The Conversation

Balloon releases have deadly consequences – we're helping citizen scientists map them

Written by Lara O'Brien, Master's Degree Candidate in Conservation Ecology and Environmental Informatics, University of Michigan

A mylar balloon at Presqu'ile Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada.Lara O'Brien, CC BY-ND

Balloons are often seen as fun, harmless decorations. But they become deadly litter as soon as they are released into the air and forgotten.

Plastic pollution is one of today’s biggest environmental challenges. Microplastics have been found in our drinking...

Don’t expect the coronavirus epidemic in the US to bring down President Trump

Written by Alex De Waal, Research Professor and Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation at The Fletcher School, Tufts University

President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the press briefing room at the White House on March 15, 2020.Getty/Tasos Katopodis

The Trump administration’s mishandling of the coronavirus crisis has been widely condemned by health experts.

But if the administration’s bungling proves costly to Trump in the November election, it...

Students less likely to report sexual harassment when the perpetrator is a professor

Written by Stephen Aguilar, Assistant Professor of Education, University of Southern California

Some victims say their reports drew retaliation.pic_studio/Getty Images

In 2017, Karen Kelsky, a consultant for people looking for academic jobs, launched a survey to capture people’s experiences of sexual harassment at colleges and universities. I took interest in this survey because it was widely reported and sparked a lot of interest how...

Coronavirus: Social distancing is delaying vital scientific research

Written by Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona

Many scientists have had to hang up their lab coats and go home.Jonathan Pow/Cultura via Getty Images

Scientists are facing stiff headwinds from the rapid spread of COVID-19.

The coronavirus has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and a national emergency in the U.S. While the impact of the pandemic on scientific research pales...

4 ways to help kids relax as the coronavirus upends everyday life

Written by Mirae J. Fornander, Clinical Psychology PhD Student, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Empty shelves can freak out shoppers of all ages.Jeremy Hogan / Echoes Wire/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Families everywhere are adjusting to a new way of life due to social distancing measures like closed schools, workplaces, and more. Given that anxiety was already among the most common mental health problem in kids before the COVID-19...

All Latinos don't vote the same way – their place of origin matters

Written by Eliza Willis, Professor of Political Science, Grinnell College

Hispanic voters go to the polls for early voting in 2004.G. De Cardenas/Getty Images

Joe Biden won Florida’s 2020 Democratic primary, capturing a majority of the state’s Latino voters.

Polls have been tracking the Latino vote in Democratic presidential primaries, and many analysts are trying to predict which candidate Latinos might favor...

Viruses live on doorknobs and phones and can get you sick – smart cleaning and good habits can help protect you

Written by Joseph Eisenberg, Professor and Chair of Epidemiology, University of Michigan

Disinfecting an area takes time and effort. And there is only so much you can do. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

One vomiting episode from someone infected with norovirus emits billions and billions of individual viruses. That’s enough to fuel an outbreak – and is exactly what happened in an elementary school in Seattle, Washington a few months ago...

10 misconceptions about the 1918 flu, the 'greatest pandemic in history'

Written by Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University

U.S. Red Cross volunteers in 1918.Apic/Getty Images

Pandemic: It’s a scary word.

But the world has seen pandemics before, and worse ones, too. Consider the influenza pandemic of 1918, often referred to erroneously as the “Spanish flu.” Misconceptions about it may be fueling unfounded fears about COVID-19, and now is an especially...

Experts agree that Trump's coronavirus response was poor, but the US was ill-prepared in the first place

Written by Simon F. Haeder, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Pennsylvania State University

President Donald Trump with members of the president's Coronavirus Task Force at the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020.AP Photo/Evan Vucci

As the coronavirus pandemic exerts a tighter grip on the nation, critics of the Trump administration have repeatedly highlighted the administration’s changes to the nation’s pandemic response team...

Telecommuting could curb the coronavirus epidemic

Written by Mohja Rhoads, Research Consultant and Lecturer in Policy, Planning and Development, California State University, Dominguez Hills

Less than 30% of the workforce has the ability to work from home.Westend61/Getty ImagesCC BY-ND

Recent surveys from both the National Household Transportation Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that around 29% of the United States workforce has the option to work at home, and around 15% usually does so.

Working from home pays a...