The Conversation

What to expect as colleges and universities move classes online amid coronavirus fears: 4 questions answered

Written by Vanessa Dennen, Professor of of Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies, Florida State University

It's hard to make this shift on short notice.Jose Luis Pelaez Inc./Getty Images

Rising concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus have led a growing number of colleges and universities to cancel in-person classes and move them online. Vanessa Dennen, who studies teaching and learning on the web, discusses what going online will mean for...

Biden's win shows the power of Democratic moderates

Written by Chris Weber, Associate Professor in the School of Government and Public Policy, University of Arizona

Joe and Jill Biden address the press the evening of the Idaho, Missouri, Michigan, Washington, Mississippi and North Dakota primaries.AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Super Tuesday II marked Democratic primary elections in six states: Idaho, Missouri, Michigan, Washington, Mississippi and North Dakota.

The candidates entered the races on level fields, with...

The new coronavirus is hitting colleges and universities hard, but donors can help

Written by William Plater, Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of Public Affairs, Philanthropy, and English; Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculties Emeritus, IUPUI

At Columbia University and hundreds of other schools, all students are suddenly learning online.AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Amid concerns about the deadly coronavirus pandemic, a rapidly growing number of colleges and universities are closing their classroom doors, forcing faculty to teach students online instead of in person.

The risks posed by...

Ancient bird skull found in amber was tiny predator in the time of giant dinosaurs

Written by Lars Schmitz, Associate Professor of Biology, Claremont McKenna College

Amber holds the secret to the tiny world of the age of dinosaurs.Xing Lida, CC BY-ND

In 2016, our colleague Xing Lida held up a small piece of polished, deeply yellow amber. As sunlight shone through the ancient resin, Lida saw the outline of a pristinely preserved, amazingly small skull. There was a prominent eye socket, a dome-shaped crown of the...

Biden's big night with moderates, African Americans and Baby Boomers

Written by Luke Perry, Professor of Government at Utica College, Utica College

Vice President Joe Biden enters a campaign event in Columbus, Ohio on March 10.AP Photo/Paul Vernon

Editor’s note: With the race for the Democratic nomination narrowed to two front-runners, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, six states went to the polls on March 10: Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington. We asked...

Why public universities are chasing rich kids from out of state

Written by Robert Massa, Adjunct Professor, Rossier School of Education, USC, University of Southern California

College recruiters target high schools where kids are from well-off families.Hill Street Studios/Getty Images

There are many high-achieving, low-income students who are well qualified for admission to the nation’s top public colleges and universities. The problem is admission officers appear to spend little time trying to find them.

That much...

There's plenty of toilet paper in the US – so why are people hoarding it?

Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Senior Lecturer, Questrom School of Business, Boston University

Almost 150 U.S. companies make toilet paper.Studio Dagdagaz/Shutterstock.com

The other day I went into Costco to buy some toilet paper. It came as a small shock when I couldn’t find a single roll.

The new coronavirus is inspiring panic buying of a variety of household products such as toilet paper in cities across the U.S. and world.

While it...

Can gambling juice fandom for women's sports?

Written by Adam Cohen, Senior Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney

Members of the University of Oregon's basketball team embrace before the final of the Pac-12 women's tournament.AP Photo/John Locher

Every March Madness, thousands of tweets and articles dissecting seedings, potential upsets and favorable matchups flood the feeds of sports fans.

According to ESPN, over 70 million people will fill out a bracket....

Newborn babies weigh less today – possibly due to the increased popularity of cesarean sections and induced labor

Written by Andrea Tilstra, Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology, University of Colorado Boulder

Cesarean sections have become more common in the U.S. Tomsickova Tatyana/Shutterstock.com

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

The big idea

The decline in U.S. birth weight has been somewhat of a puzzle for public health researchers. Between 1990 and 2017, average birth weight declined from 7.36 pounds to 7.19 pounds.

There...

Why so few young Americans vote

Written by John Holbein, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Education, University of Virginia

Not all of Bernie Sanders' young supporters are showing up at the polls.AP Photo/Matt Rourke

The United States has one of the lowest rates of youth voter turnout in the world. The gap between 18- to 29-year-olds and those over 60, a common measuring stick, is more than twice as large here than it is in comparable democracies, like Canada and...