The Conversation

Social media drains our brains and impacts our decision making – podcast

Written by Mend Mariwany, Producer, The Conversation Weekly Podcast

Social media can make us buy products we don't want, new research shows. Oscar Wong/Moment via Getty Images

Ever found yourself scrolling through social media late at night and accidentally buying something you regretted? In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we talk to an advertising expert about recent research into how social media...

Trump barred from Colorado ballot – now what?

Written by Mark A. Graber, University System of Maryland Regents Professor of Law, University of Maryland

Donald Trump at a campaign event in Waterloo, Iowa, on Dec. 19, 2023.Kamil Krzaczysnki/AFP via Getty Images

In the wake of the Colorado Supreme Court ruling that bars Donald Trump from the ballot in the state’s primary and general elections, The Conversation U.S. asked Mark A. Graber, regents professor of law at the University of Maryland...

What do universities owe their big donors? Less than you might think, explain 2 nonprofit law experts

Written by Ellen P. Aprill, Professor of Tax Law Emerita, Loyola Law School Los Angeles

Billionaire investor and Harvard alum Bill Ackman has voiced his objections to the school's current president.AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Exchanging gifts with family and friends can become fraught with contradictory emotions. Instead of gratitude, the recipients of expensive gifts may wind up feeling indebted to the givers. And the givers can have...

Why the COP28 climate summit mattered, and what to watch for in 2024

Written by Rachel Kyte, Visiting Professor of Government, University of Oxford

U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, had front-row seats at COP28's final session. Kiara Worth/UN Climate Change via Flickr,, CC BY-NC-SA

Reading down the lengthy final agreement of the COP28 United Nations climate conference held in December 2023, you’ll go a long way before...

Trump claims Constitution gives him immunity − here's why judges and the Supreme Court may not agree

Written by Stefanie Lindquist, Foundation Professor of Law and Political Science, Arizona State University

Donald Trump continues to campaign for president even as he faces multiple criminal indictments.AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez

Former President Donald Trump has claimed he is immune from prosecution – specifically on the federal charges that he tried to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election. He says that his actions in...

For many who are suffering with prolonged grief, the holidays can be a time to reflect and find meaning in loss

Written by Mandy Doria, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

In the post-pandemic world, many people are facing the holidays without their loved ones by their side. Douglas Sacha/Moment via Getty Images

The holiday season is meant to be filled with joy, connection and celebration of rituals. Many people, however, are starkly reminded of their grief this time of year and of whom – or what – they...

50 years later, 'The Exorcist' continues to possess Hollywood's imagination, reflecting our obsession with evil

Written by Regina Hansen, Master Lecturer of Rhetoric, Boston University

The film went on to gross nearly $450 million worldwide.Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images

When the “The Exorcist” premiered 50 years ago, in December 1973, some theatergoers fainted or broke down in tears. A few even vomited.

The film, which cast a young Linda Blair as a girl claiming to be possessed by the devil, was an almost instant...

Do you eat with your eyes, your gut or your brain? A neuroscientist explains how to listen to your hunger during the holidays

Written by Alex Johnson, Associate Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience, Michigan State University

The particular stressors of the holiday season can make it difficult to listen to your body.InspirationGP/iStock via Getty Images

The holiday season is upon us, and with it, opportunities to indulge in festive treats. The proverbial saying “you eat with your eyes first” seems particularly relevant at this time of year.

The science...

ChatGPT and its AI chatbot cousins ruled 2023: 4 essential reads that puncture the hype

Written by Eric Smalley, Science + Technology Editor

ChatGPT captivated the public imagination.Lionel Bonaventure via Getty Images

Within four months of ChatGPT’s launch on Nov. 30, 2022, most Americans had heard of the AI chatbot. Hype about – and fear of – the technology was at a fever pitch for much of 2023.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, Anthropic’s Claude...

2023's historic Hollywood and UAW strikes aren't labor's whole story – the total number of Americans walking off the job remained relatively low

Written by Judith Stepan-Norris, Professor Emerita of Sociology, University of California, Irvine

SAG-AFTRA captain Mary M. Flynn rallies fellow striking actors on a picket line outside Netflix studios in November 2023. AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

More than 492,000 workers – including nurses, actors, screenwriters, autoworkers, hotel cleaners, teachers and restaurant servers – walked off their jobs during the first 10 months of 2023.

That...