The Conversation

Chile abolishes its dictatorship-era constitution in groundbreaking vote for a more inclusive democracy

Written by Jennifer M. Piscopo, Associate Professor of Politics, Occidental College

Chileans celebrate victory after the referendum, in Santiago, Chile, Oct. 25, 2020.Felipe Vargas Figueroa/NurPhoto via Getty Images

One year ago, Chileans took their anger over inequality and injustice to the streets, insisting that redressing the nation’s deep structural problems would require more than reform. They said Chile would need a...

In rural America, resentment over COVID-19 shutdowns is colliding with rising case numbers

Written by Lauren Hughes, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Business restrictions early in the pandemic, when rural towns had few cases, triggered a backlash that haunts them now.Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images

As COVID-19 spreads through rural America, new infection numbers are rising to peaks not seen during this pandemic and pushing hospitals to their limits. Many towns are experiencing their first...

Why mixed messaging can erode trust in institutions

Written by Deborah Perron Tollefsen, Professor of Philosophy, University of Memphis

The CDC has put out several conflicting messages of late, giving rise to concerns about trust.Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently revised its guidance to acknowledge that COVID-19 can be spread through tiny airborne particles, known as aerosols. It had earlier removed a similar guidance...

The spooky and dangerous side of black licorice

Written by Bill Sullivan, Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology; author of Pleased to Meet Me: Genes, Germs, and the Curious Forces That Make Us Who We Are, Indiana University

Black licorice gets its distinctive flavor from licorice root.PicturePartners/Getty Images

Black licorice may look and taste like an innocent treat, but this candy has a dark side. On Sept. 23, 2020, it was reported that black licorice was the culprit in the death of a 54-year-old man in Massachusetts. How could this be? Overdosing on licorice...

Your dog's nose knows no bounds – and neither does its love for you

Written by Ellen Furlong, Associate Professor of Psychology, Illinois Wesleyan University

Dogs have been constant companions to many during the COVID-19 pandemic.NickyLloyd/E+ via Getty Images

I have discovered one positive amid the pandemic: I love working with two dogs at my feet.

As someone who studies dog cognition, I often wonder: What is Charlie learning when he stops to sniff the crisp fall air? What is Cleo thinking when she...

Rats help clear minefields in Cambodia – and suspicion of the military

Written by Darcie DeAngelo, Postdoctoral fellow, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Rats that can sniff out land mines are changing the perception of the military in Cambodia.Darcie DeAngelo, CC BY-ND

Editor’s note: Dr. Darcie DeAngelo is a medical anthropologist at the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP) at Binghamton University, State University of New York. In this interview, she explains the...

Severed families, raided workplaces and a climate of fear: Assessing Trump's immigration crackdown

Written by Miranda Cady Hallett, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Human Rights Center Research Fellow, University of Dayton

An undocumented immigrant who has lived in the U.S. for 28 years shows a picture of her grandchild and son, who was deported under Trump's 'zero tolerance' policy in 2017.John Moore/Getty Images

Donald Trump was on the defensive about his immigration policies in the final presidential debate, with a question about 545 migrant children taken by the...

Trump's trade war – what was it good for? Not much

Written by Rebecca Ray, Senior Academic Researcher, Boston University

When you push an opponent, he tends to push back. AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

The 2016 election was a referendum on free trade, which many blamed for destroying millions of American manufacturing jobs. In 2020, it could be about the merits of trade wars.

During President Donald Trump’s first term, he tore up deals, launched a trade war with China...

Kids are probably more strategic about swapping Halloween candy and other stuff than you might think

Written by Margaret Echelbarger, Postdoctoral Researcher of Behavioral Science, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago

Children can use preferences for leverage.PeopleImages/E+ via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Children seem to understand that others will give up more things they don’t like to get fewer items they prefer, according to soon-to-be-published research. This tendency indicates that they...

Obstacles to voting: 6 essential reads on the challenges of election 2020

Written by Catesby Holmes, International Editor and Politics Editor, The Conversation US

Voting is well underway in many states. Here, an early voting station in Lincoln, R.I., Oct. 13, 2020. Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Plots to kidnap governors. White militias patrolling city streets. Partisan enmity that boils over into bar brawls. Disappearing ballot boxes. A hobbled mail system. Russian trolls. Oh, and a pandemic....