The Conversation

The 737 MAX is ready to fly again, but plane certification still needs to be fixed – here's how

Written by Ronnie R. Gipson Jr., Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, University of Memphis

The Boeing 737 MAX is expected to take to the skies again following a review of the MCAS system which was responsible for two crashes in 2019.Jason Redmond / Getty Images

After being grounded in March 2019 following two fatal crashes, the Boeing 737 MAX is expected to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly again later this fall....

Want to solve society's most urgent problems? Cash prizes can spur breakthroughs

Written by Luciano Kay, Research Associate at the Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research, University of California, Santa Barbara

Many prizes that aim to spur innovation are winner-take-all.VCG for 2019 RoboMaster Robotics Competition Final Tournament via Getty Images

Innovation is a critical part of tackling problems in areas as diverse as transportation, housing, public health and energy. But the scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs who might generate creative solutions...

One small part of a human antibody has the potential to work as a drug for both prevention and therapy of COVID-19

Written by Dimiter Stanchev Dimitrov, Professor of Medicine and Director, Center for Antibody Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh

This antibody adopts a Y-shape. The arms of the Y make up the part of the antibody that binds to the target. ALFRED PASIEKA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Although a vaccine could be the ultimate solution to curb the COVID-19 pandemic and stop future ones, it will not be 100% effective. If it is anything like the flu vaccine, it will most likely be slightly...

The world's southernmost tree hangs on in one of the windiest places on Earth – but climate change is shifting those winds

Written by Brian Buma, Assistant Professor of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver

On Isla Hornos, Magellan's beech trees grow in wind-protected nooks and crannies. Andres Holz, CC BY-ND

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

The big idea

In 2019, my research team and I found the world’s southernmost tree on an island at the edge of South America. The diminutive tree is 42 years old, stretches...

Trump's encouragement of GOP poll watchers echoes an old tactic of voter intimidation

Written by Mark Krasovic, Associate Professor of History and American Studies, Rutgers University Newark

President Trump during the Sept. 29, 2020 debate with Joe Biden.Olivier Douliery/Pool via AP

During the first presidential debate, Donald Trump was asked by moderator Chris Wallace if he would “urge” his followers to remain calm during a prolonged vote-counting period after the election, if the winner were unclear.

“I am urging my...

¿Debemos preocuparnos ante la disminución de anticuerpos al recuperarnos del COVID-19?

Written by Alexander (Sasha) Poltorak, Professor of Immunology, Tufts University

Una impresión artística de los anticuerpos (en rojo y azul) que responden a una infección SARS-CoV-2. KTSDESIGN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images

La mayoría de las personas saben que las pruebas de anticuerpos en la sangre de una persona pueden mostrar si alguien ha tenido una enfermedad específica, como...

Why 'namaste' has become the perfect pandemic greeting

Written by Jeremy David Engels, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Pennsylvania State University

Prince Charles, accompanied by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and French president Emmanuel Macron greet one another with a 'namaste' in London on June 18.Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Hands over the heart in prayer pose. A little bow of the head. A gesture of respect. An acknowledgment of our shared humanity. And no touching.

As people the...

The urge to punish is not only about revenge – unfairness can unleash it, too

Written by Paul Deutchman, PhD Candidate in Psychology, Boston College

Everyone wants a slice of the pie.Westend61 via Getty Images

Imagine you and your friend are at a party and someone orders pizza. You’re starving. You put a couple of slices on your plate and sit down at the table. Before you start eating, you excuse yourself to wash your hands.

On your way back from the bathroom, you look across the room just...

Michigan's effort to end gerrymandering revives a practice rooted in ancient Athens

Written by John Rothchild, Professor of Law, Wayne State University

In ancient Athens, most government officials were selected at random from among citizens eligible to fill the positions.Philipp Foltz

Michigan has embarked on an experiment in democratic governance using a technique employed in Athens 2,500 years ago but little used since: the selection of government officials by lottery rather than by appointment...

The Arctic hasn't been this warm for 3 million years – and that foreshadows big changes for the rest of the planet

Written by Julie Brigham-Grette, Professor of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Ice floe drifting in Svalbard, Norway.Sven-Erik Arndt/Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Every year, sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean shrinks to a low point in mid-September. This year it measures just 1.44 million square miles (3.74 million square kilometers) – the second-lowest value in the 42 years since satellites began...