The Conversation

Fragments of energy – not waves or particles – may be the fundamental building blocks of the universe

Written by Larry M. Silverberg, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University

New mathematics have shown that lines of energy can be used to describe the universe. zf L/Moment via Getty Images

Matter is what makes up the universe, but what makes up matter? This question has long been tricky for those who think about it – especially for the physicists. Reflecting recent trends in physics, my colleague Jeffrey Eischen and...

The Electoral College system isn't 'one person, one vote'

Written by John A. Tures, Professor of Political Science, LaGrange College

Florida voters, like these on Nov. 3, have less influence over the Electoral College than their fellow voters in any other state.AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

When it became clear that President Donald Trump would lose the popular vote in November’s election, questions again arose about the Electoral College, and whether it is fair.

A...

Daily DIY sniff checks could catch many cases of COVID-19

Written by John E. Hayes, Professor of Food Science, Penn State

Suddenly unable to smell your morning coffee? You likely have COVID-19. Kseniya Ovchinnikova/Moment via Getty Images

Smell loss – called anosmia – is a common symptom of COVID-19. For the past nine months, the two of us – a sensory scientist and an infectious disease epidemiologist – have applied our respective expertise to...

4 ways to close the COVID-19 racial health gap

Written by Tamra Burns Loeb, Adjunct Associate Professor - Interim, UCLA School of Medicine

New strategies are needed to help people of color battle the COVID-19 virus.dmbaker via Getty Images

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the reality that health in the U.S. has glaring racial inequities. Since March, people of color have been more likely to get sick and more likely to die from COVID-19 infection because they have been living and...

Computer science jobs pay well and are growing fast. Why are they out of reach for so many of America's students?

Written by Tamara Pearson, Director, Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM, Spelman College

Black and Hispanic students are underrepresented in Advanced Placement courses in computer science.Maskot/Getty Images

When it comes to the digital divide, often the focus is on how lack of internet service and basic technology will hurt students’ academic performance. This is particularly true during the pandemic, when most schools are...

When can children get the COVID-19 vaccine? 5 questions parents are asking

Written by Wesley Kufel, Clinical Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Vaccine testing in children will take several more months.FatCamera via Getty Images

The first U.S. COVID-19 vaccines are expected in clinics in mid-December, and states are drawing up plans for who should get vaccinated first.

But one important group is absent: children.

While two vaccines are expected to be cleared soon for adult use in the U.S.,...

Can Joe Biden win the transition?

Written by John M. Murphy, Professor of Communication, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

President-elect Joe Biden introduces his foreign policy and national security team on Nov. 24 in Wilmington, Del. Mark Makela/Getty Images

Joe Biden won the election, but whether he wins the transition is another question. The peaceful transfer of power always tests an incoming president, but this time promises to be particularly perilous.

The...

In 'The Queen's Gambit' and beyond, chess holds up a mirror to life

Written by Jenny Adams, Associate Professor of English, University of Massachusetts Amherst

In the closing sequence of “The Queen’s Gambit,” the chess-playing heroine, Beth Harmon, defeats her archrival Vasily Borgov at the Moscow Invitational. The next day she impulsively skips her flight home to join a group of adoring chess players in what appears to be Moscow’s famous Sokolniki Park. The symbolism of this...

The iconic American inventor is still a white male – and that's an obstacle to race and gender inclusion

Written by Anjali Vats, Associate Professor of Communication and African and African Diaspora Studies and Associate Professor of Law (By Courtesy), Boston College

Thomas Edison remains the poster child of American invention 89 years after his death.Underwood & Underwood via the Library of Congress

When President Barack Obama signed the America Invents Act in 2011, he was surrounded by a group of people of diverse ages, genders and races. The speech he delivered about the legislation, which changed the...

Nigerians got their abusive SARS police force abolished – but elation soon turned to frustration

Written by Samuel Fury Childs Daly, Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies, Duke University

A police officer in Lagos, Nigeria, Nov. 3. Olukayode Jaiyeola/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

For a brief moment in October, it seemed that youthful protesters calling to “abolish” a police force had succeeded. After weeks of mass demonstrations against police brutality, the government agreed to disband a widely hated police unit.

This was...