The Conversation

With fewer cars on US streets, now is the time to reinvent roadways and how we use them

Written by Kevin J. Krizek, Professor of Environmental Design, University of Colorado Boulder

New priorities in Boulder, Colo.Kevin Krizek, CC BY-ND

Sticking closer to home because of COVID-19 has shown many people what cities can be like with less traffic, noise, congestion and pollution. Roads and parking lots devoted to cars take up a lot of land. For example, in Phoenix, Los Angeles and New York City these spaces account for over...

ALS scientific breakthrough: Diabetes drug metformin shows promise in mouse study for a common type of ALS

Written by Laura P.W. Ranum, Director, Center for NeuroGenetics and Kitzman Family Professor of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, University of Florida

A man with ALS uses a head-mounted laser pointer to communicate with his wife, by pointing to letters and words on a communication board.Fezcat via Wikipedia.com

An FDA-approved diabetes drug shows early signs of promise against the most common genetic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a devastating neurological condition that causes...

Sexism pushed Rosalind Franklin toward the scientific sidelines during her short life, but her work still shines on her 100th birthday

Written by Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University

Rosalind Franklin at age 25.Elliott & Fry/© National Portrait Gallery, London, CC BY-NC-ND

What do coal, viruses and DNA have in common? The structures of each – the predominant power source of the early 20th century, one of the most remarkable forms of life on Earth and the master molecule of heredity – were all elucidated by...

In Kashmir, military lockdown and pandemic combined are one giant deadly threat

Written by Ifat Gazia, Doctoral Student in Communications and Film, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Kashmiri commuters at an Indian military checkpoint in the city of Srinagar, July 17, 2020. Tauseef Mustafa/AFP via Getty Images

COVID-19 is taking a terrible toll worldwide. But in the Himalayan territory of Kashmir, it’s only the latest indignity in a 73-year cycle of oppression, militarization and scarcity.

At least, that’s what the...

Electoral College benefits whiter states, study shows

Written by William Blake, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

A congressional staffer opens the boxes containing the Electoral College ballots in January 2017.Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

States can force members of the Electoral College to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state’s presidential primary, the Supreme Court recently ruled. The July 6 decision removed one of the two reasons why...

COVID-19 has ravaged American newsrooms – here's why that matters

Written by Damian Radcliffe, Caroline S. Chambers Professor in Journalism, University of Oregon

Read all about it: Virus kills off dying industryBrian Mitchell/Getty Images

Many newsrooms across the U.S. will be quieter places when journalists return to their workplace after the coronavirus lockdowns end.

COVID-19 has ripped through the industry. In the United States alone, over 36,000 journalists have lost their jobs, been furloughed or had...

How local governments can attract companies that will help keep their economies afloat during COVID-19

Written by Bruce D. McDonald III, Associate Professor of Public Budgeting and Finance, North Carolina State University

Protestors voice their displeasure during a New York City Council hearing on Amazon's plan to locate a headquarters in the city.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

As companies labor to stay afloat amid the coronavirus pandemic, some businesses that feel hemmed in by local or statewide workplace safety mandates have threatened to relocate to more...

Why Indian American spelling bee success is more than just an endearing story

Written by Pawan Dhingra, Professor of Sociology and American Studies, Amherst College

Behind every spelling bee champ is at least one very engaged parent.Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Over the past 20 years, Indian Americans have come to dominate the Scripps National Spelling Bee even though they comprise only about 1% of the U.S. population.

The bee was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. But there were eight...

Mandatory face masks might lull people into taking more coronavirus risks

Written by Alex Horenstein, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Miami

Masks are a crucial tool for stopping the pandemic – but don't let them give you a false sense of security.Patricia J. Garcinuno/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images Europe

Governments all around the world are trying to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Making it mandatory for people to wear face masks is a policy that has gained...

John Lewis and C.T. Vivian belonged to a long tradition of religious leaders in the civil rights struggle

Written by Lawrence Burnley, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, University of Dayton

John Lewis linked arms with religious leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King, while marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.William Lovelace/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

With the deaths of Rep. John Lewis and the Rev. Cordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian, the U.S. has lost two civil rights greats who drew upon their faith as...