The Conversation

How foreign operations are manipulating social media to influence your views

Written by Filippo Menczer, Professor of Informatics and Computer Science, Indiana University

Russians, Chinese, Iranians – even Israelis – are trying to affect what you believe.Sean Gladwell/Moment via Getty Images

Foreign influence campaigns, or information operations, have been widespread in the run-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Influence campaigns are large-scale efforts to shift public opinion, push false...

Trump and Harris are sharply divided on science, but share common ground on US technology policy

Written by Kenneth Evans, Scholar in Science and Technology Policy, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University

Science topics don't always come up during presidential debates – but they did on Sept. 10, 2024.Mario Tama via Getty Images

For the first time in American history, quantum computing was mentioned by a candidate during a presidential debate, on Sept. 10, 2024. After Vice President Kamala Harris brought up quantum technology, she and former...

Can Montana’s ‘last rural Democrat’ survive another election?

Written by Lee Banville, Professor and Director of the School of Journalism, University of Montana

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester speaks to union members at a Labor Day campaign stop on Sept. 2, 2024, in Billings, Mont. William Campbell/Getty Images

Jon Tester has never had it easy.

The three-term Democratic senator from Montana has scored more than 50% of the vote only once in his three runs for the U.S. Senate, attracting 50.3% of the vote in 2018 against...

Is it COVID-19? Flu? At-home rapid tests could help you and your doctor decide on a treatment plan

Written by Julie Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer of RADx Tech, Emory University

Over-the-counter multiplex tests for more than one illness may soon come to a pharmacy near you.Paco Burgada/iStock via Getty Images

A scratchy, sore throat, a relentless fever, a pounding head and a nasty cough – these symptoms all scream upper respiratory illness. But which one?

Many of the viruses that cause upper respiratory infections...

Kamala Harris has spoken of her racial backgrounds − but a shared identity isn’t enough to attract supporters

Written by Pawan Dhingra, Associate Provost and Professor of American Studies, Amherst College

Vice President Kamala Harris greets guests during a reception for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at the White House in May 2022. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In one of the most memorable moments of the current presidential campaign, Donald Trump in July 2024 contended that Democratic nominee Kamala Harris...

‘No antidote for bad polls’: Recalling the New York Times’ 1956 election experiment in shoe-leather reporting

Written by W. Joseph Campbell, Professor Emeritus of Communication, American University School of Communication

President Dwight Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie, left, with Vice President Richard Nixon and his wife, Pat, greet crowds after Adlai Stevenson conceded defeat on Nov. 7, 1956.Bettmann/Getty Images

In response to national pollsters’ failure in forecasting election outcomes in 1948 and 1952, The New York Times pursued in 1956 a weekslong,...

Why wildfires started by human activities can be more destructive and harder to contain

Written by Virginia Iglesias, Interim Earth Lab Director, University of Colorado Boulder

Heavy equipment working near dry brush sparked a destructive wildfire near Riverside, Calif., in September 2024.AP Photo/Eric Thayer

Wildfires are becoming increasingly destructive across the U.S., as the country is seeing in 2024. Firefighters were battling large blazes in several states from California to North Dakota in early October 2024, includ...

European court ruling finds just cause to award soccer players greater freedom of movement

Written by Stefan Szymanski, Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

A ruling that Harry Kane may be happy about?James Gill/Danehouse via Getty Images

Many of us have quit a job at some point in our lives – but how many have wondered if they had “just cause” to do so? Were you acting on a whim? Did your departure make life difficult for your employer? And did your desire to move on really outweigh...

Swing state voters along the Great Lakes love cleaner water and beaches − and candidates from both parties have long fished for support there

Written by Mike Shriberg, Professor of Practice & Engagement, School for Environment & Sustainability, University of Michigan

The Great Lakes account for 20% of the world's freshwater supply. Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images

If history holds true to form, I expect the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris to begin touting their support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative as Election Day approaches.

The Great Lakes Restoration...

Hurricane Milton explodes into a powerful Category 5 storm as it heads for Florida − here’s how rapid intensification works

Written by Zachary Handlos, Atmospheric Science Educator, Georgia Institute of Technology

Satellite data shows Hurricane Milton on Oct. 8, 2024, as it moves across Gulf of Mexico.NOAA

Hurricane Milton became one of the most rapidly intensifying storms on record as it went from barely hurricane strength to a dangerous Category 5 storm in less than a day on a path across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida.

With sustained winds that reached...