The Conversation

Mail delays, the election and the future of the US Postal Service: 5 questions answered

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

The USPS is playing a major role in this year's election.AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Editor’s note: The U.S. Postal Service implemented operational changes earlier this year that led to a sharp increase in delayed mail, raising concerns about the election as record numbers of Americans vote by mail this year due to the pandemic.

The Supreme...

1968's presidential election looks a lot like today's – but it was very different

Written by David Stebenne, Professor of History and Law Faculty, The Ohio State University

Richard Nixon, celebrating his election on Nov. 7, 1968, campaigned against a backdrop of racial inequality, civic unrest and polarized politics.AFP via Getty Images

In this year’s presidential election, terms such as “law and order” and “the silent majority” have been heard fairly often from Donald Trump and some of...

What the rise of digital handouts on Venmo and Cash App says about our fraying social safety net

Written by Jenna Drenten, Associate Professor of Marketing, Loyola University Chicago

Some people have taken to asking complete strangers on social media for money to cover small expenses.helllbilly/iStock via Getty Images

A college student pleading for grocery money. A driver in need of an unexpected car repair. A worker out of a job because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A single mom who needs to pay the internet bill to support her...

Disputes over when life begins may block cutting-edge reproductive technologies like mitochondrial replacement therapies

Written by Walter G. Johnson, Research Fellow, Arizona State University

A computer illustration of a cross-section of a mitochondrion and its internal structure with DNA (gray), ribosomes (light green), granules (yellow) and ATP synthase particles (light blue).TUMEGGY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images

The nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court has once again pushed the debate over when life...

P-TECH high school model connects students to college and careers

Written by Stanley S Litow, Visting Professor of the Pratice, Duke University

Graduates of an IBM-inspired P-TECH school in Chicago in 2017.Feature Photo Service

In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama highlighted an innovative educational program called P-TECH – an acronym for Pathways in Technology Early College High School.

The first P-TECH school opened in Brooklyn, New York, in 2011. It was...

When fracking moves into the neighborhood, mental health risks rise

Written by Stephanie Malin, Associate Professor of Sociology; Co-Founder and Steering Committee Member, Center for Environmental Justice at CSU, Colorado State University

Noise, pollution and other stressors from trucks and drilling can harm residents' health. In Colorado, an upcoming vote on new setback rules is expected to widen the buffer zone.Milehightraveler/iistock via Getty

Hydraulic fracturing has boomed in the U.S. over the past decade, but unless you live near it, you may not realize just how close...

Writing the Isolation Rag – a composer reflects on his experience making music during a pandemic

Written by Scott Wheeler, Emerson College

Scott Wheeler is a composer who teaches at Emerson College. In an interview with The Conversation, he explains how classical musicians are adapting to performing when performance venues are closed and discusses his experience composing his sonata “Isolation Rag” during lockdown.

Composer and performing arts professor Scott Wheeler talks...

Designing batteries for easier recycling could avert a looming e-waste crisis

Written by Zheng Chen, Assistant Professor of Engineering, University of California San Diego

What happens to millions of these?Kristoferb/Wikipedia, CC BY-SA

As concern mounts over the impacts of climate change, many experts are calling for greater use of electricity as a substitute for fossil fuels. Powered by advancements in battery technology, the number of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles on U.S. roads is increasing. And utilities...

A tiny circular racetrack for light can rapidly detect single molecules

Written by Judith Su, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Optical Sciences, University of Arizona

Light is key to ultrasensitive chemical sensors.Kwanchai Lerttanapunyaporn/EyeEm via Getty Images

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

The big idea

My Little Sensor Lab at the University of Arizona develops ultrasensitive optical sensors for medical diagnostics, medical prognostics, environmental monitoring and basic...

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma may settle legal claims with a new 'public trust' that would still be dedicated to profit

Written by David Herzberg, Associate Professor of History, University at Buffalo

Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen announced a settlement between the Justice Department and opioid maker Purdue on Oct. 21.Yuri Gripas/Pool via AP

Purdue Pharma, the company that makes OxyContin and other potentially addictive prescription opioids, has agreed to plead guilty to three felony counts and reached a settlement potentially worth...