The Conversation

Affordable housing in God’s backyard: Some religious congregations find a new use for their space

Written by Nadia A. Mian, Senior Program Director and Lecturer, Rutgers University

The Arlington Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Va., seen in 2015, developed an affordable housing project on its property. Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Faced with declining membership, aging buildings and large, underutilized properties, many U.S. houses of worship have closed their doors in recent years. Presbyterian...

Age would prevent Trump and Biden from running many top companies − and for good reason

Written by Brandon Cline, Professor of Finance, Mississippi State University

The former president was 78 when he became the Republican Party's nominee for a third time.AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s nominee, is 78. No one older has ever run for U.S. president as their party’s official nominee. That was also true in 2020, when Trump lost to President Joe Biden.

Biden was...

Why I turned the ‘Red Dead Redemption II’ video game into a history class on America’s violent past

Written by Tore Olsson, Associate Professor of History, University of Tennessee

The video game 'Red Dead Redemption II' has sold over 64 million copies. Can it be used to teach history, too?MTStock Studio via Getty Images

Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

Title of course:

Red Dead’s History: Exploring America’s Violent Past Through...

Sports in extreme heat: How high school athletes can safely prepare for the start of practice, and the warning signs of heat illness

Written by Samantha Scarneo-Miller, Assistance Professor of Athletic Training, West Virginia University

The first two weeks of practice are hardest as the body acclimatizes.Derek Davis/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

High school sports teams start practices soon in what has been an extremely hot summer in much of the country. Now, before they hit the field, is the time for athletes to start slowly and safely building up strength and...

Fewer bees and other pollinating insects lead to shrinking crops

Written by Rachel Mallinger, Professor of Entomology, University of Florida

Insects are the primary pollinators of most flowers and crops. Niklas_Weidner/500px via Getty Images

Many plants, from crops to carnations, cannot bear fruit or reproduce without bees, beetles, butterflies and other insects to pollinate them. But the population of insect pollinators is dropping in the U.S., due in part to pesticides, climate...

Cutting marketing spending often backfires on businesses – new research could help investors distinguish shortsighted cuts from smart ones

Written by Andre Martin, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Notre Dame

Businesses are often tempted to cut their marketing budgets for the short-term savings it provides – but those cuts can cause problems in the long term. A new study my colleague Tarun Kushwaha and I published in The Journal of Marketing proposes a method for predicting whether these counterproductive cuts will take place up to a year in...

Sports in extreme heat: Warning signs of heat illness and how high school athletes can safely prepare for the start of team practices

Written by Samantha Scarneo-Miller, Assistance Professor of Athletic Training, West Virginia University

The first two weeks of practice are hardest as the body acclimatizes.Derek Davis/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Long COVID puzzle pieces are falling into place – the picture is unsettling

Written by Ziyad Al-Aly, Chief of Research and Development, VA St. Louis Health Care System. Clinical Epidemiologist, Washington University in St. Louis

Researchers are gaining key insights into the ways that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can lead to long COVID symptoms.Catherine McQueen/Moment via Getty Images

Since 2020, the condition known as long COVID-19 has become a widespread disability affecting the health and quality of life of millions of people across the globe and costing economies billions of...

Voting rights at risk after Supreme Court makes it harder to challenge racial gerrymandering

Written by Sam D. Hayes, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public Policy and Law, Trinity College

Taiwan Scott, who sued South Carolina over a new congressional map he said curbed Black voting power, speaking outside the Supreme Court in 2023. Shannon Finney/Getty Images for Rooted Logistics

Two recent Supreme Court rulings on congressional redistricting will have starkly different consequences for Black voters in the 2024 election.

One ruling...

After more than 40 years, the federal right to free education for immigrant students finds itself in the crosshairs of conservatives

Written by Tara Sonenshine, Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice in Public Diplomacy, Tufts University

Texas eyes public school tuition for children whose parents entered the U.S. illegally. SDI Productions via Getty Images

Texas once had a law that allowed public schools to charge tuition for undocumented immigrant families to send their children to school. The rationale was that taxpayer dollars should not be spent educating children whose...