The Conversation

The president loves ice cream, and a senator has a new girlfriend – these personal details may seem trivial, but can help reduce political polarization

Written by Jennifer Wolak, Professor of political science, Michigan State University

President Joe Biden eats an ice cream cone at a Baskin-Robbins in Portland, Ore., in October 2022. Carolyn Kaster/AP

Politicians want to be heard – to land a soundbite on the nightly news, to advertise their legislative accomplishments and to have people know their platform. But when given opportunities to talk to voters, they often share...

Ransom or realism? A closer look at Biden’s prisoner swap deal with Iran

Written by Klaus W. Larres, Professor of History and International Affairs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Family members of American citizens detained overseas participate in a Bring Back our Families rally on May 3, 2023, in Washington. Anna Moneymaker/via Getty Images

Five American detainees have been released from imprisonment in Iran as the terms of the swap that set them free is drawing criticism.

The Biden administration’s agreement with...

As climate change warms rivers, they are running out of breath – and so could the plants and animals they harbor

Written by Li Li (李黎), Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Penn State

The Potomac River spills over Great Falls west of Washington, D.C..Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

As climate change warms rivers, they are losing dissolved oxygen from their water. This process, which is called deoxygenation, was already known to be occurring in large bodies of water, like oceans and lakes. A study that...

The importance of shining a light on hidden toxic histories

Written by Elizabeth Kryder-Reid, Chancellor's Professor of Anthropology and Museum Studies, Indiana University

Activists in Newark, N.J., offer tours that teach visitors about the city's legacy of industrial pollution and environmental racism.Charles Rotkin/Corbis via Getty Images

Indianapolis proudly claims Elvis’ last concert, Robert Kennedy’s speech in response to Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, and the Indianapolis 500....

Heating and cooling space habitats isn't easy -- one engineering team is developing a lighter, more efficient solution

Written by Issam Mudawar, Betty Ruth and Milton B. Hollander Family Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University

It's hard to keep a spacecraft cool, but ongoing research on the International Space Station might yield a solution. AP Photo/Eric Gay

China, India and the U.S. have all achieved landing on the Moon in the 2020s.

Once there, their eventual goal is to set up a base. But a successful base – along with the spacecraft that will carry people to it...

The complex chemistry behind America's spirit – how bourbon gets its distinctive taste and color

Written by Michael W. Crowder, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University

Most bourbon is made in Kentucky. Catherine Falls Commercial/Moment via Getty Images

Few beverages have as rich a heritage and as complicated a chemistry as bourbon whiskey, often called “America’s spirit.” Known for its deep amber hue and robust flavors, bourbon has captured the hearts of enthusiasts across the country.

But for a...

What is USB-C? A computer engineer explains the one device connector to rule them all

Written by Shreyas Sen, Elmore Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University

With pressure from the European Union, Apple has thrown in the towel on its Lightning connector, left, in favor of the standard USB-C, right.Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Apple announced on Sept. 12, 2023, that it plans to adopt the USB-C connector for all four new iPhone 15 models, helping USB-C become the connector of choice of the...

A constitutional revolution is underway at the Supreme Court, as the conservative supermajority rewrites basic understandings of the roots of US law

Written by Morgan Marietta, Professor of Political Science, University of Texas at Arlington

The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, written in 1787 on parchment paper.Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In a 2006 episode of the television show “Boston Legal,” conservative lawyer Denny Crane asserted that he had a constitutional right to carry a concealed firearm: “And the Supreme Court is...

Why China’s real estate crisis should make the global travel industry nervous

Written by Zhiyong Yang, Professor of Marketing, Miami University

The global tourism industry is rebounding – but cautious Chinese consumers are choosing to stay closer to home.DuKai photographer/Moment/Getty Images

Once upon a time – in 2019 – tourists from China were among the best-traveled in the world. They collectively spent more than US$250 billion abroad – nearly twice as much as...

CDC greenlights two updated COVID-19 vaccines, but how will they fare against the latest variants? 5 questions answered

Written by Prakash Nagarkatti, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina

The CDC expects the updated shots to be effective at preventing severe COVID-19, even in the face of new variants.Teka77/iStock via Getty Images Plus

On Sept. 12, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the newly formulated COVID-19 vaccines for all Americans ages 6 months and up, hours after its expert advisory committee...