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The Conversation

How disinformation could sway the 2020 election

  • Written by Paul M. Barrett, Deputy Director, Center for Business and Human Rights, Stern School of Business; Adjunct Professor of Law, New York University
What people read online could really disrupt society and politics.igorstevanovic/Shutterstock.com

In 2016, Russian operatives used Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to sow division among American voters and boost Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

What the Russians used to accomplish this is called “disinformation,” which is false...

Read more: How disinformation could sway the 2020 election

Why your employer-sponsored insurance may ultimately not be good for you

  • Written by Dana Goldman, Leonard D. Schaeffer Chair and Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, Pharmacy, and Economics, University of Southern California
Employer-sponsored insurance is one of the biggest benefits for U.S. workers, but it may not be best social policy.zimmytws/Shutterstock.com

The Democratic presidential debates, which resume Sept. 12, have highlighted a deep disagreement over the future American health care system. Reflecting the anger of voters over medical costs, Sens. Bernie...

Read more: Why your employer-sponsored insurance may ultimately not be good for you

Far fewer Mexican immigrants are coming to the US -- and those who do are more educated

  • Written by Rogelio Sáenz, Professor of Demography, The University of Texas at San Antonio
The number of Mexican migrants fell during the economic recession.Tu Olles/Shutterstock.com

Once upon a time, not long ago, Mexicans dominated the flow of migrants coming to the U.S. Mexican migration expanded over the course of much of the 20th century and into the start of the 21st century.

That is no longer the case.

The number of Mexican...

Read more: Far fewer Mexican immigrants are coming to the US -- and those who do are more educated

In Brazil's rainforests, the worst fires are likely still to come

  • Written by Robert T. Walker, Professor of Latin American Studies and Geography, University of Florida

The number of fires this year in the Amazon is the highest since 2010, reaching more than 90,000 active fires. Farmers and ranchers routinely use fires to clear the forest. But this year’s number reflects a worrisome uptick in the rate of deforestation, which had started to drop around 2005 before rebounding earlier this decade.

Many people bl...

Read more: In Brazil's rainforests, the worst fires are likely still to come

I create manipulated images and videos – but quality may not matter much

  • Written by Christye Sisson, Associate Professor of Photographic Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology
It can be tricky to make it look like people are doing things they never did.Alexander Sobol/Shutterstock.com

Lots of people – including Congress – are worried about fake videos and imagery distorting the truth, purporting to show people saying and doing things they never said or did.

I’m part of a larger U.S. government project th...

Read more: I create manipulated images and videos – but quality may not matter much

The hidden story of two African American women looking out from the pages of a 19th-century book

  • Written by Kate Clarke Lemay, Historian, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Mary E. Harper (left) and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (right), whose two photos in 'Atlanta Offering' are unusual. Unidentified Artist, 1895, Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, & Rare Book Library, Emory University, Author provided

We are twohistorians whose work focuses on American art and on how African Americans have shaped the story of...

Read more: The hidden story of two African American women looking out from the pages of a 19th-century book

How to increase access to gifted programs for low-income and black and Latino children

  • Written by Jonathan Wai, Assistant Professor of Education Policy and Psychology and Endowed Chair, University of Arkansas
Some kids need a more challenging curriculum. Asia Images Group/Shutterstock.com

Many of the public school gifted and talented programs that serve high-ability students don’t reflect the diversity of their communities. New York City, with roughly 1.1 million students, is an extreme example.

While roughly 4 in 6 of its kindergartners are black...

Read more: How to increase access to gifted programs for low-income and black and Latino children

Curious Kids: Why do burps make noise?

  • Written by George Saffouri, Assistant Clinical Professor of Health Sciences, Gastroenterology & Hepatology, University of California, Riverside
Pardon me!Gelpi/Shutterstock.com

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.


Why does burping make noise? – Henry E., age 8, Somerville, Massachusetts


Burping is a normal part of everyday life.

Burps happen when air from your stomach...

Read more: Curious Kids: Why do burps make noise?

How to increase access to gifted programs for low-income students and children of color

  • Written by Jonathan Wai, Assistant Professor of Education Policy and Psychology and Endowed Chair, University of Arkansas
Some kids need a more challenging curriculum. Asia Images Group/Shutterstock.com

Many of the public school gifted and talented programs that serve high-ability students don’t reflect the diversity of their communities. New York City, with roughly 1.1 million students, is an extreme example.

While roughly 4 in 6 of its kindergartners are black...

Read more: How to increase access to gifted programs for low-income students and children of color

What is Ashura? How this Shiite Muslim holiday inspires millions

  • Written by Noorzehra Zaidi, Assistant Professor of HIstory, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Ashura in SyriaTasnim News Agency, CC BY-SA

Tens of millions of Shiite Muslims from around the world will visit Iraq on Sept. 10 this year to see the shrines of Hussain, grandson of Prophet Mohammed, and his brother Abbas on the day of “Ashura.”

This annual pilgrimage marks the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic new...

Read more: What is Ashura? How this Shiite Muslim holiday inspires millions

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  5. How climate change is driving emigration from Central America
  6. I wrote a book about email – and found myself pining for the days of letter-writing
  7. How nine days underwater helps scientists understand what life on a Moon base will be like
  8. Lessons from the UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda, 25 years after the genocide it failed to stop
  9. How many Americans believe in climate change? Probably more than you think, research in Indiana suggests
  10. Why are there so few women CEOs?
  11. From cohabitation to cohousing: Older baby boomers create living arrangements to suit new needs
  12. How to get preschoolers ready to learn math
  13. Good communication is a key part of disaster response
  14. Here's what happens when political bubbles collide
  15. For some children born abroad, US citizenship has never been a guarantee
  16. 1 in 5 college students takes math courses that repeat what they already know
  17. Artificial intelligence in medicine raises legal and ethical concerns
  18. One skill that doesn't deteriorate with age
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  21. Why damage estimates for hurricanes like Dorian won't capture the full cost of climate change-fueled disasters
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  23. Complex birdsongs help biologists piece together the evolution of lifelong learning
  24. The American Founders made sure the president could never suspend Congress
  25. Stop calling it a choice: Biological factors drive homosexuality
  26. 7 tips on how to take better notes
  27. In a world of cyber threats, the push for cyber peace is growing
  28. Evolution doesn't proceed in a straight line – so why draw it that way?
  29. How American Christian media promoted charity abroad
  30. How to address America's lead crisis and provide safe drinking water for all
  31. The test that could save the life of a long-time smoker you know
  32. Curious Kids: Why do we say 'OK'?
  33. When religious ideology drives abortion policy, poor women suffer the consequences
  34. Colombia's peace process under stress: 6 essential reads
  35. A new solution for America's empty churches: A change of faith
  36. Parents can help kids catch up in reading with a 10-minute daily routine
  37. Preparing for hurricanes: 3 essential reads
  38. How do hospitals know what to do when hurricanes approach?
  39. Surveying archaeologists across the globe reveals deeper and more widespread roots of the human age, the Anthropocene
  40. Why the queen said yes to Boris Johnson's request to suspend Parliament
  41. Curious Kids: Why is money green?
  42. Sexual abuse against gay and bi men brings unique stigma and harm
  43. These are the customers who support sex trafficking in the US
  44. Why increasing Arab-Israeli closeness matters
  45. Why companies file for bankruptcy – and how it protects both debtors and creditors
  46. Should parents help their kids with homework?
  47. Should investors buy marijuana stocks?
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