The Conversation

Plague was around for millennia before epidemics took hold – and the way people lived might be what protected them

Written by Sonja Eliason, MPhil Candidate in Bioscience Enterprise, University of Cambridge

What happened to make plague able to cause devastating epidemics?Everett Historical/Shutterstock.com

One of civilization’s most prolific killers shadowed humans for thousands of years without their knowledge.

The bacteria Yersinia pestis, which causes the plague, is thought to be responsible for up to 200 million deaths across human history...

Why there is no Kurdish nation

Written by John Broich, Associate Professor, Case Western Reserve University

Flag of Kurdistan on military uniform.Bumble Dee/Shutterstock.com

Since U.S. troops left their region, roughly 180,000 Kurds of northeastern Syria have been displaced, and over 200 have been killed.

Those Kurds, soldiers who’d battled the Islamic State and families, had hoped to secure a future Kurdistan state in areas now targeted by Turkish...

Anti-Semitism in the US today is a variation on an old theme

Written by Pamela S. Nadell, Professor and Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women's & Gender History and Director of the Jewish Studies Program, American University

Despite courting the Jewish vote, President Trump has used anti-Semitic rhetoric.AP/John Locher

Senators Jacky Rosen and James Lankford, who describe themselves as “a practicing Jewish Democrat from Nevada and a devoted Christian Republican from Oklahoma,” are spearheading a new effort to fight an old problem: anti-Semitism in America.

Th...

Evangelicals in Brazil see abuse of God's earth as a sin – but will they fight to save the Amazon?

Written by Amy Erica Smith, Associate Professor of Political Science as well as Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Professor, Iowa State University

Trees that survived a forest fire stand amid smoldering smoke in the Vila Nova Samuel region of Brazil, Aug. 25, 2019. AP Photo/Eraldo Peres

When the Brazilian city of São Paulo abruptly went dark at midday on Aug. 19, there was talk of the Apocalypse – not all of it in jest.

In fact, meteorologists explained, unusual wind patterns had...

Many states now require anti-bullying training that includes a focus on LGBTQ students - but risks remain

Written by Daniel A Cinotti, Associate Professor of School Counseling and Director of Counseling Programs, New York Institute of Technology

Tyler Clementi's 2010 death inspired anti-bullying efforts.AP Photo/Mel Evans

Dharun Ravi spent spent weeks gossiping with his friends about the sexual orientation of his freshman roommate at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Initially, he texted and used social media.

His roommate, Tyler Clementi, eventually learned that Ravi had...

To solve the hidden epidemic of teen hunger, we should listen to teens who experience it

Written by Stephanie Clintonia Boddie, Assistant Professor of Church and Community Ministries, Baylor University

Millions of America's youth experience food insecurity.pathdoc/Shutterstock.com

For many young people, the toughest choice they will ever have to make about food is what to eat at home or what to choose from a menu.

But for Texas high schoolers Tamiya, Juliana, Trisha, Cara and Kristen, the choices they have to make about food are more difficult....

Battlefields around the world are finding new purpose as parks and refuges

Written by Todd Lookingbill, Associate Professor of Geography and the Environment, University of Richmond

Antietam National Battlefield, Pennsylvania, site of a savage Civil War battle on Sept. 17, 1862.NPS

The horrors of war are all too familiar: lives lost, homes destroyed, entire communities forced to flee. Yet as time passes, places that once were sites of death and destruction can become peaceful natural refuges.

One of the deadliest battles...

Health care workers wanted: A veteran needs you to work at a VA hospital

Written by Sanjay Saint, George Dock Professor of Medicine, University of Michigan

Vietnam veteran Marvin Nolin of Dover, Tenn., visits the Poppy Wall of Honor on the National Mall in Washington, Friday, May 24, 2019.Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo

Flying home from Florida recently, I was seated across the aisle from an elderly man wearing a hat identifying himself as a Marine. His wife sat next to him and helped him store his cane in...

Before you decide to work in college, ask yourself these questions

Written by Laura Perna, Professor of Higher Education, University of Pennsylvania

Working in college helps pay the bills, but working too many hours can bring some ill effects, research shows.GaudiLab

For many undergraduates, working for pay during the academic year is a necessary part of the college experience. If they don’t work while enrolled, they may not have the money needed to pay tuition and other fees, keep a roof...

Curious Kids: What is a whistleblower?

Written by Sarah Webber, Associate Professor of Accounting, University of Dayton

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, right, on Capitol Hill in Washington, in February . 2016.AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

What is a whistleblower? Sofia V., 13, Alexandria, Virginia

Have you ever seen a referee...