The Conversation

An alternative to propping up coal power plants: Retrain workers for solar

Written by Joshua M. Pearce, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan Technological University

The number of coal mining jobs has gone up slightly, but many times less than solar-related ones.AP Photo/Dake Kang

The Trump administration announced new pollution rules for coal-fired power plants designed to keep existing coal power plants operating more and save American coal mining jobs.

Profitability for U.S. coal power plants has plummeted,...

What makes some species more likely to go extinct?

Written by Luke Strotz, Post-doctoral Researcher in Invertebrate Paleontology, University of Kansas

Dinosaurs had some bad luck, but sooner or later extinction comes for all of us.rawpixel/Unsplash.com, CC BY

Though they say “‘tis impossible to be sure of anything but death and taxes,” a bit of financial chicanery may get you out of paying the taxman. But no amount of trickery will stop the inevitability of death. Death is the...

Is China worsening the developing world's environmental crisis?

Written by Jonas Gamso, Assistant Professor of International Trade and Global Studies, Arizona State University

The Latinoamericana Tower stands amid smog in Mexico City. AP Photo/Marco Ugarte

The developing world is in the midst of an environmental crisis. Simply breathing the air is a leading cause of death.

One recent study found that pollution is to blame for a fifth of sub-Saharan Africa’s infant deaths. Another showed that exposure to toxins or...

Venezuela's 'desperate' currency devaluation won't save its economy from collapse

Written by Benjamin J. Cohen, Professor of International Political Economy, University of California, Santa Barbara

Venezuela recently announced one of the most dramatic currency reforms in history in a move that essentially devalues the bolivar by about 95 percent.

Its ironically named bolivar fuerte, meaning “strong,” first introduced 10 years ago, will be replaced by a new “sovereign” version at a conversion rate of 100,000 to one...

Mentors play critical role in quality of college experience, new poll suggests

Written by Leo M. Lambert, President Emeritus and Professor, Elon University

Strong relationships with professors are key to a rewarding college experience, a new poll finds.VGstockstudio/www.shutterstock.com

In order to have a rewarding college experience, students should build a constellation of mentors.

This constellation should be a diverse set of faculty, staff and peers who will get students out of their comfort...

How many babies in the US are wanted? Why it's so hard to count unintended pregnancy

Written by Heather M. Rackin, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Louisiana State University

Demographers struggle to measure unintended fertility.Leah Kelley/pexels, CC BY

Do you know the story about your conception? I do. According to my parents, I was the “best mistake” they ever made. I wouldn’t suggest asking your parents, because you might hear something that you aren’t happy about. My parents’ answer...

Many native animals and birds thrive in burned forests, research shows

Written by Derek E. Lee, Associate Research Professor of Biology, Pennsylvania State University

A Northern Spotted Owl in Oregon's Deschutes National Forest.AP Photo/Don Ryan, File

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is blaming this summer’s large-scale wildfires on environmentalists, who he contends oppose “active management” in forests.

But the idea that wildfires should be suppressed by logging the forest is far too...

The lies we tell on dating apps to find love

Written by David Markowitz, Assistant Professor of Social Media Data Analytics, University of Oregon

The lies most people tell on dating apps do serve a purpose.Dado Photos

Nearly one-fourth of young adults are looking for love through dating websites or apps.

This relatively new form of courtship can give you access to a large pool of potential partners. It also presents a unique set of challenges.

For example, you’ve probably heard about...

Coffee farmers struggle to adapt to Colombia's changing climate

Written by Jessica Eise, Ross Fellow in the Brian Lamb School of Communication Doctoral Program, Purdue University

The fertile, mountainous terrain of Colombia’s coffee-producing central region is vulnerable to climate change impacts such as stronger storms and hotter temperatures.Eddy Milfort/flickr, CC BY-SA

In Colombia’s coffee-producing region of Risaralda, small trees run along the sharp incline of the Andes Mountains, carefully tended in tidy...

When losing one's research partner is like losing a part of oneself

Written by Joan Cook, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University

Richard Thompson, the author's best friend.Joan Cook, CC BY-SA

“If you want to see Rich alive, now’s the time.” I sucked in air as I read the text from his wife.

I knew this was coming. But, I had been hoping for a miracle.

I met my friend Richard Thompson at a mental health grant-writing boot camp at Cornell Medical Center almost...