The Conversation

Hajj in extraordinary heat: what a scholar of Islam saw in Mecca

Written by Ahmet T. Kuru, Professor of Political Science, Director of Center for Islamic & Arabic Studies, San Diego State University

Muslim pilgrims in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on June 18, 2024.AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

At least 1,300 people died because of scorching heat during the Hajj pilgrimage in June 2024. It’s not the first time that such a tragic incident hit the pilgrimage. More than a thousand were killed in a heat wave in 1985, and deaths due...

Unregulated online political ads pose a threat to democracy

Written by Steven Caplan, Adjunct Instructor of Communications and Marketing, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Social media companies are doing a poor job of telling you who is responsible for the political ads you see.Anna Barclay/Getty Images

Think back to the last time you scrolled through your social media feed and encountered a political ad that perfectly aligned with your views – or perhaps one that outraged you. Could you tell if it was from a...

When scientific citations go rogue: Uncovering ‘sneaked references’

Written by Lonni Besançon, Assistant Professor in Data Visualization, Linköping University

Science is a process of collaboration that depends on accurate citations.AlexRaths/iStock via Getty Images

A researcher working alone – apart from the world and the rest of the wider scientific community – is a classic yet misguided image. Research is, in reality, built on continuous exchange within the scientific community: First you...

Extreme heat waves broiling the planet in 2024 aren’t normal: How climate change is heating up weather around the world

Written by Mathew Barlow, Professor of Climate Science, UMass Lowell

Visitors walk past a sign reading 'Stop: Extreme Heat Danger' in Death Valley National Park during a heat wave on July 7, 2024. Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images

Less than a month into summer 2024, the vast majority of the U.S. population has already experienced an extreme heat wave. Millions of people were under heat warnings across the western...

Extreme heat waves broiling the US in 2024 aren’t normal: How climate change is heating up weather around the world

Written by Mathew Barlow, Professor of Climate Science, UMass Lowell

Visitors walk past a sign reading 'Stop: Extreme Heat Danger' in Death Valley National Park during a heat wave on July 7, 2024. Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images

Less than a month into summer 2024, the vast majority of the U.S. population has already experienced an extreme heat wave. Millions of people were under heat warnings across the western...

4 things to watch for as NATO leaders meet in US capital for high-stakes summit

Written by Garret Martin, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Co-Director Transatlantic Policy Center, American University School of International Service

Two military personnel walk by NATO banners before a wreath-laying ceremony at NATO's headquarters in Brussels on April 4, 2024.Virginia Mayo/AP Photo

When Washington, D.C., last hosted a NATO summit in 1999, the alliance was celebrating a milestone. It was also facing a war in Europe and welcoming new members to the alliance.

So there will be a...

Oklahoma’s superintendent orders public schools to teach the Bible – relying on controversial views about religious freedom

Written by Mark Satta, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Wayne State University

Instruction about the Bible can be legal – the question is how it's done, and what the intent is.Pascal Deloche/Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In the days since Oklahoma’s state superintendent, Ryan Walters, ordered school districts to teach the Bible, he’s been defending his mandate.

For example, he claimed in an...

One memorable speech can turn around a faltering campaign − how Nixon did it with his ‘Checkers’ talk

Written by W. Joseph Campbell, Professor Emeritus of Communication, American University School of Communication

Richard Nixon poses with his family and their dog, Checkers, in Washington, D.C., in September 1952. Bettmann/Contributor

Twenty years before Watergate, then-Sen. Richard Nixon’s national political ambitions were in peril. He was accused of dipping into a private, $18,000 slush fund to cover expenses, and doubts about the propriety of his...

Navigating mental health treatment options can be overwhelming – a clinical psychologist explains why it’s worth the effort

Written by Bryan Cochran, Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training, University of Montana

Many Americans are not getting the mental health care they need.SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images

The percentage of Americans seeking mental health treatment nearly doubled between 2004 and 2022, with almost a quarter of the population reporting that they saw a mental health care professional in 2022.

This surge in help-seeking has many potential...

Nevada is a battleground state – and may be a bellwether of more extreme partisanship

Written by Thom Reilly, Professor & Co-Director, Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy, School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University

In Nevada, voters can cast a ballot for 'None of These Candidates' in statewide election races.AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

Over the course of Nevada history, no one party has dominated the state’s politics, and its electorate has remained surprisingly balanced in its political leanings. Since becoming a state in 1864, Nevada has had equal...