The Conversation

What did the Romans do in the year 0? A fake theologian explains

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

Theologians deal with some serious questions. Here is Saint Augustine, a Christian theologian and philosopher.German Vizulis/Shutterstock

Over the centuries, theologians have wrestled with many knotty questions, such as: Does God exist? What is the purpose of life? And why do innocent people suffer?

A layperson might suppose theology, the study of...

I'm an OB/GYN who attended thousands of deliveries before wondering why Americans give birth in bed

Written by Neel Shah, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School

Not always the best position for childbirth. BSIP / Contributor / 151036972

A few years ago I visited Dar a Luz, the only free-standing birth center in New Mexico. It looks nothing like the towering urban hospitals I have spent my career working in. Nestled into a valley at the outskirts of Albuquerque, Dar a Luz is more like an earthy homestead....

AI can now read emotions – should it?

Written by Christoffer Heckman, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder

Emotion recognition technology, an outgrowth of facial recognition technology, continues to advance quickly.Steve Jurvetson/flickr, CC BY-SA

In its annual report, the AI Now Institute, an interdisciplinary research center studying the societal implications of artificial intelligence, called for a ban on technology designed to recognize...

Should government assistance cover pet food or potato chips? It depends whom you ask

Written by Steven Shepherd, Assistant Professor of Marketing and International Business, Oklahoma State University

Your own biases shape what you think about what the poor should eat.Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

Lawmakers in states like Arkansas and Texas want to restrict what the 36 million people who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP or food stamps, can purchase with that aid.

Drawing attention to people...

Coyotes are poised to enter South America for the first time

Written by Roland Kays, Research Associate Professor of Wildlife and Scientist at NC Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina State University

A photo of a coyote in eastern Panama.Author provided

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

THE BIG IDEA: Coyotes are poised to expand their range to a new continent. The North American canine native has now reached the Darién Gap – a dense wilderness on the border of Colombia and Panama, at the very doorstep...

Should government assistance cover pet food or potato chips? It depends who you ask

Written by Steven Shepherd, Assistant Professor of Marketing and International Business, Oklahoma State University

Your own biases shape what you think about what the poor should eat.Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

Drawing attention to people...

Congressional Republicans abandon constitutional heritage and Watergate precedents in defense of Trump

Written by Ken Hughes, Research Specialist, the Miller Center, University of Virginia

Republican lawmakers are seen as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) oversees a vote on the second article of impeachment against President Donald Trump in the House of Representatives, Dec. 18, 2019.Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Once, not so long ago, congressional Republicans were impeachment’s constitutional...

How a Chilean dog ended up as a face of the New York City subway protests

Written by Alexandra Isfahani-Hammond, Associate Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature, University of California San Diego

A man holds a sign with an image of Negro Matapacos, in Santiago, Chile. MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images

A black Chilean dog wearing a red bandana made his mark during the New York City subway protests beginning in November 2019.

The protests were ignited by videos documenting police assaults on black and brown youth in the subways. For...

Could Iran-US tensions mean troubled waters ahead in the Strait of Hormuz?

Written by Rockford Weitz, Professor of Practice & Director, Fletcher Maritime Studies Program, The Fletcher School, Tufts University

Iranian soldiers take part in National Persian Gulf Day in the Strait of Hormuz. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images

Soaring tensions between Iran and the United States have reignited fears that the Strait of Hormuz could become a flashpoint as Tehran responds to the killing of its top general.

Oil prices climbed on news of the fatal airstrike,...

If Democrats nominate a woman for president, don't try to make predictions about how she'll do

Written by Nathaniel Swigger, Associate Professor of Political Science, The Ohio State University

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives onstage during a primary night rally at the Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, June 7, 2016.Getty/ Drew Angerer

Four women remain out of an original six in the Democratic primary for president: Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and activist Marianne...