The Conversation

It is difficult, if not impossible, to estimate the size of the crowd that stormed Capitol Hill

Written by Steve Doig, Professor of Journalism, Arizona State University

It is very difficult to estimate the size of the crowd that stormed Capital Hill because there is no aerial imagery.Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Editor’s note: Stephen Doig is a data journalist and journalism professor at Arizona State University. In this interview, he explains good techniques for estimating crowd sizes, and why...

Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther gives a boost to diversity in STEM – a Black engineer's take on personal and professional inspiration

Written by Karl Zelik, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University

Chadwick Boseman's portrayal of the Black Panther was an inspiration to people of color in science, technology, engineering and math fields.Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP

Chadwick Boseman played a superhero on the big screen, but he had a real-life superpower – the ability to inspire the next generation of underrepresented scientists, engineers and...

What is Pure Land Buddhism? A look at how East Asian Buddhists chant and strive for buddhahood

Written by Charles B. Jones, Associate Professor of Religion and Culture and Religion and Culture Area Director, Catholic University of America

Monks pray at Nanshan Temple in Sanya, Hainan Province of China.Chen Wenwu/VCG via Getty Images

Many people in the West interpret Buddhism as a path of meditation leading to enlightenment.

What many may not know is that this interpretation differs vastly from its practice in East Asia.

I have spent many years observing Buddhist temples in Taiwan...

Why do smoke alarms keep going off even when there's no smoke?

Written by MVS Chandrashekhar, Assistant professor of electrical engineering, University of South Carolina

Sensors in smoke detectors monitor how particles in the air affect a flow of current to the batteryGarrett Aitken/iStock via Getty Images

Editor’s note: MVS Chandrashekhar is a professor of electrical engineering at the University of South Carolina. In this interview, he explains how smoke detectors work and why they sometimes sound an alarm...

The insurrection at the Capitol challenged how US media frames unrest and shapes public opinion

Written by Danielle K. Kilgo, John and Elizabeth Bates Cowles Professor of Journalism, Diversity, and Equality, University of Minnesota

Trashed equipment for media outlets at the Capitol ... but not reputations?Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The chaos at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday wasn’t typical. Nor was the coverage.

Footage carried live by cable news and clips and photos shared across social media were jolting. One image showed a man who had broken into the...

How does the 25th Amendment work, and can it be used to remove Trump from office after US Capitol attack?

Written by Stephanie Newbold, Associate Professor, Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University - Newark

After President Trump incited violence on Jan. 6, some high-ranking officials say he is unfit to lead the United States. Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)

A day after President Donald Trump incited supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and...

Connected workouts can help you get fit alongside virtual buddies during the pandemic

Written by Deborah Feltz, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Kinesiology, Michigan State University

Riding together from afar can help you build the exercise habit.ArtistGNDphotography/E+ via Getty Images

Sales of exercise gear and technology-based fitness tools have exploded in the U.S. as people try to maintain their workout regimens without going to the gym.

Purchases range from simple dumbbells and outdoor bicycles to internet-connected...

US Capitol protesters, egged on by Trump, are part of a long history of white supremacists hearing politicians' words as encouragement

Written by Shannon M. Smith, Associate Professor of History, College of Saint Benedict & Saint John's University

The Proud Boys outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

“President Trump and his Republican enablers in Congress incited a violent attack Wednesday against the government they lead,” The New York Times’ editorial board wrote on...

Pikas are adapting to climate change remarkably well, contrary to many predictions

Written by Andrew Smith, Professor Emeritus of Life Sciences, Arizona State University

Stocking the haypile.Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Climate change is harming many special places and iconic species around our planet, from Glacier National Park’s disappearing glaciers to California redwoods scorched by wildfires. But for the animal I study, the American pika (Ochotona princeps), there’s actually some...

Was it a coup? No, but siege on US Capitol was the election violence of a fragile democracy

Written by Clayton Besaw, Research Affiliate and Senior Analyst, University of Central Florida

Insurrection at the US Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021.Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Did the United States just have a coup attempt?

Supporters of President Donald Trump, following his encouragement, stormed the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, disrupting the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. Waving Trump banners, hundreds...