The Conversation

Underwater microscope provides new views of ocean-floor sea creatures in their natural setting

Written by Jules Jaffe, Research Oceanographer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego

Fluorescent image of the coral _Pocillopora damicornis_. The field of view is approximately 4.1 x 3.4 mm.Andrew D. Mullen/UCSD, CC BY-ND

The Homo sapiens view of our world is all a matter of perspective, and we need to remember that we’re among the larger creatures on Earth. At around 1.7 meters in length, we’re much closer in size to...

Why debt-free college will not solve the real problems in America's higher education system

Written by David H. Feldman, Professor of Economics, College of William & Mary

On July 6, Hillary Clinton took a half-step toward Bernie Sanders’ free public college tuition plan. She proposed partnering with states to zero out tuition by 2020 for families making US$125,000 or less.

We know that American higher education faces serious long-term problems. However, reducing tuition or college debt to zero isn’t the...

From Grexit to Brexit, why EU's mess of rules designed to prevent crisis is causing it

Written by Scott L. Greer, Associate Professor, Global Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan

The EU is fraying thanks to its puzzle of fiscal governance policies.EU UK flag via www.shutterstock.com

The European Union, still nursing wounds from its crisis over the euro and “Grexit,” is facing a much more severe threat that strikes at the very heart of the EU’s legitimacy. And the problem concerns the very measures put in...

Making the case for a new Olympics model

Written by Paul Christesen, Professor of Classics, Dartmouth College

“The Olympic Games in Rio are an unnatural disaster,” The New York Times recently declared.

As someone who has spent two decades studying and writing about the ancient and modern Olympics, I’m not surprised by the pronouncement. It simply fulfills a prophecy many foretold in the months (and years) leading up to the 2016 Olympic...

Dear Hillary: Where are the women in your energy strategy?

Written by Rebecca Pearl-Martinez, Research Fellow & Head of Renewable Equity Project at the Fletcher School, Tufts University

Women are making inroads in the solar industry, but still represent only about 25 percent of the U.S. solar work force.www.shutterstock.com

Increasing U.S. use of renewable energy is a core component of Hillary Clinton’s campaign platform. She contends that this shift will create jobs and make the United States the world’s 21st-century...

Why emotional abuse in childhood may lead to migraines in adulthood

Written by Gretchen Tietjen, Professor and Chair of Neurology, University of Toledo

Migraine image via www.shutterstock.com.

Child abuse and neglect are, sadly, more common than you might think. According to a 2011 study in JAMA Pediatrics, more than five million U.S. children experienced confirmed cases of maltreatment between 2004 and 2011. The effects of abuse can linger beyond childhood – and migraine headaches might be...

What Black Lives Matter means beyond policing reform

Written by Garrett Felber, Ph.D. Candidate in American Culture, University of Michigan

Riots in Harlem, 1964Wikimedia Commons

After the killing of five police officers in Dallas last week by a lone gunman, where does the Black Lives Matter movement go?

Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza answered this question, saying she anticipated that the Dallas shooting would “create the conditions for increased security,...

Slow death: Is the trauma of police violence killing black women?

Written by Christen Smith, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and African and African Diaspora Studies, University of Texas at Austin

Diamond Reynolds at a rally at the governor's residence, St Paul, Minnesota on July 7, 2016.Lorie Shaull/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Diamond Reynolds’ live stream of Philando Castile bleeding to death after being shot by Officer Jeronimo Yanez has shocked and dismayed our nation.

It is difficult to imagine the pain of witnessing and archiving the death...

How to sell a product called democracy

Written by Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson & Son Professor of International Marketing, Northwestern University

Marketing – something I know quite a bit about – and democracy are closely connected. Exploring this connection could help us improve not only our country’s electoral and government system, but also the lives of many Americans.

Marketers have a specific mindset. They start by asking what people want and need. They deeply research...

Is anything ever 'forgotten' online?

Written by Keith W. Ross, Dean of Engineering and Computer Science at NYU Shanghai; Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, New York University

How hard is it to find what people would prefer was forgotten?Magnifying glass with person and question mark via shutterstock.com

When someone types your name into Google, suppose the first link points to a newspaper article about you going bankrupt 15 years ago, or to a YouTube video of you smoking cigarettes 20 years ago, or simply a webpage that...