The Conversation

Black parents say their children are being suspended for petty reasons that force them to take off from work and sometimes lose their jobs

Written by Charles Bell, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Sciences, Illinois State University

Black parents are having to call off work to deal with their children's minor infractions at school.Cavan Images

When “Mike,” the father of a ninth grade student, got a call from his daughter’s school, the first thing he asked was: “How important is this?”

“They said, ‘Well, it’s...

Corporate directors don't see stopping wayward CEOs as their job – contrary to popular belief

Written by Steven Boivie, Professor of Management, Texas A&M University

The realities of a boardroom are different than what many people assume. xu wu/Moment via Getty Images

In December 2001, Enron Corp. collapsed into bankruptcy – at the time the biggest U.S. publicly traded company to ever do so – following years of fraudulent accounting. Two decades later, Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes faces criminal...

India and Pakistan fought 3 wars over Kashmir – here's why international law and US help can't solve this territorial dispute

Written by Bulbul Ahmed, Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Faculty of Security and Strategic Studies, Bangladesh University of Professionals

The scene in Srinagar, in Indian-administered Kashmir, after an Aug. 10, 2021, grenade attack by militants that wounded at least nine civilians. Kashmir has experienced sporadic violence for more than seven decades, including three wars.Yawar Nazir/Getty Images

An armed conflict in Kashmir has thwarted all attempts to solve it for three quarters...

The EPA is banning chlorpyrifos, a pesticide widely used on food crops, after 14 years of pressure from environmental and labor groups

Written by Gina Solomon, Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Chlorpyrifos is widely used on crops, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, corn and soybeans.AP Photo/John Raoux

On Aug. 18, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will end use of chlorpyrifos – a pesticide associated with neurodevelopmental problems and impaired brain function in children – on all food products...

In 'Rumors,' Lizzo and Cardi B pull from the ancient Greeks, putting a new twist on an old tradition

Written by Grace B. McGowan, PhD Candidate in American Studies, Boston University

It isn’t often that a pop star releases a music video that aligns so well with my academic research.

But that’s exactly what Lizzo did in her new song, “Rumors.” In it, she and Cardi B dress in Grecian goddess-inspired dresses, dance in front of classically inspired statuary, wear headdresses that evoke caryatids and...

The fertility industry is poorly regulated – and would-be parents can lose out on having children as a result

Written by Naomi Cahn, Professor of Law, University of Virginia

Louise Brown, who was the world's first baby to be born from in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 1978, poses with equipment used in early IVF treatments. Daniel Leal-Olivas/ Getty

When embryologist Joseph Conaghan arrived at work at San Francisco’s Pacific Fertility Center on March 4, 2018, nothing seemed awry. He did routine inspections of the...

How would planting 8 billion trees every year for 20 years affect Earth's climate?

Written by Karen D. Holl, Professor of Restoration Ecology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Planting 8 billion trees a year would replace about half of the 15 billion cut down annually.Michael Tewelde/AFP via Getty Images

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

If we planted 8 billion trees a year for 20 years, what would...

Why the feds are investigating Tesla's Autopilot and what that means for the future of self-driving cars

Written by Hayder Radha, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University

Tesla's Autopilot enables hands-free driving, but it's not meant to allow drivers to take their eyes off the road.Marcus Zacher/Flickr, CC BY-NC

It’s hard to miss the flashing lights of fire engines, ambulances and police cars ahead of you as you’re driving down the road. But in at least 11 cases in the past three and a half years,...

Italy – once overwhelmed by COVID-19 – turns to a health pass and stricter measures to contain virus

Written by Sara Belligoni, Ph.D. Candidate in Security Studies, University of Central Florida

Italians must now present a form of vaccine passport called a 'Green Pass' to enter many indoor establishments.Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images

Cases of COVID-19 are surging around the world, but the course of the pandemic varies widely from country to country. To provide you with a global view as we approach a year and a half since the official...

Poison or cure? Traditional Chinese medicine shows that context can make all the difference

Written by Yan Liu, Assistant Professor of History, University at Buffalo

Poisons have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over two millennia.4X-image/E+ via Getty Images

Poisons today typically evoke notions of harm and danger – the opposite of medicines for healing. Yet traditional Chinese medicine, which has been in practice for over two millennia, used a large number of poisons to treat a variety of...