The Conversation

Espionage attempts like the SolarWinds hack are inevitable, so it's safer to focus on defense – not retaliation

Written by William Akoto, Assistant Professor of International Politics, Fordham University

The U.S. Justice Department was among many federal agencies and private companies whose networks suffered intrusions from Russian hackers.AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

In the wake of the major espionage operation in which people alleged to be Russian government agents infiltrated the digital networks of the U.S. Defense, Treasury and Homeland Security...

How age diversity in a presidential Cabinet could affect policies and programs

Written by Marcia G. Ory, Regents and Distinguished Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health, Texas A&M University

President Biden, 78, is America's oldest president. His nominee for secretary of transportation, Pete Buttigieg, is half his age.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

President Joe Biden’s Cabinet and top appointees will likely be the most diverse in U.S. history. He says they were purposely chosen to “look like America.”

As a scholar of...

To make less-harmful road salts, we're studying natural antifreezes produced by fish

Written by Monika Bleszynski, Research Scientist and Adjunct Professor, University of Denver

Deicing salts keep winter roads passable but do a lot of harm in the process.Gregory Rec/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Many people associate a fresh snowfall with pleasures like hot chocolate and winter sports. But for city dwellers, it can also mean caked-on salt that sticks to shoes, clothing hems and cars. That’s because...

As scientists turn their attention to COVID-19, other research is not getting done – and that can have lasting consequences

Written by Julie K. Pfeiffer, Professor of Microbiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center

A molecular biologist at the University Clinical Research Center in Mali works in a COVID-19 testing lab.Photo by Annie Risemberg/AFP via Getty Images

For many researchers, the choice to spend decades working in a lab or in the field comes from a desire to help – to expand understanding of how life works or to improve human health. So when...

10 parenting strategies to reduce your kids' pandemic stress

Written by Amanda Sheffield Morris, Professor of Human Development and Family Science, Oklahoma State University

Making time to connect one on one is crucial.S&B Vonlanthen/Unsplash, CC BY

Parents are dealing with huge demands on their time and energy. Children may not be attending school or involved in regular activities. As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on families, routines have collapsed, patience is wearing thin and self-care is a distant...

Teaching about pandemics and inequality while living through those realities

Written by Jodi Benenson, Assistant Professor of Public Administration, University of Nebraska Omaha

Racial justice demonstrations became much more frequent in 2020 in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.Tim Evans/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Jodi Benenson and Tara Kolar Bryan are professors in the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska Omaha. In the fall of 2020 they coordinated a team-taught graduate-level course called...

Don't blame Fox News for the attack on the Capitol

Written by Ashique KhudaBukhsh, Project Scientist at the School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University

Fox was just as likely to use the phrase 'president-elect' as MSNBC and CNN. Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

In the days following the attack on the Capitol, The New York Times, in its print edition, ran an op-ed titled “Yes, You Should Blame Fox For Whipping Up Radicals.” The Washington Post ran an article with...

Anosmia, the loss of smell caused by COVID-19, doesn't always go away quickly – but smell training may help

Written by Julie Walsh-Messinger, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Dayton

The loss of the ability to smell is known as anosmia and can result in a loss of appetite.ljubaphoto/E+ via Getty Images

Editor’s note: Julie Walsh-Messinger is a clinical psychologist who studies the effects of long-term smell loss. Her research has focused on smell loss in people with serious and persistent mental illnesses, but since the...

Why GameStop shares stopped trading: 5 questions answered

Written by Jena Martin, Professor of Law, West Virginia University

GameStop shares soared after some retail investors teamed up to jack up the price.AP Photo/John Minchillo

Editor’s note: GameStop stock resumed its dramatic ascent after a popular no-fee online broker said it would lift restrictions on trading its shares. In recent days, frenzied activity in the video game retailer’s stock led the New...

Weed withdrawal: More than half of people using medical cannabis for pain experience withdrawal symptoms

Written by Lara Coughlin, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan

The use of cannabis, though safer than many other drugs, is not entirely without risk. AP Photo/David Zalubowski, file

CC BY-ND

In stark contrast to the overblown fears portrayed during decades past, these days, most people think cannabis is relatively harmless. While weed is indeed less dangerous than some other drugs, it is not without risks.

In a...