The Conversation

Voting while God is watching – does having churches as polling stations sway the ballot?

Written by Jordan LaBouff, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Maine

Primary voters at St. Joseph Church in Dover, New Hampshire.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff via Getty Images

Houses of worship may be busier than usual come Election Day as Americans head to the polls rather than the pews.

A 2010 census of religious congregations identified nearly 350,000 churches, mosques, temples and other religious establishments...

SARS-CoV-2 infection can block pain, opening up unexpected new possibilities for research into pain relief medication

Written by Rajesh Khanna, Professor of Pharmacology, University of Arizona

The spike protein on SARS-CoV-2 interferes with pain perception. SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images

Imagine being infected with a deadly virus that makes you impervious to pain. By the time you realize you are infected, it’s already too late. You have spread it far and wide. Recent findings in my lab suggest that this...

Que la pandemia no te impida observar el cielo estrellado y la Luna: aquí 5 opciones para hacerlo en casa

Written by Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona

A medida que la Tierra se mueve alrededor del Sol, aparecen diferentes estrellas y constelaciones para que pueda disfrutar de nuevas vistas durante todo el año. Allexxandar via iStock/GettyImages

Este es un momento difícil para las familias. Las escuelas de todo el mundo luchan por brindar una experiencia en línea...

Ginsburg's legal victories for women led to landmark anti-discrimination rulings for the LGBTQ community, too

Written by Penny Venetis, Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the International Human Rights Clinic, Rutgers University Newark

Michael Widomski, left, and David Hagedorn at the makeshift memorial for Justice Ginsburg in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Sept. 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. Ginsburg officiated their wedding in 2013.Samuel Corum/Getty Images

The well-deserved tributes to Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the wake of her death justifiably focus on her transformational...

Scientists don't share their findings for fun – they want their research to make a difference

Written by John C. Besley, Ellis N. Brandt Professor of Public Relations, Michigan State University

Scientists talk about their research because they want their expertise to guide real-world decisions.Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Scientists don’t take time away from their research to share their expertise with journalists, policymakers and everyone else...

Why you're getting so many political text messages right now

Written by Jennifer Stromer-Galley, Professor of Information Studies, Syracuse University

You just got another – yes, another – political text message.goodvector/iStock via Getty Images

Text messages and emails from political campaigns are pouring into Americans’ phones and inboxes right now. It’s happening to political junkies, to people who gave their phone numbers to campaigns, and even to people who try to...

US-China fight over fishing is really about world domination

Written by Blake Earle, Assistant Professor of History, Texas A&M University

China has clashed with neighbors over its fishing in the contested South China Sea, pictured here. Controversially, Chinese fishermen also venture as far as Argentina and Ecuador.Yao Feng/VCG via Getty Images

China’s aggressive, sometimes illegal fishing practices are the latest source of conflict with the United States.

China has the world&rsq...

For many immigrant students, remote learning during COVID-19 comes with more hurdles

Written by Timothy P Williams, Adjunct Professor, Boston College

A Guatemalan immigrant tries to log on to his Chromebook while remote learning in Stamford, Connecticut.John Moore/Getty Images

Schools across the U.S. responded to the COVID-19 pandemic last spring with an unprecedented shift to remote learning – a trend that has continued into the new school year for many districts.

Millions of children now...

What the Greek classics tell us about grief and the importance of mourning the dead

Written by Joel Christensen, Associate Professor of Classical Studies, Brandeis University

Greek hero Achilles with the body of Hector, his main opponent in the Trojan War.Jean-Joseph Taillasson/Krannert Art Museum

As the coronavirus pandemic hit New York in March, the death toll quickly went up with few chances for families and communities to perform traditional rites for their loved ones.

A reporter for Time magazine described how...

Many colleges have gone test-optional – here's how that could change the way students are admitted

Written by Angela Farmer, Assistant Clinical Professor of Honors Education, Mississippi State University

Will 'test-optional' policies help or hurt college applicants?LeoPatrizi/ E+ via Getty Images

Editor’s note: More than two-thirds of U.S. four-year colleges and universities have decided to make the SAT or ACT optional for admission in the fall of 2021, some on a temporary basis, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, two scholars – Angela...