The Conversation

Nevada debate highlights: The dance of women leaders and limited economic opportunity

Written by Lisa DeFrank-Cole, Professor of Leadership Studies, West Virginia University

Democratic presidential candidates (L-R): Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on Feb. 19, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images/Mario Tama

Editor’s note: Six...

Weinstein trial begs a question: Why is the pain of women and minorities often ignored?

Written by Anne P. DePrince, Professor of Psychology, University of Denver

Harvey Weinstein leaves the court after prosecutors completed their closing argument in his rape trial on Feb. 14, 2020.AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

The trial of media mogul Harvey Weinstein is “a test of sympathies” – and Weinstein wants yours.

For months, he has presented his pain to us, granting a hospital-room interview to catalog...

Something Democrats and Republicans have in common: Exaggerated stereotypes about both parties

Written by Douglas J. Ahler, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Florida State University

Misconceptions abound on both sides of the aisle.Victor Moussa/Shutterstock.com

With animosity between party supporters already at an all-time high, buckle up for what promises to be one of the most contentious elections in modern U.S. history.

It’s becoming increasingly possible that the nation will have a choice between two extremes in...

Growing up in a banking desert can hurt your credit for the rest of your life

Written by Tony Cookson, Associate Professor of Finance, University of Colorado Boulder

It's lonely out there.Winslow Productions via Getty Images

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

The Big Idea

A banking desert is an area without traditional financial institutions and services. They are common in rural areas because large financial institutions are reluctant to operate in less populated areas that are less...

'Bee-washing' hurts bees and misleads consumers

Written by Lila Westreich, PhD Candidate, School of Environment and Forest Sciences, Seattle, Washington, University of Washington

Native bumblebees perform 'buzz pollination,' shaking flowers to release protein-rich pollen.A. Westreich, CC BY

Amid the worry over the loss of honeybees, a far quieter but just as devastating loss is occurring among lesser known native bee populations. Wild native bees are vital to pollinate plants. Their populations are declining due to a...

Animals large and small once covered North America's prairies – and in some places, they could again

Written by Joel Berger, Barbara Cox Anthony Chair in Wildlife Conservation, Colorado State University

Bighorn sheep on grassland in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.Joel Berger, CC BY-ND

In the grip of winter, the North American prairies can look deceptively barren. But many wild animals have evolved through harsh winters on these open grasslands, foraging in the snow and sheltering in dens from cold temperatures and biting winds.

Today most of...

What liberals and conservatives get wrong about free expression on college campuses

Written by Timothy Ryan, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Demonstrators shout slogans during a rally for free speech near the University of California, Berkeley campus. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

When it comes to understanding disputes over free expression on college campuses, such as speakers getting disinvited or having their speeches interrupted, conservatives tend to blame liberal professors for indo...

Craigslist turns 25 – a reminder that a more democratic version of the internet can still thrive

Written by Jessa Lingel, Assistant Professor of Communication, University of Pennsylvania

For years, Craigslist operated out of an old Victorian house in San Francisco, before moving out in 2010.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Fake news. Online surveillance. Phishing scams. Biased algorithms.

It’s easy to be cynical about the internet, and harder to remember a time when being online felt less commercial and more democratic. But there...

Democratic candidates seek a big and unprecedented K-12 funding boost

Written by David S. Knight, Assistant Professor of Education Finance and Policy, University of Washington

She's got proposals for constituents too young to vote.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Democratic presidential candidates are proposing new approaches to the federal government’s role in public education.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders want to triple the US$15 billion spent annually on Title I, a program that sends extra...

Even very young children can become prejudiced but schools can do something about it

Written by Melanie Killen, Professor, Human Development and Quantitative Methodolodgy, University of Maryland

Making diverse friends at school may counter stereotypes.Gagliardi Photography/Shutterstock.com

Racism has negative consequences for children’s health. It harms the kids who experience it personally and those who witness it, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, an organization that represents 67,000 doctors who treat children.

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