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On Bodhi Day, Buddhists commemorate Siddhartha Gautama’s enlightenment by lighting lamps to combat darkness

  • Written by Megan Bryson, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Tennessee
imageBuddha statues in Sarnath, India, where he attained enlightenment.Alexander Reshnya/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Dec. 8 marks the celebration of Bodhi Day in Japanese Buddhism. Bodhi means enlightenment or awakening in Sanskrit. It commemorates the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha.

Buddhists throughout the world celebrate...

Read more: On Bodhi Day, Buddhists commemorate Siddhartha Gautama’s enlightenment by lighting lamps to combat...

‘Insurrection,’ ‘equity’ and more − these are the words that trigger Trump supporters

  • Written by Alex Hinton, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology; Director, Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights, Rutgers University - Newark
imagePresident-elect Donald Trump looks at supporters as he walks on a stage during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Nov. 5, 2024. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

“No profanity.”

This is the one rule spelled out on a sign in Lance Walker’s barbershop in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, where political discussion between...

Read more: ‘Insurrection,’ ‘equity’ and more − these are the words that trigger Trump supporters

To control your spending this holiday season, stick with cash

  • Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy and Law, Boston University
imageStay jolly.DmyTo/IStock/Getty Images Plus

The holiday shopping season is now here, and Americans are ready to splurge. The average U.S. shopper expects to spend more than US$1,000 on gifts for Christmas and other winter holidays this year, surveys show.

These days, consumers have no shortage of payment options, each seemingly more enticing than the...

Read more: To control your spending this holiday season, stick with cash

Trump’s next HUD secretary would have a lot to do to address the history of racist housing policy – and Trump’s own comments and history suggest that’s unlikely

  • Written by Colin Gordon, Professor of History, University of Iowa
imageCivil rights marchers protest housing discrimination in Chicago on Aug. 2, 1966.AP Photo

Donald Trump has picked former football player Scott Turner to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. While not much is known about Turner’s positions as he awaits confirmation by the Senate, Trump’s selection draws attention to...

Read more: Trump’s next HUD secretary would have a lot to do to address the history of racist housing policy...

How the gladiators inspired evangelicals’ sense of persecution

  • Written by Cavan W. Concannon, Professor of Religion and Classics, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
imageJean-Simon Berthelemy's 1773 painting 'Death of a Gladiator.'Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images

With the release of Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” audiences will be plunged back into the cinematic excitement of the Roman amphitheater so vividly captured in its predecessor, “Gladiator.”

Scott’s film...

Read more: How the gladiators inspired evangelicals’ sense of persecution

Taxpayers spend 22% more per patient to support Medicare Advantage – the private alternative to Medicare that promised to cost less

  • Written by Grace McCormack, Postdoctoral researcher of Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California
imageMedicare Advantage was supposed to find efficiencies, but instead is costing taxpayers an extra $83 billion a yearAriel Skelley/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Medicare Advantage – the commercial alternative to traditional Medicare – is drawing down federal health care funds, costing taxpayers an extra 22% per enrollee to the tune of US$8...

Read more: Taxpayers spend 22% more per patient to support Medicare Advantage – the private alternative to...

China’s influence grows at COP29 climate talks as US leadership fades

  • Written by Lucia Green-Weiskel, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science, Trinity College
imageHuang Runqiu, China's minister of ecology and environment, sits with U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.AP Photo/Peter Dejong

The 2024 U.N. climate talks ended in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 24 after two weeks of arguments, agreements and side deals involving 106 heads of states and over 50,000 business leaders, activists...

Read more: China’s influence grows at COP29 climate talks as US leadership fades

Amid lull in tit-for-tat missile exchange, Iran and Israel seek to control the online narrative

  • Written by Shirvin Zeinalzadeh, Graduate Teaching Associate, Arizona State University
imageHolding posters of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, demonstrators chant slogans in an annual rally in front of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran on Nov. 3, 2024.AP Photo/Vahid Salemi

Is Iran poised for a succession in leadership? Well, that depends on what you read.

For weeks, rumors have been swirling about the health of the...

Read more: Amid lull in tit-for-tat missile exchange, Iran and Israel seek to control the online narrative

Students go to hell and back in this course that looks at depictions of the damned throughout the ages

  • Written by Robert Gordon Joseph, Senior Lecturer of Communication, University of Dayton
imageVisions of hell have varied in books and movies throughout the years.wera Rodsawang/Moment via Getty Imagesimage

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

Title of course:

“Road to Hell: The Apocalypse in Classical and Contemporary Forms”

What prompted the idea for...

Read more: Students go to hell and back in this course that looks at depictions of the damned throughout the...

Election reform was on the ballot – voters largely said ‘no’

  • Written by Matthew May, Research Scholar, Boise State University
imageVoters turned down a variety of reforms to how they cast ballots.Anastasiia_New/IStock/Getty Images Plus

With increased political polarization, rules governing who can participate in primary elections have received more attention from advocates looking to reduce that polarization. That has led to an election reform movement across the country that...

