The Conversation

No justice, no peace: Why Catholic priests are kneeling with George Floyd protesters

Written by Anna L. Peterson, Professor of Religion, University of Florida

Bishop Mark Seitz and priests from his diocese knelt for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to honor George Floyd, El Paso, June 1, 2020.Courtesy of Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters, CC BY-ND

Two days after the Catholic bishop of El Paso, Mark Seitz, knelt with a dozen other priests in a silent prayer for George Floyd holding a “Black Lives...

Being convicted of a crime has thousands of consequences besides incarceration – and some last a lifetime

Written by Cynthia Golembeski, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar; School of Law/School of Public Affairs and Administration J.D./Ph.D. Student, Rutgers University Newark

These women were released from an Oklahoma prison in 2019. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

At least 77 million U.S. adults have criminal records, including nearly 7 million currently in prison or jail or on probation or parole.

Typically, more than 10,000 of the incarcerated leave prison and nearly 200,000 churn through jails every week. But because more than 6...

Why hairdressers, gyms and the Trump campaign are asking people to sign COVID-19 waivers

Written by Elizabeth C. Tippett, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Oregon

Taking reasonable precautions, like this Iowa barber, will help protect businesses from lawsuitsAP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Americans venturing out to salons and gyms after weeks sheltering in place will have to learn a new ritual: signing away their right to sue.

My local YMCA now asks anyone wishing to use its gym to sign a waiver. My...

What the archaeological record reveals about epidemics throughout history – and the human response to them

Written by Charlotte Roberts, Professor of Archaeology, Durham University

Dead men do tell tales through their physical remains.AP Photo/Francesco Bellini

The previous pandemics to which people often compare COVID-19 – the influenza pandemic of 1918, the Black Death bubonic plague (1342-1353), the Justinian plague (541-542) – don’t seem that long ago to archaeologists. We’re used to thinking about...

Was the coronavirus outbreak an intelligence failure?

Written by Erik J. Dahl, Associate Professor of National Security Affairs, Naval Postgraduate School

Dan Coats, left, then director of national intelligence, told Congress in 2019 about the potential danger of a pandemic.Office of the Director of National Intelligence

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold, it’s clear that having better information sooner, and acting more quickly on what was known, could have slowed the spread of...

What is a derecho? An atmospheric scientist explains these rare but dangerous storm systems

Written by Russ Schumacher, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science and Colorado State Climatologist, Colorado State University

A derecho moves across central Kansas on July 3, 2005.Jim Reed/Corbis via Getty Images

Thunderstorms are common across North America, especially in warm weather months. About 10% of them become severe, meaning they produce hail 1 inch or greater in diameter, winds gusting in excess of 50 knots (57.5 miles per hour), or a tornado.

The U.S. recently...

Police unions are one of the biggest obstacles to transforming policing

Written by Jill McCorkel, Professor of Sociology and Criminology, Villanova University

Protesters in front of Boston Police Headquarters during a United Against Racist Police Terror Rally on June 7, 2020. Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Protesters and community organizers are increasingly calling for defunding and disbanding the police as a way to end police violence.

Advocates argue that moderate reforms like...

Video: How simple math can help predict the melting of sea ice

Written by Anurag Papolu, Multimedia Editor

The new model predicts the growth of small ponds on arctic ice sheetsScientific Visualization Studio / NASA

To better predict climate change, scientists need accurate models which predict the behavior of many natural processes. One of these is the melting of arctic sea ice, which requires expensive and difficult data collection in the Arctic.

Physic...

Why stocks are soaring even as coronavirus cases surge, at least 20 million remain unemployed and the US sinks into recession

Written by Jonathan T. Fluharty-Jaidee, Assistant Department Chair and Professor of Finance, West Virginia University

Throwing cash at the problem seems to help – investors at least.elenabs/Getty Images

The number of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is still climbing rapidly, over 20 million Americans remain unemployed, dozens of major companies have reportedly filed for bankruptcy, the country is officially in a recession and there’s still no vaccine in...

Churchgoers aren't able to lift every voice and sing during the pandemic – here's why that matters

Written by Donna M. Cox, Professor of Music, University of Dayton

Even when singing does take place, voices are muffled.Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

Because of COVID-19, churches no longer reverberate with song; hymnals are neatly stacked and projection screens blank. Even as church leaders plan for reopening, scientists warn that it might be too early to resume singing in groups.

Though such restrictions...