The Conversation

Private planes, mansions and superyachts: What gives billionaires like Musk and Abramovich such a massive carbon footprint

Written by Richard Wilk, Distinguished Professor and Provost's Professor of Anthropology; Director of the Open Anthropology Institute, Indiana University

Yachts, such as Roman Abramovich's "Eclipse," make up the biggest share of emissions for billionaires who own one.AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau

Tesla’s Elon Musk and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos have been vying for the world’s richest person ranking all year after the former’s wealth soared a staggering US$160 billion in 2020, putting...

Why herd immunity may be impossible without vaccinating children against COVID-19

Written by Rodney E. Rohde, Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science, Texas State University

U.S. Census Bureau, CC BY-ND

It may be summer before children under 16 can be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United States. That’s a problem for reaching herd immunity quickly.

Children are a significant portion of the population – roughly 65 million are under the age of 16, making up 20% of people in the U.S. While children appear...

Indian farmers are a powerful force in Indian politics, and here's why their protests matter

Written by Surupa Gupta, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, University of Mary Washington

A large number of women have joined the protests against new farm laws in India.Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

For over two months, farmers in India have been on a largely peaceful protest over three laws the Indian Parliament passed in September 2020 to liberalize how and to whom farmers can sell their produce.

Men and women,...

Bendable concrete and other CO2-infused cement mixes could dramatically cut global emissions

Written by Lucca Henrion, Research Fellow at the Global CO2 Initiative, University of Michigan

Bendable concrete created at the University of Michigan allows for thinner structures with less need for steel reinforcement. Joseph Xu/University of Michigan College of Engineering

One of the big contributors to climate change is right beneath your feet, and transforming it could be a powerful solution for keeping greenhouse gases out of the...

Trump's acquittal is a sign of ‘constitutional rot’ – partisanship overriding principles

Written by John E. Finn, Professor Emeritus of Government, Wesleyan University

The impeachment trial shows American democracy is in bad shape.Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Senate’s decision to acquit former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial may have been a victory for Trump, but it is a clear sign that democracy in the U.S. is in poor health.

As a constitutional scholar, I believe the United...

Why the British abandoned impeachment – and what the US Congress might do next

Written by Eliga Gould, Professor of History, University of New Hampshire

The impeachment trial of Warren Hastings in 1788.Library of Congress

Impeachment was developed in medieval England as a way to discipline the king’s ministers and other high officials. The framers of the U.S. Constitution took that idea and applied it to presidents, judges and other federal leaders.

That tool was in use, and in question,...

Single on Valentine's Day and happily so

Written by Elizabeth Brake, Professor of Philosophy, Rice University

Single and happy on Valentine's Day/anandaBGD via Getty Images Collections E+

In this pandemic year, many Americans are focused on how to have a socially distanced romantic dinner or prepare the perfect date night at home.

There’s nothing wrong with celebrating romantic love, but the focus on such celebrations drowns out the voices of those...

It's not just Trump – presidents and politicians have long shredded etiquette

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

A cartoonist's image of Sen. Charles Sumner's May 1856 beating by South Carolina Rep. Preston Brooks. Wikipedia

Donald Trump has achieved something unique: He is the first and only president to face not one but two impeachments. But even though the U.S. Senate is still expected to exonerate him from charges that he incited the deadly Capitol...

How the Affordable Care Act can keep people out of prison

Written by Erkmen G. Aslim, Assistant Professor of Economics, Grand Valley State University

Prison inmates hold a meeting on addiction in May 2016 at the York Community Reintegration Center in Niantic, Connecticut. John Moore/Getty Images, CC BY-SA

Many former inmates struggle with mental health and substance use disorders. Appropriate treatment for these illnesses can be what stands between successfully reintegrating into society and...

COVID-19 has made Americans lonelier than ever – here’s how AI can help

Written by Laken Brooks, Doctoral Student of English, University of Florida

AIs are no substitute for human contact, but they can diminish loneliness.AP Photo/Frank Augstein

“How does that make you feel?”

In the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are missing a sympathetic ear. Would a response like that make you feel heard, less alone, even if it were a machine writing back to you?

The pandemic has...