The Conversation

Losing cultural context in emergency communication can be a matter of life and death

Written by Amer Hamad Issa Abukhalaf, Research Assistant and Ph.D. Candidate, University of Florida

Migrant workers in a Florida community hit hard by Hurricane Irma line up for donated supplies.Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Can a butterfly in Chicago cause a tornado in Hong Kong? A metaphorical concept called the “butterfly effect” describes the sensitivity of a system to minor changes. The use of this concept has grown significantly in...

Jesus, Paul and the border debate – why cherry-picking Bible passages misses the immigrant experience in ancient Rome

Written by Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III, Adjunct Assistant Professor of the New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

The Bible contains many stories of migration, including that of Joseph, Mary and Jesus.Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Immigration reform is back on the agenda, with Congress taking up major legislation that could usher in a pathway to citizenship for millions of people living in the U.S. without legal status.

This,...

Catholic opinions on Johnson Johnson vaccine highlight debate between hardliners on abortion and others in the church

Written by Steven P. Millies, Associate Professor of Public Theology and Director of The Bernardin Center, Catholic Theological Union

What is behind the confusion about Catholics taking the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?Phill Magakoe/AFP via Getty images

Questions about whether the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is morally acceptable to observant Catholics due to concerns over use of fetal stem cells in its development have brought the deep divisions within the Catholic...

Most couples still make decisions together when they give money to charity – but it's becoming less common

Written by Jacqueline Ackerman, Associate Director of Research, Women's Philanthropy Institute, IUPUI

'Honey, how about we give $200 to our local food bank?'Zinkevych/iStock via Getty Images Plus

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

The big idea

While most U.S. couples make charitable giving decisions together, the share of joint decision-makers is declining, according to a study we published March 16. About 62% of...

All American presidents have made spectacles of themselves – and there’s nothing wrong with that

Written by Maurizio Valsania, Professor of American History, Università di Torino

Both Andrew Jackson, left, and Donald Trump presented themselves as men of the people.Jackson, Library of Congress; Trump, Drew Angerer/Getty Images

After four years of Donald Trump as president, many Americans were sick and tired. They booted him out, with large numbers likely preferring not to hear about him ever again.

And yet, as a historian of...

7 ways to avoid becoming a misinformation superspreader

Written by H. Colleen Sinclair, Associate Professor of Social Psychology, Mississippi State University

Identify and stop the lies.NLshop/iStock via Getty Images Plus

The problem of misinformation isn’t going away. Internet platforms like Facebook and Twitter have taken some steps to curb its spread and say they are working on doing more. But no method yet introduced has been completely successful at removing all misleading content from social...

4 steps to reaching Biden's goal of a July 4th with much greater freedom from COVID-19

Written by David R. Holtgrave, Dean and SUNY Distinguished Professor, University at Albany, State University of New York

Holiday gatherings with family and friends before the pandemic seemed so simple.FatCamera via Getty Images

President Joe Biden set a goal for the U.S. to have COVID-19 under enough control by summer that Americans can celebrate July 4th with family and friends, at least in small gatherings. Important in achieving this goal is another presidential...

Feeding cows a few ounces of seaweed daily could sharply reduce their contribution to climate change

Written by Ermias Kebreab, Associate Dean and Professor of Animal Science. Director, World Food Center, University of California, Davis

A little seaweed with that?Cowirrie/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Methane is a short-lived but powerful greenhouse gas and the second-largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide. And the majority of human-induced methane emissions comes from livestock.

About 70% of agricultural methane comes from enteric fermentation – chemical reactions in...

Risk versus reward on the high seas – skinny elephant seals trade safety for sustenance

Written by Roxanne Beltran, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Female elephant seals take seven-month feeding trips during which they balance danger, starvation and exhaustion.Dan Costa, CC BY-ND

Every year, northern elephant seals set off on a seven-month, 6,000-mile (10,000-kilometer) journey across the North Pacific ocean in search of fish and squid to eat. They start the journey after sitting on the beach...

Making it easier to vote does not threaten election integrity

Written by Douglas R. Hess, Assistant Professor of Political Science/Policy Studies, Grinnell College

An election worker during mail-in ballot counting at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on Nov. 6, 2020. Chris McGrath/Getty Images

As state legislators consider hundreds of bills on election policies this spring, false claims of voter fraud are being repeated as justification for proposals to claw back recent advances that have...