The Conversation

Why face masks belong at your holiday gathering – 7 things you need to know about wearing them

Written by Jason Farley, Professor, Infectious Disease-Trained Epidemiologist and Nurse Practitioner, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing

Just because you’re with people you know doesn’t mean you’re safe from the coronavirus.Westend61 via Getty Images

COVID-19 has disrupted our daily lives, and it is poised to completely disrupt the holiday season. As people make holiday plans and think about ways to reduce the risks to their loved ones, a strategy is essential.

Face...

Why face masks belong at your Thanksgiving gathering – 7 things you need to know about wearing them

Written by Jason Farley, Professor, Infectious Disease-Trained Epidemiologist and Nurse Practitioner, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing

Just because you’re with people you know doesn’t mean you’re safe from the coronavirus.Westend61 via Getty Images

Face...

More families are discussing end-of-life planning as COVID-19 cases rise – here's how to start the conversation

Written by Lindy Grief Davidson, Associate Dean for Curriculum & Instruction and Faculty, Judy Genshaft Honors College, University of South Florida

With family together, either in person or by video, the holidays offer an opportunity for deep, personal discussions about the future. Aldomurillo via Getty Images

In homes across the U.S., families increasingly know someone who has been sick or hospitalized with COVID-19.

With the death toll now over a quarter million Americans and health...

College-age kids are drinking less alcohol – but smoking more marijuana

Written by Ty Schepis, Professor of Psychology, Texas State University

Young people's attitudes toward alcohol have changed over the years. Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images

Young adults aren’t drinking as much as they used to. In fact, more than a quarter don’t drink alcohol at all, recent surveys show.

It’s good news for health. But there is also a downside in the data: While alcohol use is falling...

With 250,000 US deaths, COVID-19 is triggering more end-of-life planning – and young people want in on the discussions

Written by Lindy Grief Davidson, Associate Dean for Curriculum & Instruction and Faculty, Judy Genshaft Honors College, University of South Florida

With family together, either in person or by video, the holidays offer an opportunity for deep, personal discussions about the future. Aldomurillo via Getty Images

In homes across the U.S., families increasingly know someone who has been sick or hospitalized with COVID-19. The death toll passed a quarter-million Americans on Nov. 18, less than 10...

College-age kids and teens are drinking less alcohol – but something else is rising

Written by Ty Schepis, Professor of Psychology, Texas State University

Young people's attitudes toward alcohol have changed over the years. Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images

Young adults aren’t drinking as much as they used to. In fact, more than a quarter don’t drink alcohol at all, recent surveys show.

It’s good news for health. But there is also a downside in the data: While alcohol use is falling...

College-age kids and teens are drinking less alcohol – marijuana is a different story

Written by Ty Schepis, Professor of Psychology, Texas State University

Young people's attitudes toward alcohol have changed over the years. Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images

Young adults aren’t drinking as much as they used to. In fact, more than a quarter don’t drink alcohol at all, recent surveys show.

It’s good news for health. But there is also a downside in the data: While alcohol use is falling...

What's the gold standard, and why does the US benefit from a dollar that isn't tied to the value of a glittery hunk of metal?

Written by Michael Klein, Professor of International Economic Affairs at The Fletcher School, Tufts University

The gold standard didn't exactly lead to a golden era.Athitat Shinagowin/EyeEm via Getty Images

The phrase “the gold standard” means, in common parlance, the best available benchmark – as in double-blind randomized trials are the gold standard for determining the efficacy of a vaccine.

Its meaning likely comes from my world of...

US colleges report a 43% decline in new international student enrollment, and not just because of the pandemic

Written by David L. Di Maria, Associate Vice Provost for International Education, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

The decline in international enrollment will most likely cause colleges and universities to lose money.Marcus Chung/E+ via Getty Images

For the fourth year in a row, the number of international students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities has declined. This is according to data released this month by the State Department and the Institute...

3 reasons for information exhaustion – and what to do about it

Written by Mark Satta, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Wayne State University

A woman views a manipulated video that changes what is said by President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama.ROB LEVER/AFP via Getty Images

An endless flow of information is coming at us constantly: It might be an article a friend shared on Facebook with a sensational headline or wrong information about the spread of the coronavirus. It...