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The Conversation

America’s counties are less purple than they used to be

  • Written by Robert J. Vanderbei, Professor of Operations Research and Financial Engineering, Princeton University
imageLooking at county election results shows the geography of America's partisan divide.Robert Vanderbei

The United States isn’t mostly red or mostly blue. It’s mostly purple. That’s what I’ve learned from a quarter-century of making maps based on the results of presidential elections.

The country is, however, becoming more...

Read more: America’s counties are less purple than they used to be

AI Jesus might ‘listen’ to your confession, but it can’t absolve your sins − a scholar of Catholicism explains

  • Written by Joanne M. Pierce, Professor Emerita of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
imageVisitors were invited to pose questions to the AI Jesus, viewed on a monitor behind a latticework screen.Courtesy of the Catholic Church of the City of Lucerne, CC BY

This autumn, a Swiss Catholic church installed an AI Jesus in a confessional to interact with visitors.

The installation was a two-month project in religion, technology and art titled...

Read more: AI Jesus might ‘listen’ to your confession, but it can’t absolve your sins − a scholar of...

One’s a Hugh Grant thriller, one’s a hot-mess reality show – and both center on stereotypes about Mormon women

  • Written by Rebecca Janzen, Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature, University of South Carolina
imageTwo missionaries' visit to a potential convert's home goes awry in 'Heretic.' A24 via IMDB

I don’t often watch movies in a theater, let alone horror films. But a few weeks ago, I found myself watching “Heretic,” which intrigued me for personal and professional reasons.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s I watched many romantic...

Read more: One’s a Hugh Grant thriller, one’s a hot-mess reality show – and both center on stereotypes about...

How right-wing media is like improv theater

  • Written by Danielle Lee Tomson, Research Manager, Center for an Informed Public, University of Washington
imagePodcaster Theo Von, left, President-elect Donald Trump and podcaster Joe Rogan, right, are improv players in right-wing media.AP Photo

If you’ve ever wondered how the right-wing media ecosystem operates and why it’s effective, try viewing it as a form of improvisational theater or improv.

In the wake of the 2024 U.S. elections, everyday...

Read more: How right-wing media is like improv theater

What South Korea’s short-lived martial law says about nation’s democracy and the autocratic tendencies of President Yoon

  • Written by Myunghee Lee, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University
imageA man holds the South Korean flag outside the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 4, 2024, after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law.Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images

During a whirlwind few hours in South Korean politics, President Yoon Suk Yeol placed the country under martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, only to lift it just a short...

Read more: What South Korea’s short-lived martial law says about nation’s democracy and the autocratic...

Why you should talk to people you disagree with about politics

  • Written by Rachel Wahl, Associate Professor of Education, University of Virginia
imageTaking the time to listen, and the time to speak honestly, may not change someone’s mind about a topic, but it may open them up to a deeper understanding of you.Westend61 via Getty Images

If you talked to friends or family about politics over Thanksgiving, you might not have changed each other’s minds. But don’t be discouraged...

Read more: Why you should talk to people you disagree with about politics

Threatening texts targeting minorities after election were vile − but they might not be illegal

  • Written by Daniel Hall, Professor of Political Science & Justice and Community Studies, Miami University

The FBI and police in several states are investigating a wave of hateful texts and emails apparently targeting minorities across the United States following the presidential election.

The anonymously sent messages, which may have numbered up to 500,000, varied in their specific language but had similarly menacing themes. Some referred to recipients...

Read more: Threatening texts targeting minorities after election were vile − but they might not be illegal

Rape survivors like Gisèle Pelicot are choosing to speak out, refuting the idea that they should feel shame

  • Written by Nomi Dave, Associate Professor of Music, Co-Director of the Sound Justice Lab, University of Virginia
imageGisèle Pelicot exits a courtroom with her lawyer in Avignon, France, in September 2024. Christophe Simon/AFP via Getty Images

The high-profile criminal trial of Dominique Pelicot is wrapping up. The French man is accused of drugging and raping his 72-year-old wife, Gisèle Pelicot, and also inviting 50 other men to rape her while she...

Read more: Rape survivors like Gisèle Pelicot are choosing to speak out, refuting the idea that they should...

We surveyed hundreds of vacationers to confirm this ancient wisdom: The journey matters as much as the destination

  • Written by Mark R. Gleim, Associate Professor of Marketing, Auburn University
imageThis waiting isn't the hardest part.Anthony Devlin/Getty Images

Americans spent more than US$850 billion on domestic leisure travel in 2023, a sum that looks likely to rise in future years. Whether it’s a weekend getaway to a Taylor Swift concert, a long-anticipated holiday visit with family, or a monthlong tour of national parks, travel can...

