The Conversation

A geriatrician offers 4 tips for seniors to stay connected during coronavirus outbreak

Written by Laurie Archbald-Pannone, Associate Professor Medicine, Geriatrics, University of Virginia

As the number of COVID-19 cases jump, a Los Angeles man stocks up on toilet paper -- 150 rolls of it. Getty Images/Mark Ralston

As the numbers climb for those infected with the novel coronavirus, the dangers rise for vulnerable populations. People who are older or with underlying medical conditions risk the severest consequences, including organ...

How a tech-based program on health brought African American kids and parents together

Written by Velma McBride Murry, University Professor, Departments of Health Policy and Human & Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University

High-tech tools can help African American children avoid drugs and alcohol, honor their racial heritage, and remain optimistic.Getty Images / Klaus Vedfelt

The mere act of growing up brings special challenges to young African Americans, particularly those living in rural areas. Resources there are often limited, compared to what’s offered in...

Does screening travelers for disease and infection really work?

Written by Tom Duszynski, Director Epidemiology Education, IUPUI

Body temperature scans are one tool to interrupt the spread of disease by travelers.Tatan Syuflana/APImages.com

Following the emergence of a new coronavirus late last year, China closed its borders to prevent the disease from traveling. Yet many people had already left Wuhan, which allowed the virus to move with people as they traveled around the...

Malnourished bugs: Higher CO2 levels make plants less nutritious, hurting insect populations

Written by Ellen Welti, Postdoctoral Researcher of Biology, University of Oklahoma

These grasshoppers, like many insects around the world, are declining. Dave Rintoul, CC BY-ND

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

The big idea

Grasshopper populations, like those of many other insects, are declining. My colleagues and I identified a new possible culprit: The plants grasshoppers rely on for food are...

Will sick leave protect me if I get ill from coronavirus? 5 questions answered

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

Inadequate leave policies means many of us work while sick.PeopleImages/Getty Images

Editor’s note: In the coming weeks and months, an outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States could leave workers scrambling to figure out what happens to their job – and their pay – if the new coronavirus prevents them from reporting to work. The...

Can I take time off if my child's school is closed for coronavirus? 5 questions on sick leave laws answered

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

Inadequate leave policies means many of us work while sick.PeopleImages/Getty Images

Editor’s note: Lawmakers are debating a coronavirus relief package that could include emergency paid leave benefits for all workers affected by the pandemic. Meanwhile, the spread of COVID-19 is leaving workers in the United States scrambling to figure out...

Why the US still hasn't had a woman president

Written by Farida Jalalzai, Professor and Hannah Atkins Endowed Chair of Political Science, Oklahoma State University

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during a primary election night rally.AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Estonia, Singapore, Ethiopia and Finland – these are some of the 21 countries currently governed by a female president or prime minister.

Yet a woman president of the U.S. still remains only a hypothetical.

T...

The candidate you like is the one you think is most electable

Written by Marjorie Hershey, Professor Emeritus, Political Science, Indiana University

Most people vote for the candidate they think is the most electable. Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Electability has been the single most important force motivating voters in the 2020 Democratic primaries.

But what is it? What makes one candidate seem like they could get votes from a majority of Americans while another one...

From border security to climate change, national emergency declarations raise hard questions about presidential power

Written by Daniel Farber, Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley

Global Climate Strike NYC in New York, Sept. 20, 2019.Rainmaker Photo/MediaPunch /IPX via AP Photo

As wildfires, storms and other climate-driven disasters grow larger and more damaging, climate change is a major concern for many Democratic voters, who are in the midst of a primary fight that has come down to two major candidates: Bernie Sanders and...

How technology can combat the rising tide of fake science

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

A crop circle in Switzerland.Jabberocky/Wikimedia Commons

Science gets a lot of respect these days. Unfortunately, it’s also getting a lot of competition from misinformation. Seven in 10 Americans think the benefits from science outweigh the harms, and nine in 10 think science and technology will create more opportunities for future...