The Conversation

Anti-transgender bills are latest version of conservatives' longtime strategy to rally their base

Written by Alison Gash, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Oregon

A rally at the Alabama Statehouse on March 30, 2021, to draw attention to and protest anti-transgender legislation introduced in Alabama.Julie Bennett/Getty Images

On April 6, 2021, despite Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s veto, Arkansas became the first state to prohibit physicians from providing gender-affirming medical care like hormone...

Kids with a desk and a quiet place to study do better in school, data shows

Written by David Rutkowski, Associate Professor of Education Policy, Indiana University

Seventeen percent of students around the world lack a desk at home. Mayur Kakade/Getty Images

Ask what students need to learn at home, and the answer often involves access to Wi-Fi or a digital device. For example, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 sets aside US$7.1 billion to support access to high-speed internet for schools and libraries.

What...

Why people with disabilities are at greater risk of going hungry – especially during a pandemic

Written by Melissa L. Caldwell, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Stocking up on food can be tough when using a wheelchair, motorized scooter, walker or cane. Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed uncomfortable and distressing truths about American society: namely, the struggle many Americans face just getting by.

Yet, while the pervasive food insecurity that has always...

Why Facebook created its own ‘supreme court’ for judging content – 6 questions answered

Written by Siri Terjesen, Phil Smith Professor of Entrepreneurship & Associate Dean, Research & External Relations, Florida Atlantic University

Facebook's new Oversight Board affirmed the social media network's ban on Donald Trump.AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Facebook’s quasi-independent Oversight Board on May 5, 2021, upheld the company’s suspension of former President Donald Trump from the platform and Instagram. The decision came four months after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg banned...

What causes miscarriages? An expert explains why women shouldn't blame themselves

Written by Rochanda Mitchell, Fellow in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Virginia

Feelings of guilt often compound the grief that follows miscarriage.fizkes/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Mother’s Day is a happy day for millions, but for those who have experienced a miscarriage, the day can be devastating. As many as one in four recognized pregnancies result in miscarriage.

Pregnancy loss can be mentally and physically...

Early humans used fire to permanently change the landscape tens of thousands of years ago in Stone Age Africa

Written by Jessica Thompson, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Yale University

Today the shoreline of Lake Malawi is open, not forested the way it was before ancient humans started modifying the landscape.Jessica Thompson, CC BY-ND

Fields of rust-colored soil, spindly cassava, small farms and villages dot the landscape. Dust and smoke blur the mountains visible beyond massive Lake Malawi. Here in tropical Africa, you...

Taste alone won't persuade Americans to swap out beef for plant-based burgers

Written by Anna Mattila, Marriott Professor of Lodging Management, Penn State

Does being told that a veggie burger, like the one on the right, is better for the environment make you more likely to choose it over beef?AP Photo/Nati Harnik

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Consumers are more likely to choose a plant-based meat substitute when the restaurant’s advertising...

Where coronavirus variants emerge, surges follow – new research suggests how genomic surveillance can be an early warning system

Written by Bart C. Weimer, Professor of Population Health & Reproduction, University of California, Davis

Sequencing the whole genome of patient virus samples lets scientists watch for new variants.Sergei Malgavko/TASS via Getty Images

Genomic surveillance programs have let scientists track the coronavirus over the course of the pandemic. By testing patient samples, researchers are able to diagnose COVID-19. But they’re also able to use genetic...

MDMA may help treat PTSD – but beware of claims that Ecstasy is a magic bullet

Written by Arash Javanbakht, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Wayne State University

PTSD is typically treated with therapy and sometimes medications, under the care of a psychiatrist. SDI Productions/Getty Images

Recent clinical trials, including one soon to be published in Nature Medicine, have suggested that MDMA combined with psychotherapy may help treat post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The news generated considerable...

How 'socialism' stopped being a dirty word for some voters – and started winning elections across America

Written by Joshua Kluever, Ph.D. Candidate of 20th Century American History, Binghamton University, State University of New York

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders are both members of the Democratic Socialists of America.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The leftist Democratic Socialists of America, which helped congressional star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez get elected in 2018, looks to be a big political player again in New York City’s 2021 municipal...