Read more: We surveyed hundreds of vacationers to confirm this ancient wisdom: The journey matters as much as...

More Articles ...

  1. New IRS funding boosted tax enforcement and improved taxpayer services during the Biden administration
  2. NEOWISE, the NASA mission that cataloged objects around Earth for over a decade, has come to an end
  3. Noam Chomsky at 96: The linguist, educator, philosopher and public thinker has had a massive intellectual and moral influence
  4. Are trans women ‘biologically male’? The answer is complicated
  5. Wildland firefighters face a big pay cut if Congress doesn’t act − that’s taking a toll on a workforce already under stress
  6. Wildland firefighters face up to $20,000 pay cut if Congress doesn’t act − that’s taking a toll on a workforce already under stress
  7. What is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham? And how did the Islamist group evolve into a key player in Syria’s civil war?
  8. Pardon who? Hunter Biden case renews ethical debate over use and limits of peculiar presidential power
  9. Do Mom and Dad really know what’s best? A psychologist explains why kids see their parents as bossier than they are
  10. Music can change how you feel about the past
  11. The apocalypse that wasn’t: AI was everywhere in 2024’s elections, but deepfakes and misinformation were only part of the picture
  12. Why sending a belated gift is not as bad as you probably think − and late is better than never
  13. Tip pressure might work in the moment, but customers are less likely to return
  14. Dozens of cyclists and pedestrians are killed each year in Philly − an injury epidemiologist explains how to better protect bike lanes, slow drivers down and reduce collisions
  15. US attorney general’s professionalism can protect Americans’ privacy, former federal judge explains
  16. Tiff Massey’s ‘7 Mile Livernois’ exhibition isn’t just about a neighborhood – it’s a tribute to Black Detroit
  17. Fossilized footprints reveal 2 extinct hominin species living side by side 1.5 million years ago
  18. 208 million Americans are classified as obese or overweight, according to new study synthesizing 132 data sources
  19. An upward spiral – how small acts of kindness and connection really can change the world, according to psychology research
  20. Why Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire now − and what it means for Israel, Lebanon, Biden and Trump
  21. Is using AI tools innovation or exploitation? 3 ways to think about the ethics
  22. UN climate negotiations end on shaky geopolitical ground, but I see reasons for hope
  23. Cycling can make seniors healthier and more independent − here’s how to design bikes and networks that meet their needs
  24. Cinnamon, spice and ‘everything nice’ – why lead-tainted cinnamon products have turned up on shelves, and what questions consumers should ask
  25. Light exercise can yield significant cognitive benefits, new research shows
  26. On Bodhi Day, Buddhists commemorate Siddhartha Gautama’s enlightenment by lighting lamps to combat darkness
  27. ‘Insurrection,’ ‘equity’ and more − these are the words that trigger Trump supporters
  28. To control your spending this holiday season, stick with cash
  29. 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
  30. How the gladiators inspired evangelicals’ sense of persecution
  31. Taxpayers spend 22% more per patient to support Medicare Advantage – the private alternative to Medicare that promised to cost less
  32. China’s influence grows at COP29 climate talks as US leadership fades
  33. Amid lull in tit-for-tat missile exchange, Iran and Israel seek to control the online narrative
  34. Students go to hell and back in this course that looks at depictions of the damned throughout the ages
  35. Election reform was on the ballot – voters largely said ‘no’
  36. Polling in the age of Trump highlights flawed methods and filtered realities
  37. 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
  38. Tiny laboratories that fit in your hand can rapidly identify pathogens using electricity
  39. Gen Z heads home: How to navigate the evolving parent-child relationship as kids become adults
  40. In a world where political polarization and disengagement are denting democracy, does Botswana’s ‘kgotla’ system hold the key?
  41. Opioid-free surgery treats pain at every physical and emotional level
  42. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ case raises questions about the many observers who might have ignored his alleged crimes
  43. As Trump touts plans for immigrant roundup, militias are standing back, but standing by
  44. AI has been a boon for marketing, but the dark side of using algorithms to sell products and brands is little studied
  45. Meat has a distinct taste, texture and aroma − a biochemist explains how plant-based alternatives mimic the real thing
  46. Is it possible to dig all the way through the Earth to the other side?
  47. How the first Pilgrims and the Puritans differed in their views on religion and respect for Native Americans
  48. US House passes measure that could punish nonprofits Treasury Department decides are ‘terrorist’
  49. Dogecoin is a joke − so what’s behind its rally?
  50. Presidents often claim mandates − especially when they want to expand their power or are on the defensive