The Conversation

Can coffee or a nap make up for sleep deprivation? A psychologist explains why there's no substitute for shut-eye

Written by Kimberly Fenn, Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University

A cup of coffee might provide you some pep, but it won't fully make up for lost sleep. nopponpat/iStock via Getty Images Plus

There is no denying the importance of sleep. Everyone feels better after a good night of sleep, and lack of sleep can have profoundly negative effects on both the body and the brain. So what can be done to substitute for a...

New data reveal US space economy's output is shrinking – an economist explains in 3 charts

Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Clinical Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy and Law, Boston University

The 'space economy' isn't just rockets and space suits – satellite data, radio and TV are all part of a broadly-defined space economy.NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP

The space industry has changed dramatically since the Apollo program put men on the moon in the late 1960s.

Today, over 50 years later, private companies are sending tourists to the edge...

Black female prosecutors like Fani Willis face the unequal burden of both racist and sexist attacks

Written by Bev-Freda Jackson, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, American University School of Public Affairs

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in her office in Atlanta, Ga.David Walter Banks/Getty Images

On the day he was indicted on financial fraud charges in a New York City courtroom, former U.S. President Donald Trump launched an attack against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

One of the handful of Black female prosecutors in the...

Threat from climate change to some of India's sacred pilgrimage sites is reshaping religious beliefs

Written by David L. Haberman, Professor Emeritus, Religious Studies, Indiana University

Hindu devotees worship at the Kedarnath Temple in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. Shammi Mehra/AFP via Getty Images

The famous pilgrimage site of Kedarnath, located in the central Himalayas of India, is believed to be a sacred land. It has been referred to as “deva bhumi,” or the “land of the gods,” for centuries.

M...

Georgia’s indictment of Trump is a confirmation of states’ rights, a favorite cause of Republicans since Reagan

Written by Stefanie Lindquist, Foundation Professor of Law and Political Science, Arizona State University

Fulton County Sheriff officers block off a street in front of the Fulton County Courthouse on August 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

For the past 50 years, Republican policymakers and judges have sought to bolster federalism in the United States. Since Ronald Reagan’s first inaugural address in 1981, Republicans have...

Fulton County charges Donald Trump with racketeering, other felonies -- a Georgia election law expert explains 5 key things to know

Written by Anthony Michael Kreis, Assistant professor of law, Georgia State University

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney receives documents from court clerk Che Alexander on August 14, 2023. Megan Varner/Getty Images

An Atlanta, Georgia, grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump on Aug. 14, 2023, charging him with racketeering and 12 other felonies related to his alleged attempts to overturn his 2020 election...

Tommy Tuberville reportedly doesn't live in Alabama − should he still be its senator?

Written by Charles R. Hunt, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boise State University

Alabama voters elected Sen. Tommy Tuberville on Nov. 3, 2020. AP Photo/Butch Dill

Alabama GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville has come under scrutiny following reports that he recently sold the last remaining properties he owns in the state that he represents in the U.S. Senate. Instead, Tuberville appears to live almost full time at his beach house in the...

Florida's academic standards distort the contributions that enslaved Africans made to American society

Written by Rodney Coates, Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Miami University

Enslaved Africans built landmarks like the White House, the U.S. Capitol and New York's Wall Street. Bettmann via Getty Images

The state of Florida ignited a controversy when it released a set of 2023 academic standards that require fifth graders to be taught that enslaved Black people in the U.S. “developed skills which, in some instances,...

Discrimination took a heavy toll on Asian American students during the pandemic

Written by Roxanne Prichard, Professor of Psychology, University of St. Thomas

One study has found that only 20% of Asian college students diagnosed with a mental health disorder receive treatment.Ishii Koji/DigitalVision via Getty Images

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Experiencing discrimination significantly harmed the well-being of Asian and Asian American college students in...

After Maui fires, human health risks linger in the air, water and even surviving buildings

Written by Andrew J. Whelton, Professor of Civil, Environmental & Ecological Engineering, Director of the Healthy Plumbing Consortium and Center for Plumbing Safety, Purdue University

Fire sites like Lahaina, where residents were allowed in on Aug. 11, 2023, are filled with hazards, both obvious and unseen. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

People returning to what remains of the beachside town of Lahaina, Hawaii, and other Maui communities after one of the nation’s deadliest wildfire disasters face more dangers, beyond the 2,700...