The Conversation

Loneliness can kill, and new research shows middle-aged Americans are particularly vulnerable

Written by Frank J. Infurna, Associate Professor of Psychology, Arizona State University

The desire to belong is a fundamental human need.Oliver Rossi/Stone via Getty Images

Middle-aged Americans are lonelier than their European counterparts. That’s the key finding of my team’s recent study, published in American Psychologist.

Our study identified a trend that has been evolving for multiple generations, and affects both baby...

Rural students’ access to Wi-Fi is in jeopardy as pandemic-era resources recede

Written by Gabriel E. Hales, Ph.D. Candidate and Research Assistant, Michigan State University

Programs that brought internet access to rural students are set to expire.FatCamera via Getty Images

Students in rural America still lack access to high-speed internet at home despite governmental efforts during the pandemic to fill the void. This lack of access negatively affects their academic achievement and overall well-being. The situation has...

Why the Chiefs and Royals couldn’t convince Kansas City voters to foot the bill for their stadiums

Written by Victor Matheson, Professor of Economics and Accounting, College of the Holy Cross

Had the Jackson County tax extension passed, the Kansas City Royals would have likely moved to a new downtown location.Kirby Lee/Getty Images

For the Kansas City Chiefs brass, it must have seemed like the perfect time to ask local voters to cough up some money for stadium renovations.

The team was riding high from a big Super Bowl win in February...

Why courts aren’t the fastest or clearest ways to solve election disputes – a former federal judge explains

Written by John E. Jones III, President, Dickinson College

Election workers scrutinize ballots carefully, but courts may decide how closely they look.Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Pennsylvania is expected to be a key battleground in the 2024 presidential election, and a lawsuit that is already underway, months before Election Day, could muddle the vote counting process in November.

T...

Brain scans of Philly jazz musicians reveal secrets to reaching creative flow

Written by John Kounios, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University

Creative flow involves relaxing one’s focus or conscious control, new study finds.Sean Gladwell/Moment Collection via Getty Images

Flow, or being “in the zone,” is a state of amped-up creativity, enhanced productivity and blissful consciousness that, some psychologists believe, is also the secret to happiness. It’s...

Why batteries come in so many sizes and shapes

Written by Wesley Chang, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Drexel University

Maybe you have a drawer in your house that looks like this?Peter Fiskerstrand/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

If you’ve looked in your utility drawer lately, you may have noticed the various shapes, sizes and types of batteries that power your electronic devices. First, there are the round, non-rechargeable button cells for your watches and small items....

A natural deception: 3 marketing myths the supplement industry wants you to swallow

Written by Katie Suleta, Doctorate in Health Sciences candidate, George Washington University

They act kind of like drugs, but they aren't regulated like them.Valentyna Yeltsova/Getty Images

Americans seem to have quite a positive view of dietary supplements. According to a 2023 survey, 74% of U.S. adults take vitamins, prebiotics and the like.

The business of supplements is booming, and with all the hype around them, it’s easy to...

In 1877, a stained-glass window depicted Jesus as Black for the first time − a scholar of visual images unpacks its history and significance

Written by Virginia Raguin, Distinguished Professor of Humanities Emerita, Visual Arts, College of the Holy Cross

A stained-glass window that was part of a church shows a dark-skinned Jesus, which was unusual at the time.Michel M. Raguin

A stained-glass window, donated in 1877 to a church in Rhode Island, shows Jesus as a dark-skinned man. Most Western depictions portrayed him as a European, with light skin and sometimes even with blue eyes. A Black Jesus at...

During the 2024 eclipse, biologists like us want to find out how birds will respond to darkness in the middle of the day

Written by Kimberly Rosvall, Associate Professor of Biology, Indiana University

Birds use light as a cue, so what happens when it gets dark during the day?AP Photo/Hassan Ammar

The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, coincides with an exciting time for wild birds. Local birds are singing for mates and fighting for territories as they gear up for their once-a-year chance to breed.

Tens of millions of migrating birds will be...

Philadelphia’s minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009 – here’s why efforts to raise it have failed

Written by Michael O'Bryan, Distinguished Research Fellow at Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, Drexel University

A full-time minimum wage worker in Philadelphia earns just over $15,000 a year with no vacation or sick days.Allan Baxter/The Image Bank Collection via Getty Images

In Philadelphia, the poorest big city in the U.S., the minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 per hour for the past 15 years. That’s the minimum wage everywhere in Pennsylvania, and...