The Conversation

Is attraction to an age group another kind of sexual orientation?

Written by Michael Seto, Director of Forensic Rehabilitation Research at the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Some people have unusual attractions to specific age groups.Varshesh Joshi on Unsplash, CC BY

Mr. Smith was a 27-year-old man referred for psychological treatment after sexually offending against a 13-year-old boy. He initially denied the charge, but eventually admitted to sexually abusing multiple youth. He later admitted he’d been attracted...

What might explain the unhappiness epidemic?

Written by Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University

Although measures of teen and adult happiness dropped during the high unemployment rates of the Great Recession, it didn’t rebound when the economy started to improve.ASDF_MEDIA/Shutterstock.com

We’d all like to be a little happier.

The problem is that much of what determines happiness is outside of our control. Some of us are...

Guarding against the possible Spectre in every machine

Written by Scott Shackelford, Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics; Director, Ostrom Workshop Program on Cybersecurity and Internet Governance; Cybersecurity Program Chair, IU-Bloomington, Indiana University

A call to better track manufacturing, shipping and distribution.Travel mania/Shutterstock.com

Security vulnerabilities in technology extend well beyond problems with software. Earlier this month, researchers revealed that the hardware at the heart of nearly every computer, smartphone, tablet and other electronic device is flawed in at least two...

Secret memo shows bipartisanship during Watergate succession crisis

Written by Joseph J. Fins, The E. William Davis Jr, M.D. Professor of Medical Ethics and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University

Gerald Ford, left, and Carl Albert wave on Dec. 6, 1973, just after Ford was sworn in as vice president. AP Photo

It was the height of Watergate and the Democratic speaker of the House, Carl Albert, needed advice. With Vice President Spiro Agnew’s resignation, and the Nixon presidency imperiled, Albert was suddenly next in line to become...

Deportees in Mexico tell of disrupted lives, families and communities

Written by Tobin Hansen, Ph.D. candidate in anthropology, University of Oregon

Ray was born in Mexico and moved to the United States with family members at age 10.

He told me in an interview in 2014, “I’m just a regular American like everyone else.” In middle school, Ray (a pseudonym to protect his identity) learned the Declaration of Independence and memorized all the presidents in order. His first job was...

Trump goes to Davos: 4 books he should read on first trip to gathering of global elites

Written by Christopher Michaelson, Professor of Ethics and Business Law, University of St. Thomas

This unassuming, snowy town becomes home to the global elite for a few days each year. AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

For the first time since 2000, a sitting American president is attending the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, which takes place in Davos, Switzerland, from Jan. 23-26.

The invitation-only gathering is basically a who’s...

When a mom feels depressed, her baby's cells might feel it too

Written by Benjamin W. Nelson, Doctoral Student in Clinical Psychology, University of Oregon

At just 18 months old, young children can show biological evidence of added stress.Coy_Creek/shutterstock.com

An estimated 1 in 9 women experience symptoms of postpartum depression. These symptoms – including mood swings, fatigue and reduced interest in activities – can make it difficult for mothers to bond with their newborns.

Early...

Global toll from landslides is heaviest in developing countries

Written by A. Joshua West, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences and Zinsmeyer Early Career Chair in Marine Studies, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Searching for victims after a rain-triggered mudslide that blanketed a village and killed at least 178 people in north China's Shanxi province, Sept. 13, 2008. AP Photo/Andy Wong

This month’s tragic mudslides in Montecito, California are a reminder that natural hazards lurk on the doorsteps of many U.S. homes, even in affluent communities....

Why so many Americans think Buddhism is just a philosophy

Written by Pamela Winfield, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Elon University

Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, Seattle, Washington.Wonderlane, CC BY

In East Asia, Buddhists celebrate the Buddha’s death and entrance into final enlightenment in February. But at my local Zen temple in North Carolina, the Buddha’s enlightenment is commemorated during the holiday season of December, with a short talk for the...

DeVos speech shows contempt for the agency she heads

Written by Mark Hlavacik, Assistant Professor of Communication Specializing in Education Policy, University of North Texas

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wipes her brow during an October 2017 appearance in Bellevue, Wash.AP/Ted S. Warren

When Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos spoke at the American Enterprise Institute on Jan. 16, she began by emphasizing her role as an outsider.

“Outside Washington. Outside the LBJ building,” she said of the...