The Conversation

Biden's chance to revive US tradition of inserting ethics in foreign policy

Written by David Mayers, Professor of History and Political Science, Boston University

Biden's is entrusting Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken to set U.S. foreign policy on a different course.Mark Makela/Getty Images

Donald Trump’s foreign policy has, in the judgment of many analysts, damaged U.S. moral standing around the world. During four years of “America First,” the Trump administration has gotten cozy...

What is a neural network? A computer scientist explains

Written by Tam Nguyen, Assistant Professor, University of Dayton

Neural networks try to simulate the brain by processing data through layers of artificial neurons.MF3d / E+ via Getty Images

Editor’s note: One of the central technologies of artificial intelligence is neural networks. In this interview, Tam Nguyen, a professor of computer science at the University of Dayton, explains how neural networks,...

Why do so few clergy serve in Congress?

Written by Robert Speel, Associate Professor of Political Science, Erie Campus, Penn State

Rev. Raphael G. Warnock delivers a eulogy at Ebenezer Baptist Church.Curtis Compton/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

While campaigning for Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, U.S. Rep. Doug Collins – a former pastor – attacked her opponent, Democrat Reverend Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, for his...

Arecibo telescope's fall is indicative of global divide around funding science infrastructure

Written by Raquel Velho, Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Once featured in movies, TV shows and video games, the Arecibo Observatory was the pride of Puerto Rico.RICARDO ARDUENGO / Contributor / AFP via Getty Images

A mere two weeks after the National Science Foundation declared it would close the Arecibo single-dish radio telescope – once the largest in the world – the observatory took a...

The Marshall Islands could be wiped out by climate change – and their colonial history limits their ability to save themselves

Written by Autumn Bordner, Research Fellow, University of California, Berkeley

The Marshall Islands and other small island nations are urgently threatened by rising seas.Stefan Lins/Flickr, CC BY

Along U.S. coastlines, from California to Florida, residents are getting increasingly accustomed to “king tides.” These extra-high tides cause flooding and wreak havoc on affected communities. As climate change raises sea...

Why paying people to get the coronavirus vaccine won't work

Written by Ana Santos Rutschman, Assistant Professor of Law, Saint Louis University

Although monetary incentives work, there are potential drawbacks.Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images

The first COVID-19 vaccine to gain emergency use authorization in the U.S. could roll out within days, as Pfizer and BioNTech’s candidate was endorsed by an external advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 10. Two days earlier,...

Scientists suggest US embassies were hit with high-power microwaves – here's how the weapons work

Written by Edl Schamiloglu, Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation, School of Engineering, University of New Mexico, University of New Mexico

This U.S. Air Force microwave weapon is designed to knock down drones by frying their electronics.AFRL Directed Energy Directorate

The mystery ailment that has afflicted U.S. embassy staff and CIA officers off and on over the last four years in Cuba, China, Russia and other countries appears to have been caused by high-power microwaves, according...

Why does the Electoral College exist, and how does it work? 5 essential reads

Written by Jeff Inglis, Politics + Society Editor, The Conversation US

Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt signs an official tally of the Electoral College votes from the 2016 presidential election, in January 2017.AP Photo/Zach Gibson

On Dec. 14, the members of the Electoral College will meet in state capitols across the country and cast their ballots for president and vice president. The expected vote total: 306 for...

Why shielding businesses from coronavirus liability is a bad idea

Written by Timothy D. Lytton, Distinguished University Professor & Professor of Law, Georgia State University

Posting signs like this are often enough to avoid liability. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Congress may be close to a deal on another coronavirus bailout, but Senate Republican demands for liability protections for businesses remain a major obstacle.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has long warned of an “avalanche” of lawsuits that...

5 years after Paris: How countries’ climate policies match up to their promises, and who's aiming for net zero emissions

Written by Morgan Bazilian, Professor of Public Policy and Director, Payne Institute, Colorado School of Mines

Even if every country meets its commitments, the world will still be on track to warm by more than 3 degrees Celsius this century, a new UNEP report shows.Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Saturday marks the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement – the commitment by almost every country to try to keep global warming well below 2 degrees...