The Conversation

Supreme Court’s blow to federal agencies’ power will likely weaken abortion rights – 3 issues to watch

Written by Jessica L. Waters, Assistant Professor of Justice, Law & Criminology, American University

The Supreme Court's decision on the power of federal agencies versus courts will have various ripple effects on abortion policy in the country. Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Supreme Court wrapped up its term at the beginning of July 2024 with a range of rulings that reshape everything from the power of the presidency to how federal...

The Black fugitive who inspired ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ and the end of US slavery

Written by Susanna Ashton, Professor of English, Clemson University

In this drawing from 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' a Black child is taken from his mother by a white man.Culture Club/Getty Images

In or around 1825, John Andrew Jackson was born enslaved on a plantation in South Carolina and trained to spend his life picking cotton.

But instead of living a life as a slave, he escaped bondage and became an influential...

A short history of the rise, fall and return of Detroit’s Michigan Central Station

Written by Mila Puccini, Graduate Student, Department of Urban Planning, Wayne State University

Detroit celebrated the reopening of its iconic railway station Michigan Central in June 2024 with a grand outdoor gala featuring an extravaganza of Detroit musical royalty – Diana Ross, Big Sean, Patti Smith, Jack White and Eminem – in the adjoining Roosevelt Park.

For years, the decaying structure had been a sore reminder of...

Stroke survivors may be saddled with an invisible disability known as spatial neglect – but a simple treatment offers significant improvement

Written by A.M. Barrett, Chair and Professor of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School

Spatial neglect causes problems when walking, dressing, reading, driving and doing other normal daily activities.Professional Studio Images/E+ via Getty Images

More than half of stroke survivors do not receive rehabilitation after the first days of advanced stroke care. Instead of living for months or years with visible or hidden disabilities,...

Want to spur your child’s intellectual development? Use audiobooks instead of videos

Written by Andrey Vyshedskiy, Professor of Neuroscience, Boston University

Unlike videos, audiobooks require greater use of the imagination. martin-dm/E+ via Getty Images

It’s not uncommon today to see children glued to their screens. In fact, 80% of parents with children 11 or younger say their kids watch YouTube videos, according to a 2020 Pew Research Center poll. Half of these parents say their kids watch videos...

The Large Hadron Collider gets reset and refreshed each year – a CERN physicist explains how the team uses subatomic splashes to restart the experiments

Written by Riccardo Maria Bianchi, Particle Physicist working at CERN on the ATLAS experiment, Research Associate, University of Pittsburgh

Particles rush through a long tunnel in the Large Hadron Collider.Maximilien Brice/CERN, CC BY-SA

When you push “start” on your microwave or computer, the device flips right on – but major physics experiments like the Large Hadron Collider at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, don’t work that way....

America faces a power disconnection crisis amid dangerous heat: In 27 states, utilities can shut off electricity for nonpayment even in a heat wave

Written by Sanya Carley, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Energy Policy and City Planning, University of Pennsylvania

When homes lose power, they lose cooling, too.Edmund Lowe Photography/Moment via Getty Images

Coast to coast, millions of Americans are experiencing sweltering temperatures this summer, with seemingly little relief in sight. For people who struggle to access or afford air conditioning, the rising need for cooling is a growing crisis.

An alarming...

Social media and political violence – how to break the cycle

Written by Richard Forno, Principal Lecturer in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

With effort, it's possible to shift the national discourse and reduce political violence.Gajus/iStock/Getty Images Plus

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, added more fuel to an already fiery election season. In this case, political violence was carried out against the party that is most often found espousing it. The...

Nutrition Facts labels have a complicated legacy – a historian explains the science and politics of translating food into information

Written by Xaq Frohlich, Associate Professor of History of Technology, Auburn University

The Nutrition Facts label is designed to meet shifting dietary trends and public health goals.NoDerog/iStock via Getty Images Plus

The Nutrition Facts label, that black and white information box found on nearly every packaged food product in the U.S. since 1994, has recently become an icon for consumer transparency.

From Apple’s...

Target just became the latest US retailer to stop accepting payment by checks. Why have so many stores given up on them?

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

Can you still use a check to make purchases? In increasing numbers of stores across the U.S., the answer is “no.” The large retailer Target stopped accepting checks on July 15, 2024. It follows decisions a decade earlier by supermarket chains Whole Foods and Aldi to no longer accept this form of payment.

Target said it was phasing out...