The Conversation

Hampshire College’s demise is yet another blow to creative, outside-the-box options in higher education

Written by Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

Hampshire College's campus entrance on April 16, 2026, a few days after the school announced it is closing. Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Hampshire College, a private college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, announced on April 14, 2026, that it was joining the list of small, experimental liberal arts colleges that have closed...

Why the future of marijuana legalization remains hazy despite high public support

Written by William Garriott, Professor of Law, Politics and Society, Drake University

Cannabis plants are seen at Harborside Oakland Dispensary on Aug. 11, 2025, in Oakland, Calif.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Thousands of Americans will soon gather to celebrate April 20 – or “4/20” – the most important day of the year for cannabis enthusiasts.

But this year, a cloud of uncertainty will hang over these...

Trump sidelined Congress’ authority over war on Iran – and lawmakers allowed it, extending a 75-year trend

Written by Sarah Burns, Associate Professor of Political Science, Rochester Institute of Technology; Institute for Humane Studies

Congress has not used its constitutionally granted power to influence the war in Iran.Bloomberg Creative via Getty Images

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives set April 21, 2026, as the date to hear from and question top Pentagon officials Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, and Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, head of U.S....

Trump’s coercive tactics in Latin America evoke era of gunboat diplomacy – and the rise of anti-imperialism it helped spur

Written by Tony Wood, Assistant Professor of History, Modern Latin America, University of Colorado Boulder

One of scores of murals Diego Rivera painted in the interwar period that sits above the Secretariat of Public Education in Mexico City, Mexico.Apolline Guillerot-Malick/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

In Latin America, as in other parts of the world, the second Trump administration has adopted an increasingly aggressive policy.

From drone s...

I’ve fired one of America’s most powerful lasers – here’s what a shot day looks like

Written by Ahmed Helal, Research Scientist, The University of Texas at Austin

Inside a laser clean room. The beam is contained within the blue pipe.Ahmed Helal

If you walk across the open yard in front of the Physics, Math and Astronomy building at the University of Texas at Austin, you’ll see a 17-story tower and a huge L-shaped building. What you won’t see is what’s underneath you. Two floors below...

About half of young Americans can’t name a single Holocaust site, repeating a pattern of ignorance seen in postwar Germany

Written by Daniela R. P. Weiner, Teaching Assistant Professor of the First Year Experience and Humanities, Stevens Institute of Technology

Irene Fogel Weiss holds a photograph of her mother and brothers, who were killed during the Holocaust, during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on April 14, 2026, in Washington. Heather Diehl/Getty Images

In 2025, 48% of Americans ages 18-29 could not name a single concentration or death camp, according to a survey by the nonprofit Conference on...

Ancient teeth reveal clues to the environment humans’ early ancestors evolved in millions of years ago

Written by Zelalem Bedaso, Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Geosciences, University of Dayton

Chemicals in your tooth enamel record evidence of your diet that can last millions of years.Zelalem Bedaso

Teeth are like tiny biological time capsules. They tell stories about ancient diets and environments long after their owners have died and landscapes have changed.

After bones break down, tooth enamel stays hard and unchanged, even in...

How Islamophobic rhetoric leaves an impact on the mental health of Muslim Americans

Written by Anisah Bagasra, Associate Professor of Psychology, Kennesaw State University

Demonstrators in New York City take part in a protest against growing Islamophobia in March 2019. Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Image

The war with Iran has led to a surge in anti-Muslim rhetoric – spilling into political discourse.

U.S. Rep. Randy Fine of Florida posted on X that “the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult...

‘Right to race’ laws and the battle over America’s local racetracks

Written by Joshua Vadeboncoeur, Assistant Professor of Sport Management, Gardner-Webb University

Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Easley, S.C., held its last race in 2022. The track is at the center of debates over redevelopment and the future of local racing facilities.Tony Crescibene/flickr, CC BY

Across the United States, the local auto racing tracks that have anchored rural and working-class communities for generations are disappearing.

Some...

Cannabis sales and use are high in Michigan – but federal law means research lags behind

Written by Omayma Alshaarawy, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Michigan State University

Cannabis users have a variety of products to choose fromArturo Barajas/The Conversation, CC BY-ND

Have you been to a licensed cannabis dispensary lately?

My team and I often visit them in the Greater Lansing area to invite cannabis users to participate in our studies. As soon as we walk in, we are met with a dazzling array of products: high-potency...