The Conversation

The Marshall Islands could be wiped out by climate change – and their colonial history limits their ability to save themselves

Written by Autumn Bordner, Research Fellow, University of California, Berkeley

The Marshall Islands and other small island nations are urgently threatened by rising seas.Stefan Lins/Flickr, CC BY

Along U.S. coastlines, from California to Florida, residents are getting increasingly accustomed to “king tides.” These extra-high tides cause flooding and wreak havoc on affected communities. As climate change raises sea...

Why paying people to get the coronavirus vaccine won't work

Written by Ana Santos Rutschman, Assistant Professor of Law, Saint Louis University

Although monetary incentives work, there are potential drawbacks.Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images

The first COVID-19 vaccine to gain emergency use authorization in the U.S. could roll out within days, as Pfizer and BioNTech’s candidate was endorsed by an external advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 10. Two days earlier,...

Scientists suggest US embassies were hit with high-power microwaves – here's how the weapons work

Written by Edl Schamiloglu, Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation, School of Engineering, University of New Mexico, University of New Mexico

This U.S. Air Force microwave weapon is designed to knock down drones by frying their electronics.AFRL Directed Energy Directorate

The mystery ailment that has afflicted U.S. embassy staff and CIA officers off and on over the last four years in Cuba, China, Russia and other countries appears to have been caused by high-power microwaves, according...

Why does the Electoral College exist, and how does it work? 5 essential reads

Written by Jeff Inglis, Politics + Society Editor, The Conversation US

Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt signs an official tally of the Electoral College votes from the 2016 presidential election, in January 2017.AP Photo/Zach Gibson

On Dec. 14, the members of the Electoral College will meet in state capitols across the country and cast their ballots for president and vice president. The expected vote total: 306 for...

Why shielding businesses from coronavirus liability is a bad idea

Written by Timothy D. Lytton, Distinguished University Professor & Professor of Law, Georgia State University

Posting signs like this are often enough to avoid liability. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Congress may be close to a deal on another coronavirus bailout, but Senate Republican demands for liability protections for businesses remain a major obstacle.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has long warned of an “avalanche” of lawsuits that...

5 years after Paris: How countries’ climate policies match up to their promises, and who's aiming for net zero emissions

Written by Morgan Bazilian, Professor of Public Policy and Director, Payne Institute, Colorado School of Mines

Even if every country meets its commitments, the world will still be on track to warm by more than 3 degrees Celsius this century, a new UNEP report shows.Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Saturday marks the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement – the commitment by almost every country to try to keep global warming well below 2 degrees...

Oregon just decriminalized all drugs – here's why voters passed this groundbreaking reform

Written by Scott Akins, Professor, Sociology Department, Oregon State University

According to Oregon law, possessing a small amount of drugs for personal consumption is now a civil – rather than criminal – offense. Peter Dazeley via Getty

Oregon became the first state in the United States to decriminalize the possession of all drugs on Nov. 3, 2020.

Measure 110, a ballot initiative funded by the Drug Policy...

Why do scientists care about worms?

Written by Helen Robertson, Postdoctoral Scholar of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago

Whether in the wild or in the lab, worms have an interesting story to tell.Sinhyu/iStock via Getty Images

I traveled to a marine research station on a picturesque Swedish fjord many times over the four years I worked on my Ph.D. What brought me back again and again? Buried in the mud off the west coast of Sweden lives a small orangey brown worm,...

America's hidden world of handmade pornography

Written by Lisa Z. Sigel, Professor of History, DePaul University

Soldiers used spent shells and casings to make trench art, like this brass bottle opener that was made during World War II.Michael Riordan, CC BY-SA

“To live among the handmade,” philosopher and antiques dealer Leon Rosenstein once said, “is to live among the human.”

Well, there’s nothing more human than handmade...

Why we're so bad at counting the calories we eat, drink or burn

Written by Kaitlin Woolley, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Cornell University

Getting the portions right can be tricky. knape/E+ via Getty Images

People often eat more than usual around the holidays – and this year more than most as the pandemic prompts many to stress eat.

A common way to avoid putting on extra weight is by choosing healthier options with fewer calories per serving. One problem with this strategy is...