The Conversation

Yes, more and more young adults are living with their parents – but is that necessarily bad?

Written by Jeffrey Arnett, Senior Research Scholar, Department of Psychology, Clark University

Millions of college students have been living at home since their campuses closed due to the coronavirus.FG Trade via Getty Images

When the Pew Research Center recently reported that the proportion of 18-to-29-year-old Americans who live with their parents has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps you saw some of the breathless headlines hy...

Getting kids – and their caregivers – to practice STEM at home

Written by Amber M. Simpson, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Researchers take a closer look at how activities that engage the whole family can help young distance learners build STEM skills. MoMo Productions/Getty Images

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

The big idea

Many educators, caregivers and students have been struggling with remote learning during the pandemic,...

Plot to kidnap Michigan's governor grew from the militia movement's toxic mix of constitutional falsehoods and half-truths

Written by John E. Finn, Professor Emeritus of Government, Wesleyan University

Pete Musico, left, is one of the founding members of the Wolverine Watchmen, as is Joseph Morrison, right. Both were charged in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. (Jackson County Sheriff’s Office via AP)Jackson County Sheriff’s Office via AP

The U.S. militia movement has long been steeped in a peculiar – and...

Why males may have a worse response to COVID-19

Written by Meghan E. Rebuli, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Is COVID-19 hitting men harder than women?UpperCut Images/Getty Images

If you ask most women about how their male relatives, partners and friends respond to being sick, they’ll often tell you with an accompanying eye roll, “He’s such a baby.” “He’s extra whiny.” Or “he exaggerates so much.” But...

Packing the Court: Amid national crises, Lincoln and his Republicans remade the Supreme Court to fit their agenda

Written by Calvin Schermerhorn, Professor of History, Arizona State University

The 9-member Chase Court in 1867, dominated by Northern Republicans.Alexander Gardner/The U.S. Supreme Court

As a political battle over the Supreme Court’s direction rages in Washington with President Donald Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, history shows that political contests over the ideological slant of the Court are nothing...

Indigenous Peoples Day comes amid a reckoning over colonialism and calls for return of Native land

Written by Abel R. Gomez, PhD Candidate, Religion Department, Syracuse University

Native American protesters at the Black Hills, now the site of Mount Rushmore.Micah Garen/Getty Images

In many parts of what is now the United States, communities have in recent years replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day.

Celebrating Indigenous cultures every Oct. 12 is important. But in this moment when the U.S. is reckoning with legaci...

Evangelical leaders like Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell Sr. have long talked of conspiracies against God's chosen – those ideas are finding resonance today

Written by Samuel Perry, Associate professor, Baylor University

President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House..AP Photo/Alex Brandon

President Donald Trump sees many conspiracies around him.

He has described investigations into both Russia’s interference in the U.S. election and alleged violations of campaign finance laws, as well as the entirety of his impeachment, as “witch hunts&rdqu...

As COVID-19 cases rise again, how will the US respond? Here's what states have learned so far

Written by Tiffany A. Radcliff, Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Health Policy and Management, Texas A&M University

States have tried shutting down bars and limiting restaurants to outdoor seating to slow the coronavirus's spread.Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images

When the coronavirus began spreading in the U.S. in early spring, governors in hard-hit states took drastic steps to reduce the threat and avoid overloading their health care systems. By shutting down...

Teachers play a critical role in shaping girls' future as coders

Written by Roxanne Hughes, Research Faculty, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

With the right encouragement, girls could become the future stars of coding.Fat Camera / Getty Images

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

The big idea

It doesn’t take long to help girls see a future for themselves in computer science, but it depends largely on how good their teachers are at recognizing the skills...

Economists are more like storytellers than scientists – don't let the Nobel for 'economic sciences' fool you

Written by Carolin Benack, PhD candidate, Duke University

America's top economists like to tell stories. Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

When you listen to an economist, chances are you’ll hear a lot of statistics.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s speech at the National Association for Business Economics on Oct. 6 is a case in point. In the first two minutes alone he referred to a...