The Conversation

How Indian American spelling bee dominance may fuel educational inequities

Written by Pawan Dhingra, Professor of Sociology and American Studies; Faculty Equity and Inclusion Officer, Amherst College

Harini Logan is embraced by her parents after winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Harini Logan, a cheerful 14-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, made history on June 2, 2022. She became the first Scripps National Spelling Bee champion to win after being eliminated and later reinstated. She was also the first to...

Genetic paparazzi are right around the corner, and courts aren't ready to confront the legal quagmire of DNA theft

Written by Liza Vertinsky, Professor of Law, University of Maryland

DNA is a trove of personal information that can be hard to keep track of and protect. Boris Zhitkov/Moment via Getty Images

Every so often stories of genetic theft, or extreme precautions taken to avoid it, make headline news. So it was with a picture of French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin sitting at opposite ends...

Change won't appear overnight in many states if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade

Written by Katherine Drabiak, Associate professor of health law, public health law and medical ethics, University of South Florida

Workers at a family planning clinic watch an abortion rights march in Chicago on May 14, 2022. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Individual states and some cities are taking legal steps to either limit or allow abortions, gearing up for what will likely be a fierce national battle if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the constitutional right to abortion.

The...

What makes smoky, charred barbecue taste so good? The chemistry of cooking over an open flame

Written by Kristine Nolin, Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Richmond

Cooking food over an open flame produces unique flavors thanks to some interesting chemistry. Lars Szatmari / EyeEm via Getty Images

The mere thought of barbecue’s smokey scents and intoxicating flavors is enough to get most mouths watering. Summer is here, and that means it is barbecue season for many people in the U.S.

I am a chemist who...

Bed bugs' biggest impact may be on mental health after an infestation of these bloodsucking parasites

Written by Jerome Goddard, Extension Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University

Dozens of bed bugs and their eggs and fecal material on a metal bed frame.Jerome Goddard

Bed bugs are back with a vengeance. After an absence of around 70 years, thanks to effective pesticides such as DDT, they’ve been popping up in fancy hotels, spas, department stores, subway trains, movie theaters – and, of course, people’s...

Can Bionic Reading make you a speed reader? Not so fast

Written by Lauren M. Singer Trakhman, Assistant Clinical Professor of Human Development, University of Maryland

In an age of distraction, the desire to read faster and more efficiently is understandable. eclipse_images/Getty Images

What if something as simple as bolding parts of a word could make reading a breeze, improving your focus, speed and comprehension?

That’s the claim made by the creators of Bionic Reading, an app that revises texts so that the...

Giving refugees money instead of stuff can lead to price gouging – but it doesn't have to

Written by Owen Wu, Associate Professor of Operations & Decision Technologies, Indiana University

When refugees get money, it can stimulate the local economy.Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP via Getty Images

Refugees increasingly receive money from humanitarian agencies and organizations, instead of food, clothing and other items shipped from afar. This approach is intended to let refugees get more of what they need while also boosting local businesses.

Bu...

Warning signs can be detected sooner through universal screenings for student mental health

Written by Nathaniel von der Embse, Professor of School Psychology, University of South Florida

Students may self-report distress when given the opportunity.Anna Kraynova / EyeEm / Getty Images

Whenever a massacre takes place at a U.S. school, like the one at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, discussions often follow about whether school officials may have missed any “red flags.”

As a researcher who specializes in supporting...

US moves to rename Army bases honoring Confederate generals who fought to defend slavery

Written by Jeff South, Associate professor emeritus, Virginia Commonwealth University

Named after Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, Fort Bragg, outside Fayetteville, N.C., is one of the U.S. bases under consideration for a name change. Logan Mock-Bunting/Getty Images

For decades, nine U.S. Army bases have carried the names of men who fought against the U.S. Army – in a war waged to defend and perpetuate the slavery of people of...

50 years after ‘Napalm Girl,’ myths distort the reality behind a horrific photo of the Vietnam War and exaggerate its impact

Written by W. Joseph Campbell, Professor of Communication Studies, American University School of Communication

Terrified children, including 9-year-old Kim Phuc, center, near Trang Bang, Vietnam, after a South Vietnamese plane on June 8, 1972, accidentally dropped its flaming napalm on its own troops and civilians.AP Photo/Nick Ut, File

The “Napalm Girl” photograph of terror-stricken Vietnamese children fleeing an errant aerial attack on their...