The Conversation

As Syria ponders a democratic future: 5 lessons from the Arab Spring

Written by Robert Kubinec, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of South Carolina

The fall of Bashar Assad’s dictatorship in December 2024 has ushered in a nerve-wracking time of hope and fear for Syrians concerning future governance in the long-war-torn country.

While it’s unclear what exact political path Syria will take, the dilemmas the country faces are similar to the experiences of other Arab countries more...

Harvard expands its definition of antisemitism – when does criticism of Israel cross a line?

Written by Joshua Shanes, Professor of Jewish Studies, College of Charleston

Harvard has adopted a broader definition of antisemitism.Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

As part of Harvard University’s agreement in response to two federal lawsuits filed by Jewish students alleging antisemitic discrimination, it will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, or IHRA, “working...

Health and Human Services secretary influences every aspect of America’s health

Written by Angela Mattie, Professor of Management & Medical Sciences, Schools of Business & Medicine, Quinnipiac University

Declaring a state of public health emergency − and mobilizing resources to address it − is a power of the HHS secretary.Frank Franklin II/AP Photo

The secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, plays a significant role in every American’s access to health care and in the nation’s overall well-being.

Unde...

Mark Zuckerberg thinks workplaces need to ‘man up’ − here’s why that’s bad for all employees, no matter their gender

Written by Adam Stanaland, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Richmond

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg attends a UFC match on Feb. 17, 2024.Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

When Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared on a Jan. 10, 2025, episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” he lamented that corporate culture had become too “feminine,” suppressing its “masculine energy” and abandoning supposedly...

10 years after the Charlie Hebdo attacks in France, conversations about free speech are still too black and white

Written by Armin Langer, Assistant Professor of European Studies, University of Florida

A special edition of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo commemorates 10 years since an Islamist attack in 2015.Photo by Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

In January 2015, 12 people were killed at the French satirist magazine Charlie Hebdo’s office after it published controversial caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. Ten years...

After the fire: Rain on wildfire burn scars can trigger deadly debris flows – a geologist explains how

Written by Jen Pierce, Professor of Geosciences, Boise State University

A debris flow channel in a severely burned watershed in Idaho.Amirhossein Montazeri/Boise State University, CC BY-ND

While firefighters work to extinguish the Los Angeles-area wildfires, city officials and emergency managers are also worried about what could come next.

The potential for rain the weekend of Jan. 25-26 could help tamp down the fires....

LA gets rain, but also risk of flooding and debris flows from wildfire burn scars – a geologist explains the threat

Written by Jen Pierce, Professor of Geosciences, Boise State University

A debris flow channel in a severely burned watershed in Idaho.Amirhossein Montazeri/Boise State University, CC BY-ND

While firefighters work to extinguish the Los Angeles-area wildfires, city officials and emergency managers are also worried about what could come next.

Light rain began falling on Jan. 25, 2025, helping firefighters who have been...

FDA bans Red 3 dye from food and drugs – a scientist explains the artificial color’s health risks and long history

Written by Lorne J. Hofseth, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina

Look out for Red 3, FD&C Red No. 3, erythrosine or E127 in the ingredients list of your favorite processed foods.Anhelina Chumak/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Red 3 – also called FD&C Red No. 3, erythrosine or E127 – has been widely used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals since its FDA approval in 1969. You’ve likely...

Kremlin promotes ‘traditional values’ – but leaves some battles to the governors

Written by Guzel Garifullina, Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond

Vladimir Putin poses with participants at the Russia Expo in Moscow in front of a sign that says 'Year of the Family' on Jan. 23, 2024. Sergei Karpukhin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

As 2025 begins, Russia ends its official “Year of the Family.” But the state has been promoting what it calls “traditional” or...

What another Lukashenko ‘victory’ will mean for Europe’s security – and that of Belarus’ citizenry

Written by Tatsiana Kulakevich, Associate Professor of Instruction in the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, University of South Florida

Europe’s longest-serving authoritarian leader, Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko, is set to run for a seventh term on Jan. 26, 2025. And even before the first vote is counted, it can be stated with a fair degree of confidence that he will prevail.

With no genuine opposition and a history of vote rigging, Lukashenko – in power since...