The Conversation

The term ‘lone gunman’ ignores the structures that enable violence

Written by Art Jipson, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Dayton

Members of law enforcement agencies search for shooting suspect Vance Boelter at a house on June 15, 2025, in Belle Plaine, Minn. AP Photo/George Walker IV

When shots rang out in Minnesota, targeting state Democratic politicians, the headlines quickly followed a familiar script: a mentally unstable suspect and the well-worn label “lone gunman....

50 years after ‘Jaws,’ researchers have retired the man-eater myth and revealed more about sharks’ amazing biology

Written by Gareth J. Fraser, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, University of Florida

The shark in 'Jaws' became a terrifying icon.Universal Pictures via Getty Images

The summer of 1975 was the summer of “Jaws.”

The movie was adapted from a novel by Peter Benchley.Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The first blockbuster movie sent waves of panic and awe through audiences. “Jaws”...

Grok’s ‘white genocide’ responses show how generative AI can be weaponized

Written by James Foulds, Associate Professor of Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Someone altered the AI chatbot Grok to make it insert text about a debunked conspiracy theory in unrelated responses.Cheng Xin/Getty Images

The AI chatbot Grok spent one day in May 2025 spreading debunked conspiracy theories about “white genocide” in South Africa, echoing views publicly voiced by Elon Musk, the founder of its parent...

Smartphones are once again setting the agenda for justice as the Latino community documents ICE actions

Written by Allissa V. Richardson, Associate Professor of Journalism, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Smartphone witnessing helped spur the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles.AP Photo/Ethan Swope

It has been five years since May 25, 2020, when George Floyd gasped for air beneath the knee of a Minneapolis police officer at the corner of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. Five years since 17-year-old Darnella Frazier stood outside Cup Foods, raised her...

Expansion of marriage rights to same-sex couples also expanded access to the psychological benefits that come with tying the knot

Written by Alana L. Riso, Ph.D. Student in Clinical Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Marriage and the ability to start a family are human rights. Ten years ago, on June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Obergefell v. Hodges case extended the right to marry to same-sex couples.

With 7.6% of Americans identifying as LGBTQ+, this decision continues to have an impact beyond legal benefits.

Marriage provides unique...

Ticks carry decades of history in each troublesome bite

Written by Sean Lawrence, Assistant Professor of History, West Virginia University

The black-legged tick, or deer tick, _Ixodes scapularis_, can transmit Lyme disease and other health hazards.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

When you think about ticks, you might picture nightmarish little parasites, stalking you on weekend hikes or afternoons in the park.

Your fear is well-founded. Tick-borne diseases are the most...

AI helps tell snow leopards apart, improving population counts for these majestic mountain predators

Written by Eve Bohnett, Assistant Scholar, Center for Landscape Conservation Planning, University of Florida

Snow leopards are hard to find and count, which makes protecting them difficult.zahoor salmi/Moment via Getty Images

Snow leopards are known as the “ghosts of the mountains” for a reason. Imagine waiting for months in the harsh, rugged mountains of Asia, hoping to catch even a glimpse of one. These elusive big cats move silently across...

Germany’s young Jewish and Muslim writers are speaking for themselves – exploring immigrant identity beyond stereotypes

Written by Agnes Mueller, Carol Kahn Strauss Fellow in Jewish Studies at the American Academy in Berlin, Professor of German and American Literature, University of South Carolina

A Muslim guest sits next to a Jewish one during an ordination ceremony at the Rykestrasse Synagogue in Berlin in September 2024.Omer Messinger/Getty Images

The consequences of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack and Israel’s war in Gaza have reverberated far beyond the zones of conflict.

In the United States, for example, a growing number of...

‘Jaws’ and the two musical notes that changed Hollywood forever

Written by Jared Bahir Browsh, Assistant Teaching Professor of Critical Sports Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

Many film historians see 'Jaws' as the first true summer blockbuster.Steve Kagan/Getty Images

“Da, duh.”

Two simple notes – E and F – have become synonymous with tension, fear and sharks, representing the primal dread of being stalked by a predator.

And they largely have “Jaws” to thank.

Fifty years ago, Steven...

Southeast Asian nations look to hedge their way out of troubled waters in the South China Sea

Written by John Rennie Short, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

A Philippine coast guard vessel patrols near Pagasa, part of the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea.Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images

The South China Sea has long been a bubbling geopolitical hot spot. Recently, a series of moves by the various nations claiming a stake in the waters has stirred up yet more trouble.

Malaysia has of...