35 a big expense for not much benefit?U.S. Air Force/Alex R. Lloyd

The F-35 was billed as a fighter jet that could do almost everything the U.S. military desired, serving the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy – and even Britain’s Royal Air Force and Royal Navy – all in one aircraft design....

Cities can jump-start climate progress by plugging in their vehicles

Written by Daniel Cohan, Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering, Rice University

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck, left, and Mayor Eric Garcetti pose next to an all-electric car in this 2015 photo. AP Photo/Nick Ut

President Donald Trump’s decision to exit the Paris climate agreement reaffirmed what was already clear: The federal government is no longer leading American efforts to shrink our carbon footprint. But...

Do poor people eat more junk food than wealthier Americans?

Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Economist and Research Scientist, The Ohio State University

Billionaire Warren Buffett says he drinks five Cokes a day.AP Photo/Nati Harnik

Eating fast food is frequently blamed for damaging our health.

As nutrition experts point out, it is not the healthiest type of meal since it is typically high in fat and salt. More widely, it’s seen as a key factor in the growing obesity epidemic in the U.S. and...

Future of unions in balance as Trump prepares to reshape national labor board

Written by Nicole Hallett, Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Yale University graduate students have sought to form a union for more than a decade. AP Photo/Bob Child

Last October, employees of the Elderwood Nursing Home in Grand Island, New York, voted to unionize after years of dealing with short staffing, stagnant wages and problems with management. Six months later, the company has yet to come to the...

Are jokesters screwing up our data on gay teenagers?

Written by Jessica Fish, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at Austin

Should we trust what they say?Shutterstock

Teens are mischievous, not to be trusted. You’ve probably heard the trope before – maybe you even believe it yourself. But is the stereotype now warping our trust of scientific results?

Surveys can help researchers better understand the lives of teens, but skeptics argue that youth are often...

Can people 'like me' go to college? Inequality and dreams of higher ed

Written by Daphna Oyserman, Professor of Psychology and Education, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Some minorities are less likely to think that their college dreams could become a reality.AP Photo/Tim Boyd

The cost of college may be on the rise, but most still agree that it’s a sound investment. There are, in fact, a number of personal and societal benefits associated with getting a bachelor’s degree and, it seems, people know that:...