Read more: Election reform was on the ballot – voters largely said ‘no’

More Articles ...

  1. Polling in the age of Trump highlights flawed methods and filtered realities
  2. I wrote a book on the execution of the Rosenbergs for Cold War spying – and a recently declassified document has convinced me that Ethel was innocent
  3. Tiny laboratories that fit in your hand can rapidly identify pathogens using electricity
  4. Gen Z heads home: How to navigate the evolving parent-child relationship as kids become adults
  5. In a world where political polarization and disengagement are denting democracy, does Botswana’s ‘kgotla’ system hold the key?
  6. Opioid-free surgery treats pain at every physical and emotional level
  7. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ case raises questions about the many observers who might have ignored his alleged crimes
  8. As Trump touts plans for immigrant roundup, militias are standing back, but standing by
  9. AI has been a boon for marketing, but the dark side of using algorithms to sell products and brands is little studied
  10. Meat has a distinct taste, texture and aroma − a biochemist explains how plant-based alternatives mimic the real thing
  11. Is it possible to dig all the way through the Earth to the other side?
  12. How the first Pilgrims and the Puritans differed in their views on religion and respect for Native Americans
  13. US House passes measure that could punish nonprofits Treasury Department decides are ‘terrorist’
  14. Dogecoin is a joke − so what’s behind its rally?
  15. Presidents often claim mandates − especially when they want to expand their power or are on the defensive
  16. Awkwardness can hit in any social situation – here are a philosopher’s 5 strategies to navigate it with grace
  17. AI harm is often behind the scenes and builds over time – a legal scholar explains how the law can adapt to respond
  18. Denmark’s uprooting of settled residents from ‘ghettos’ forms part of aggressive plan to assimilate nonwhite inhabitants
  19. Americans agree politics is broken − here are 5 ideas for fixing key problems
  20. Vulnerability to financial scams in aging adults could be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease, new research shows
  21. No need to overload your cranberry sauce with sugar this holiday season − a food scientist explains how to cook with fewer added sweeteners
  22. Graduate students explore America’s polarized landscape via train in this course
  23. To some ancient Romans, gladiators were the embodiment of tyranny
  24. Activism on foot: When Indigenous activists walk the land to honor their past and reshape their future
  25. New maps show high-risk zones for whale-ship collisions − vessel speed limits and rerouting can reduce the toll
  26. ICC arrest warrants for Israel’s Netanyahu and Hamas leader doesn’t mean those accused will face trial anytime soon
  27. Why you should get to know Thomas Aquinas, even 800 years after he lived
  28. Crypto is soaring after Trump’s election − but is it a good ethical investment?
  29. Red flag laws are still used in Colorado’s Second Amendment sanctuaries, just less frequently
  30. Americans agree more than they might think − not knowing this jeopardizes the nation’s shared values
  31. Doctor’s bills often come with sticker shock for patients − but health insurance could be reinvented to provide costs upfront
  32. Grantland Rice, the Four Horsemen and the blowout that never was
  33. Public health surveillance, from social media to sewage, spots disease outbreaks early to stop them fast
  34. Fast fashion may seem cheap, but it’s taking a costly toll on the planet − and on millions of young customers
  35. What would it mean if President-elect Trump dismantled the US Department of Education?
  36. Atmospheric river meets bomb cyclone: The result is like a fire hose flailing out of control
  37. When an atmospheric river meets a bomb cyclone, it’s like a fire hose flailing out of control along the West Coast
  38. ‘For the very first time I really enjoyed sex!’ − how lesbian escort agencies became a form of self-care in Japan
  39. Transplanting insulin-making cells to treat Type 1 diabetes is challenging − but stem cells offer a potential improvement
  40. Should I worry about mold growing in my home?
  41. Young families are leaving many large US cities − here’s why that matters
  42. 3 strategies to help Americans bridge the deepening partisan divide
  43. 75 years ago, Maria Tallchief made the ballet world reimagine itself and find a place for a Native American prima ballerina
  44. Blurry, morphing and surreal – a new AI aesthetic is emerging in film
  45. Companies are still committing to net-zero emissions, even if it’s a bumpy road – here’s what the data show
  46. Legal complications await if OpenAI tries to shake off control by the nonprofit that owns the rapidly growing tech company
  47. Trump’s agenda will face hurdles in Congress, despite the Republican ‘trifecta’ of winning the House, Senate and White House
  48. Why does the Senate confirm Trump’s picks for key posts — and how? A legal scholar explains the confirmation process and the ‘constitutional loophole’ of recess appointments
  49. An 83-year-old short story by Borges portends a bleak future for the internet
  50. Carbon offsets can help bring energy efficiency to low-income Americans − our Nashville data shows it could be a win for everyone