The Conversation

Robots are performing Hindu rituals -- some devotees fear they'll replace worshippers

Written by Holly Walters, Visiting Lecturer in Anthropology, Wellesley College

A robotic arm (below on right) is used to worship by maneuvering a candle in front of the Hindu god Ganesha.Monarch Innovation

It isn’t just artists and teachers who are losing sleep over advances in automation and artificial intelligence. Robots are being brought into Hinduism’s holiest rituals – and not all worshippers are happy...

Once the Callery pear tree was landscapers' favorite – now states are banning this invasive species and urging homeowners to cut it down

Written by Ryan W. McEwan, Professor of Biology, University of Dayton

Bradford pear trees in bloom along a driveway in Sussex County, Del.Lee Cannon/Flickr, CC BY-SA

When people think of spring, they often picture flowers and trees blooming. And if you live in the U.S. Northeast, Midwest or South, you have probably seen a medium-sized tree with long branches, covered with small white blooms – the Callery pear (P...

Should you pay for Meta's and Twitter’s verified identity subscriptions? A social media researcher explains how the choice you face affects everyone else

Written by Anjana Susarla, Professor of Information Systems, Michigan State University

If you want to use two-factor authentication via text message on Twitter, you'll have to pay for it.NurPhoto via Getty Images

Social media services have generally been free of charge for users, but now, with ad revenues slowing down, social media companies are looking for new revenue streams beyond targeted ads. Now, Twitter is charging for its...

Leading American medical journal continues to omit Black research, reinforcing a legacy of racism in medical knowledge

Written by Cherice Escobar Jones, PhD Candidate, Northeastern University

Medical research is one of the keys in providing health care. SJ Objio for Unsplash, CC BY-SA

The leading U.S. medical journal, read regularly by doctors of all specialties, systematically ignores an equally reputable and rigorous body of medical research that focuses on Black Americans’ health.

The American Medical Association created a...

How the 'Holman rule' allows the House to fast-track proposals to gut government programs without debate or much thought at all

Written by Charles Tiefer, Professor of Law, University of Baltimore

Reinstituted rules in the U.S. House of Representatives allow members to fire federal staffers and cut programs.Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives has just voted to give itself a streamlined way to fire civil servants and shut down federal programs it doesn’t like...

Regulating 'forever chemicals': 3 essential reads on PFAS

Written by Jennifer Weeks, Senior Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation

A new federal regulation will set national limits on two 'forever chemicals' widely found in drinking water.Thanasis Zovoilis/moment via Getty Images

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to release a draft regulation limiting two fluorinated chemicals, known by the abbreviations PFOA and PFOS, in drinking water. These chemicals are...

Why Meta’s embrace of a ‘flat’ management structure may not lead to the innovation and efficiency Mark Zuckerberg seeks

Written by Amber Stephenson, Associate Professor of Management and Director of Healthcare Management Programs, Clarkson University

Who's the boss? timsa/E+ via Getty Images

Big Tech, under pressure from dwindling profits and falling stock prices, is seeking some of that old startup magic.

Meta, the parent of Facebook, recently became the latest of the industry’s dominant players to lay off thousands of employees, particularly middle managers, in an effort to return to a fl...

What parents and educators need to know about teens’ pornography and sexting experiences at school

Written by Megan K. Maas, Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Michigan State University

Pornography presents persistent risks for adolescents.EMS-FORSTER-PRODUCTIONS via Getty Images

Three out of four teenagers have seen online pornography – often before they even became a teenager. That’s according to a new report from Common Sense Media that examines the role pornography plays in the lives of today’s youth.

Some...

What is a pogrom? Israeli mob attack has put a century-old word in the spotlight

Written by Joshua Shanes, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, College of Charleston

Palestinians look out from a damaged building next to scorched cars in the town of Hawara, near the West Bank city of Nablus, on Feb. 27, 2023.AP Photo/Nasser Nasser

Following the murder of two Israeli brothers in the West Bank on Feb. 26, 2023, a mob of around 400 Israelis attacked the Palestinian town of Huwara. They torched dozens of homes and...

Eli Lilly is cutting insulin prices and capping copays at $35 – 5 questions answered

Written by Dana Goldman, Dean of the Sol Price School of Public Policy; Professor of Pharmacy, Public Policy, and Economics, University of Southern California

Diabetes management is becoming more affordable in the U.S. after years of price hikes.Matt Harbicht/Getty Images for Tandem Diabetes Care

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly is slashing the list prices for some of its most popular insulin products by 70% and capping insulin copays at US$35 for uninsured patients and those with private health insurance....