The Conversation

Russia responds to Mueller report: Moscow wins, Putin is stronger than Trump and US is a 'pain in the a - -'

Written by Cynthia Hooper, Associate Professor of History, College of the Holy Cross

Cars pass the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 25, 2019.AP/Pavel Golovkin

“A mountain has given birth to a mouse. The ‘Russian affair’ falls to pieces before our eyes.”

So pronounced the Russian news site Gazeta.ru, as word of the completed Mueller report swept around the world.

Thus far, official Russian response to the...

Romney's Mormon religion helps explain his criticism of Trump

Written by Luke Perry, Professor of Government at Utica College, Utica College

Mitt Romney has been one of few prominent Republicans to criticize Donald Trump, beginning with the 2016 presidential campaign. He did so again recently in response to Trump’s critical comments about John McCain.

“I can’t understand why the President would, once again, disparage a man as exemplary as my friend John McCain,”...

In the future, everyone might use quantum computers

Written by Christopher Bernhardt, Professor of Mathematics, Fairfield University

A seven-qubit quantum device at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Computers were once considered high-end technology, only accessible to scientists and trained professionals. But there was a seismic shift in the history of computing during the second half of the 1970s. It wasn’t just that...

Colorectal cancer increase in younger adults: What could be the cause?

Written by Franklin G. Berger, Research and Outreach Director, University of South Carolina

An increase in colorectal cancer in adults younger than 50 is troubling to doctors and often tragic for patients. kan-chana/Shutterstock.com

Colorectal cancer remains a major source of cancer incidence and death in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2019, there will be 145,600 new cases of the disease and 51,020...

Why the next terror manifesto could be even harder to track

Written by Megan Squire, Professor of Computer Science, Elon University

It's difficult to track the spread of digital materials.bluebay/Shutterstock.com

Just before his shooting spree at two Christchurch, New Zealand mosques, the alleged mass murderer posted a hate-filled manifesto on several file-sharing sites, and emailed the document to at least 30 people, including New Zealand’s prime minister. He also posted...

7 tips to stay safe while studying abroad

Written by Chad M. Gasta, Professor of Spanish and Chair of the Department of World Languages & Cultures, Iowa State University

These five Towson University Honors students in Sienna, Italy, were among the more than 332,000 U.S. students studied abroad in 2016-17.Mallory Harrison from www.flickr.com

Studying abroad can bring great rewards, but being a visitor in a foreign land also comes with significant risks.

“It is important to understand how the risks may be...

Apollo 11 brought a message of peace to the Moon - but Neil and Buzz almost forgot to leave it behind

Written by Michelle L.D. Hanlon, Professor of Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi

President Richard M. Nixon welcomes the Apollo 11 astronauts aboard the USS Hornet, the recovery ship for the mission, where they are quarantined. From left to right: Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin.NASA

“How about that package out of your sleeve? Get that?” is certainly not the most famous phrase uttered by a...

Dynasties still run the world

Written by Farida Jalalzai, Professor and Hannah Atkins Endowed Chair of Political Science, Oklahoma State University

Worldwide, 1 in 10 presidents and prime ministers has relatives who were already in politics. Europe and Latin America, both democratic regions, have the highest proportion of leaders who come from political families.Shutterstock

Want to get into politics? It helps if you come from the right family.

Our new study, published in the journal Historical...

Boeing is doing crisis management all wrong – here's what a company needs to do to restore the public's trust

Written by Kelli Matthews, Senior Instructor of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon

In a crisis, time is not on your side.

A crisis creates a vacuum, an informational void that gets filled one way or another. The longer a company or other organization at the center of the crisis waits to communicate, the more likely that void will be filled by critics.

That’s exactly what’s happening to Boeing.

On March 10, Ethiopian...

A chess program helped this 8-year-old raise $240,000 and get his family out of a homeless shelter – here's what to look for in a chess program for your child

Written by Alexey W. Root, Lecturer in Education, University of Texas at Dallas

Third-grader Tanitoluwa Adewumi was crowned as a New York State Scholastic chess champion on March 10.GoFundMe

Before he won the primary (K-3) championship section of the New York State Scholastic Championships earlier this month, 8-year-old Tanitoluwa Adewumi was living in a New York City homeless shelter with his family, who came to the United...