The Conversation

Your chances of getting an internship are better if you've already had one

Written by David A. Jaeger, Professor of Economics, University of St Andrews

Race, region and grades all play a role.fizkes/Getty Images

When summer approaches, many college students (and their parents) wonder how they can land the perfect internship. But what kind of résumé really impresses firms looking for interns? And how are the internships connected to the broader job market?

We are researchers who...

Airplanes spread diseases quickly – so maybe unvaccinated people shouldn't be allowed to fly

Written by Christopher Robertson, Professor of Law, University of Arizona

Bill Chen at San Francisco International Airport after arriving on a flight from Shanghai. Chen said his temperature was screened at the Shanghai airport before he departed. AP Photo / Terry Chea

As the coronavirus spreads, the nation’s leading health official told a Senate committee on Feb. 25 that “we cannot hermetically seal off the...

A company's good deeds can make consumers think its products are safer

Written by Valerie Good, Published Researcher and Marketing Faculty, Michigan State University

Consumers may think Boeing's planes are safer because the company donated 250,000 masks to China.AP Photo/Vincent Yu

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

The big idea

Companies like to highlight when they do good things for society, such as making charitable donations, becoming more environmentally friendly or improving...

Supporting worker sleep is good for business

Written by Leslie Hammer, Professor, Oregon Health & Science University

Don't sleep on the job.Matthew Jacques/Shutterstock.com

A long-haul truck driver fell asleep during his shift in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 13. Heading north on Route 147, he drifted into the eastbound shoulder for almost 375 feet, struck the side of the road and flipped his rig. Thankfully, the driver only suffered a minor injury and nobody...

Nuclear war could be devastating for the US, even if no one shoots back

Written by Joshua M. Pearce, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan Technological University

The U.S. has more than 5000 nuclear weapons.3d generator/Shutterstock.com

The White House’s 2021 budget calls for US$28.9 billion for the Pentagon for nuclear weapons and a 20% increase to $19.8 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Yet the U.S. already has over 3,000 nuclear weapons. And my research shows that the U.S....

How civil rights leader Wyatt Tee Walker revived hope after MLK's death

Written by Corey D. B. Walker, Visiting Professor, University of Richmond

Civil rights leader Wyatt Tee Walker addresses a crowd at St. Phillips AME Church in Atlanta. Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images

Four years after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the novelist James Baldwin would write on the pages of Esquire magazine, “Since Martin’s death, in Memphis, and that tremendous day in...

Better rat control in cities starts by changing human behavior

Written by Michael H. Parsons, Visiting Research Scholar, Fordham University

Garbage in New York's subway system offers easy meals for rats.AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

For centuries, rats have thrived in cities because of human behavior. In response, humans have blamed the rats and developed techniques for poisoning them.

We research urban rat populations and recognize that rats spread disease. But they are fascinating...

The surprising source of Ansel Adams’ signature style

Written by Rebecca Senf, Chief Curator, Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona

Photographer Ansel Adams poses on a bluff with his camera.Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS/VCG via Getty Images

Ansel Adams’ bold, black-and-white landscapes of the American wilderness are so iconic that most people know an Adams photograph when they see it.

You might be surprised to learn that Adams didn’t learn his craft by attending an elite...

Customers hate tipping before they're served – and asking makes them less likely to return

Written by Nathan B. Warren, Ph.D. Candidate, Marketing, University of Oregon

Imagine you’re in line at a coffee shop. You order your usual cappuccino and swipe your credit card to pay. Then the cashier swivels a little screen that prompts you for a tip – before the espresso shot is pulled or a drop of milk steamed.

Do you tip more, perhaps hoping that it will lead to a better drink? Or less or none at all,...

What Americans think about who deserves tuition-free college

Written by Elizabeth Bell, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Miami University

Americans support free community college more when students are seen as 'deserving,' new research suggests.Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images

Tuition-free college has gotten a lot of momentum of late.

Front-runners in the Democratic presidential field – including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden – have all come out in support of...