The Conversation

Rock music has had sympathy for God as well as the devil – Kennedy Center honoree Amy Grant is just one big star who’s walked the line between ‘Christian’ and ‘secular’ music

Written by David W. Stowe, Professor of Religious Studies, Michigan State University

Amy Grant performs in Abbotsford, British Columbia, in 2017.Andrew Chin/Getty Images

After three multiplatinum and six platinum albums, 30 million albums sold and more than a billion streams, singer Amy Grant is set to receive one of American music’s biggest awards: Kennedy Center Honors.

Grant, the so-called queen of Christian pop,...

8 billion people: Four ways climate change and population growth combine to threaten public health, with global consequences

Written by Maureen Lichtveld, Dean of the School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh

Infectious diseases like COVID-19 top the list of health concerns.Marco Longari/AFP via Getty Images

There are questions that worry me profoundly as a population- and environmental-health scientist.

Will we have enough food for a growing global population? How will we take care of more people in the next pandemic? What will heat do to millions with...

American workers feel alienated, helpless and overwhelmed – here's one way to alleviate their malaise

Written by Alec Stubbs, Postdoctoral Fellow of Philosophy, UMass Boston

Labor-saving technologies have not afforded workers more leisure time.Pict Rider/iStock via Getty Images

First it was the “Great Resignation.” Then it was “nobody wants to work anymore.” Now it’s “quiet quitting.”

Yet it seems like no one wants to talk about what I see as the root cause of America’s...

In first nationwide election since Roe was overturned, voters opt to protect abortion access

Written by Linda C. McClain, Professor of Law, Boston University

Voters in Michigan said 'yes' to Prop 3, a ballot protecting abortion rights.Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The first major election since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade saw abortion rights on the ballot in a record number of states. The outcomes of these initiatives suggest that when Kansas voters in August 2022 rejected a proposed...

I'm an election law expert who ran a polling station this election – here's what I learned about the powerful role of local officials in applying the law fairly

Written by Derek T. Muller, Professor of Law, University of Iowa

Local residents wait in line to receive their ballots before casting their vote, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in West Des Moines, Iowa. AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Derek Muller is a nationally recognized expert in election law at the University of Iowa College of Law, where he studies and teaches about the role of states in the administration of...

Why Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal is priceless -- and unforgettable

Written by Stefan Szymanski, Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

One giant leap for soccerkind.Allsport/Getty Images

Football has “The Catch,” baseball has “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World,” and basketball has “The Block.”

For soccer, it is Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” – a sporting moment captured in time, the mere mention of which can conjure...

Environmental justice has the White House's attention, building on 40 years of struggle – but California suggests new funding won't immediately solve deeply entrenched problems

Written by Tracy Perkins, Assistant Professor, School of Social Transformation, Arizona State University

Smokestacks in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Wilmington.Citizen of the Planet/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A new office within the Environmental Protection Agency is bringing increased attention to a once-obscure concept: environmental justice.

The Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights will...

Business management doesn't always have to be about capitalism – this course shows how it can also be a calling

Written by Andrew J. Hoffman, Professor of Management & Organizations; Professor of Environment & Sustainability; Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the Ross School of Business and School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan

Business students are pursuing more than just careers.Morsa Images via Getty Images

Unusual Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

Title of Course:

“Management as a Calling”

What prompted the idea for the course?

The idea for this course came from my frustration that...

Dung beetle mothers protect their offspring from a warming world by digging deeper

Written by Kimberly S. Sheldon, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee

A road sign in Bursa, Turkey, warns drivers of the presence of dung beetles, stating 'Attention! It may come out, don't crush it please!' Ugur Ulu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

If the TV series “Dirty Jobs” covered animals as well as humans, it would probably start with dung beetles. These hardworking critters are among the insect...

Why magical thinking is so widespread – a look at the psychological roots of common superstitions

Written by Dimitris Xygalatas, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut

Lucky charms help us feel safer in an uncertain world.Image Source via Getty Images

Growing up in Greece, I spent my summers at my grandparents’ home in a small coastal village in the region of Chalkidiki. It was warm and sunny, and I passed most of my time playing in the streets with my cousins. But occasionally, the summer storms brought...