The Conversation

Why Trump's Senate supporters can't overturn Electoral College results they don't like – here's how the law actually works

Written by Donald Brand, Professor, Political Science Department, College of the Holy Cross

Vice President Mike Pence says he 'welcomes' objections to Biden's Electoral College win, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House Democrats reject any such effort.Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

On Jan. 6, the United States Congress will gather in a joint session to tally the votes of the Electoral College, which cast its ballots in state...

Fewer kids are enrolled in public kindergarten – that will have a lasting impact on schools and equity

Written by Taryn Morrissey, Associate Professor of Public Administration and Policy, American University School of Public Affairs

A kindergarten student practices social distancing in the playground of her private school.Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

CC BY-ND

Public school enrollment is down across the country. For example, enrollment is down by 15,000 in Chicago public schools and by more than 20,000 in the District of Columbia’s public schools. The trend...

Mississippi just got rid of its Electoral College-like election process

Written by Dallas Breen, Assistant Research Professor in Political Science and Public Administration, Mississippi State University

Until this year, people who wanted to live here had to win not just more votes than their opponents, but more state legislative districts too.Mississippi Department of Archives and History

As Americans watch the Electoral College process of choosing a president continue to play out, they may be unaware that voters in Mississippi just decided to get...

How kids can benefit from mindfulness training

Written by Hilary A. Marusak, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University

For both children and adults, practicing mindfulness can improve brain function and enhance the immune system.Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images

Now that 2021 is here, many are looking for new ways to manage stress. Although mindfulness and meditation are not new – there is evidence suggesting that humans have been practicing meditation for more...

Air pollution may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia risk – here's what we're learning from brain scans

Written by Jiu-Chiuan Chen, Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California

Air pollution exposure during mid to early life may be more important to developing Alzheimer's disease than doctors realized.Cecilie Arcurs via Getty Images

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. It slowly destroys memory, thinking and behaviors, and eventually the ability to carry out daily tasks.

As scientists search for...

How many people need to get a COVID-19 vaccine in order to stop the coronavirus?

Written by Pedro Mendes, Professor of Cell Biology, University of Connecticut

Before the U.S. can return to some form of normal, a lot of people need to be vaccinated.AP Photo/Paul Sancya, Pool

It has been clear for a while that, at least in the U.S., the only way out of the coronavirus pandemic will be through vaccination. The rapid deployment of coronavirus vaccines is underway, but how many people need to be vaccinated in...

Can a future ban on gas-powered cars work? An economist explains

Written by Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics, Rochester Institute of Technology

A 'green' symbol for electric vehicle charging stations. Photo by Michael Marais for Unsplash, CC BY-ND

The U.S. transportation sector is one of the largest contributors of carbon dioxide, the potent driver of climate change.

Transportation accounts for about 28% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and, since 1990, emissions in this sector...

In a time of social and environmental crisis, Aldo Leopold's call for a 'land ethic' is still relevant

Written by Curt D. Meine, Adjunct Associate Professor of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

In 1935 Aldo Leopold bought a depleted Wisconsin farm and restored it to prairie grassland.Bill Hall, AOC Solutions/USFWS/Flickr, CC BY

An ongoing reckoning with race in American history has drawn attention to racism in the environmental movement. Critiques have focused on themes such as forced removal of Indigenous peoples from ancestral lands,...

Trump's 'smoking gun' tape is worse than Nixon's, but congressional Republicans have less incentive to do anything about it

Written by Ken Hughes, Research Specialist, the Miller Center, University of Virginia

On Aug. 9, 1974, Nixon announced his resignation from the presidency. 12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

At least Donald Trump’s “smoking gun” tape is simpler than Richard Nixon’s.

Schoolchildren can easily grasp Trump’s high crime, in contrast to the complex, Machiavellian plot immortalized on the tape that...

Populism erupts when people feel disconnected and disrespected

Written by Noam Gidron, Assistant Professor of Political Science,, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Trump supporters face off against counterprotesters at the Million MAGA March in Washington on Nov. 14, 2020. Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

American society is riven down the middle. In the 2020 presidential election, 81 million people turned out to vote for Joe Biden, while another 74 million voted for Donald Trump. Many...