The Conversation

Strong political institutions can uphold democracy, even if people can't agree on politics

Written by Joseph Daniel Ura, Professor of Political Science, Texas A&M University

Pro-Trump rioters trying to enter Capitol building. A recent poll showed that up to one-fifth of Americans supported the assault on the Capitol.Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Americans’ trust in the federal government has declined steadily in the last half-century, polls show.

The 2020 presidential election did little to...

No, you are not addicted to your digital device, but you may have a habit you want to break

Written by Ian A. Anderson, Ph.D. Student, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Frequent social media use does not necessarily equate to addiction.Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Imagine that you’re a typical middle school student having dinner with your family. Your mother takes your smartphone away and puts it in a lock-box that won’t open for an hour.

Would you: (a) go ahead and eat dinner with your...

How can I get the COVID-19 vaccine? Here's what you need to know and which state strategies are working

Written by Steven W. Chen, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, University of Southern California

Getting vaccinated often means pre-registering, then registering, then arranging an appointment and standing in line.Mario Tama/Getty Images

For many people, trying to get the COVID-19 vaccine has been a lesson in frustration. The vaccine supply is limited in many areas, creating confusion over who can get a first and sometimes second dose of...

Why rituals are important survival tools during the COVID-19 pandemic

Written by Cristine H Legare, Professor of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts

Rituals like hand-washing help spread hygiene practices that are essential to health and survival.Aditya Saputra/INA Photo Agency/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

COVID-19 has disrupted many aspects of daily life, including rituals both sacred and mundane. At the same time, the pandemic has opened a unique opportunity globally to adapt...

Israel faces legal – and practical – obligations for including Palestinians in vaccine success

Written by Yara M. Asi, Post-Doctoral Scholar, Health Management and Informatics, University of Central Florida

Palestinian patients infected with COVID-19 registering at an emergency unit in the West Bank city of Ramallah.AP Photo/Nasser Nasser

As nations scramble to vaccinate populations against COVID-19, one country has been ahead of the rest: Israel.

By late January, Israel had vaccinated more than 30% of its population – more than double or triple...

People may become less likely to contribute to a virtual public good like Wikipedia or Waze if they know many others are already doing it

Written by Anjana Susarla, Omura-Saxena Professor of Responsible AI, Michigan State University

Waze depends on users to voluntarily upload information about traffic accidents and road closures. Linda Davidson/The Washington Post via Getty Images

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

The big idea

While people tend to contribute more to a virtual public good if they see others doing the same, this effect reverses if...

Could a human enter a black hole to study it?

Written by Leo Rodriguez, Assistant Professor of Physics, Grinnell College

A person falling into a black hole and being stretched while approaching the black hole's horizon.Leo Rodriguez and Shanshan Rodriguez, CC BY-ND

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

Could a human enter a black hole to study it?...

Navalny returns to Russia and brings anti-Putin politics with him

Written by Regina Smyth, Professor of Political Science, Indiana University

Protesters oppose riot police during a rally in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny on January 31, 2021 in Moscow, Russia. Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and his team have stunned the Russian government again, forcing President Vladimir Putin and his allies to confront significant protest led...

Stuck inside your home this Groundhog Day? Be like Phil the weatherman, and try some mindfulness

Written by Jeremy David Engels, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Penn State

Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in a scene from the film 'Groundhog Day.'Columbia Pictures/Getty Images

Many of us will recall the American comedy film “Groundhog Day.”

Originally released in 1993, it stars the incomparable Bill Murray as Phil Conners, an insufferable Pittsburgh weatherman. A minor local celebrity who believes himself...

Social accounting includes looking beyond the bare numbers of racial diversity

Written by Earl Lewis, Director and Founder, Center for Social Solutions, Professor of History, Afroamerican and African Studies, and public policy, University of Michigan

A BLM protester in front of the Ohio State House.Photo by Stephen Zenner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Editor’s note: From time to time, The Conversation asks leaders in America’s colleges and universities to address some of the most pressing issues in our nation. Here we ask Earl Lewis, director and founder of the University...