The Conversation

Keeping coronavirus vaccines at subzero temperatures during distribution will be hard, but likely key to ending pandemic

Written by Anna Nagurney, John F. Smith Memorial Professor of Operations Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Trucks, planes and storage facilities all need to be able to keep a vaccine cold. J2R/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Just like a fresh piece of fish, vaccines are highly perishable products and must be kept at very cold, specific temperatures. The majority of COVID-19 vaccines under development – like the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines – are...

Monarch butterflies' spectacular migration is at risk – an ambitious new plan aims to help save it

Written by D. André Green II, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan

Monarch butterflies cover a tree at El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Michoacán, Mexico.D. André Green II, CC BY-ND

One of nature’s epic events is underway: Monarch butterflies’ fall migration. Departing from all across the United States and Canada, the butterflies travel up to 2,500 miles to cluster at the same...

COVID-19 vaccines: Open source licensing could keep Big Pharma from making huge profits off taxpayer-funded research

Written by Charles M Schweik, Professor of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst

How many vaccines will be needed to vaccinate the world against COVID-19?Tetra Images/Getty Images

An international, multi-billion-dollar race is underway to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, and progress is moving at record speed, but with nationalistic,competitive undertones. If and when an effective vaccine is invented, its production will require an...

The detection of phosphine in Venus' clouds is a big deal – here's how we can find out if it's a sign of life

Written by Paul K. Byrne, Associate Professor of Planetary Science, North Carolina State University

A radar mosaic image of Venus.NASA.gov

On Sept. 14, 2020, a new planet was added to the list of potentially habitable worlds in the Solar System: Venus.

Phosphine, a toxic gas made up of one phosphorus and three hydrogen atoms (PH₃), commonly produced by organic life forms but otherwise difficult to make on rocky planets, was discovered in...

Timing, signatures and huge demand make mail-in voting difficult

Written by Luke Perry, Professor of Government, Utica College

A King County, Washington election worker verifies signatures accompanying ballots cast in the state's August primary.AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

More than 8 in 10 Americans – all voters in 43 states – will be able to vote by mail in the 2020 presidential election, the most ever. And more than 1 in 3 voters plan to actually do so.

Voting by...

Trump's appeals to white anxiety are not 'dog whistles' – they're racism

Written by Bethany Albertson, Associate Professor, University of Texas at Austin

Trump targets white voters with hostile, angry language.hafteh7 via Pixabay

President Donald Trump’s rhetoric is often referred to as “dog whistle politics.”

In politician speak, a dog whistle is language that conveys a particular meaning to a group of potential supporters. The targeted group hears the “whistle”...

Why Teddy Roosevelt's warning to lay off a candidate's religious beliefs is still relevant today

Written by David Mislin, Assistant Professor of Intellectual Heritage, Temple University

President Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft.Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

In the 2020 campaign, President Donald Trump has used religion to attack his Democratic rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.

During an August speech at an Ohio manufacturing plant, Trump suggested that Biden would harm religious interests. Linking...

Good nutrition can contribute to keeping COVID-19 and other diseases away

Written by Grayson Jaggers, Assistant Professor, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables will boost the immune system.Stevens Fremont via Getty Images

The connection between the pandemic and our dietary habits is undeniable. The stress of isolation coupled with a struggling economy has caused many of us to seek comfort with our old friends: Big Mac, Tom Collins, Ben and Jerry. But overindulging in...

Federal Reserve hopes years of zero rates will spur inflation – but there are risks

Written by Richard S. Warr, Professor of Finance, North Carolina State University

Prices tend to go up over time.SelectStock/E+ via Getty Images

In a healthy economy, prices tend to go up – a process called inflation.

While you might not like that as a consumer, moderate price growth is a sign of a growing economy. And, historically at least, wages tend to go up at about the same pace during periods of inflation.

But right...

Wildfires can leave toxic drinking water behind – here's how to protect the public

Written by Andrew J. Whelton, Associate Professor of Civil, Environmental & Ecological Engineering, Purdue University

Debris in Paradise, California, after the Camp Fire, Nov. 17, 2018.Senior Airman Crystal Housman/U.S. Air National Guard, CC BY

Less than halfway through the 2020 wildfire season, fires are burning large swaths of the western U.S. As in previous years, these disasters have entered populated areas, damaging drinking water networks. Water systems...