The Conversation

No, Bob Dylan isn't the first lyricist to win the Nobel

Written by Alex Lubet, Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music, University of Minnesota

A portrait of Indian poet and musician Rabindranath Tagore.Cherishsantosh/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

There’s been a great deal of excitement over Bob Dylan winning the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature. It’s rare for artists who have achieved widespread, mainstream popularity to win. And although Nobels often go to Americans, the last...

The Jewish vote may swing key undecided counties, study says

Written by Daniel Parmer, Research Associate, Brandeis University

Jews may account for roughly only 2 percent of the American adult population, but their concentration in a number of swing states and counties makes them a potentially pivotal demographic in this fall’s presidential election.

Between 80 and 85 percent of Jews turn out to vote in national elections – more than 20 percent higher than the...

One step toward making criminal justice less biased

Written by Shima Baughman, Professor of Criminal Law, University of Utah

How can justice be blind to race?www.shuterstock.com

Many experts and politicians believe there is, as Hillary Clinton has said repeatedly, “systematic racism throughout the criminal justice system.”

As recently as the first presidential debate, Hillary Clinton made this point a hallmark of her criminal justice agenda. She claimed that...

We could prevent millions of cancer deaths each year with knowledge we already have

Written by David Hunter, Vincent L. Gregory Professor of Cancer Prevention, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University

Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel has released 10 recommendations to accelerate a new national effort “to end cancer as we know it.” These initiatives, focused mainly on the U.S., will almost certainly extend the lives of some cancer patients in the future.

However, cancer deaths worldwide are estimated...

Dems and the GOP are miles apart on yet another issue: Public lands

Written by John Freemuth, Professor of Public Policy and Senior Fellow Cecil Andrus Center for Public Policy, Boise State University

What does 'public' land mean to the two political parties?U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, CC BY

It’s unlikely the presidential candidates will field a question about public lands during their last debate. But public land is an issue that concerns many Americans, with arguments over it flaring up with cyclical regularity.

The Malheur National...

Straight girls do kiss on campus, but what about those who don't go to college?

Written by Jamie Budnick, Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology, University of Michigan

French painter Paul-Prosper Tillier's 'Baigneuses' (1890).

“Straight girls kissing” has become something of a curious and controversial cultural phenomenon over the last 15 years.

Madonna and Britney Spears famously locked lips in front of millions during the 2003 Video Music Awards, with Scarlett Johansson and Sandra Bullock following...

Do you buy a smartphone for its curves? Do you buy a car for its cup holders?

Written by Timothy Holbrook, Professor of Law, Emory University

How much did Samsung's phone sales depend on it looking like an iPhone?Comparison Smartphone/YouTube, CC BY-SA

On Oct. 7, Samsung found itself facing an unpleasant result in one of the many patent lawsuits it’s a part of: A federal appellate court reinstated a jury verdict of US$119 million against Samsung in favor of Apple.

In that case,...

What we can learn from Trump’s $916 million loss

Written by David Hasen, Professor of Law, University of Colorado

On Oct. 1, the New York Times reported that Donald Trump claimed a US$916 million net operating loss on his 1995 New York state income tax return. The article suggested his doing so would have allowed the Republican presidential candidate to avoid paying federal income taxes for up to 18 years.

Since Trump himself has not released any of his tax...

Reading, writing and mental health care: why schools need added services

Written by Ann DiGirolamo, Director, Center of Excellence for Children's Behavioral Health, Georgia Health Policy Center, Georgia State University

Young students in classroom via Shutterstock.From www.shutterstock.com

Students across the country have stepped into their classrooms, filled with excitement to start a new year. In many cases, though, students also bring physical, social, and emotional concerns.

For some students, these concerns are normal back-to-school jitters that will not...

Weather forecasters can't manipulate hurricane warnings — here's why

Written by David Titley, Professor of Practice in Meteorology & Director Center for Solutions to Weather and Climate Risk, Adjunct Senior Fellow, Center for New American Security, Pennsylvania State University

Damage from Hurricane Matthew in North Charleston, South Carolina, October 2016.Ryan Johnson/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Many mini-dramas develop during major disasters like Hurricane Matthew, which has left a trail of devastation in the Caribbean and the southeastern United States. One such drama occurred outside of the storm zone: Conservative news blogger...