The Conversation

7 tips on how to take better notes

Written by Kenneth A. Kiewra, Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Research shows that students who take detailed notes do better in class.VGstockstudio/Shutterstock.com

In a graduate-level educational psychology course at Florida State University, my professor didn’t allow students to take notes. He reasoned that taking notes prevented students from reflecting on the lesson.

Yet, the professor also thought...

In a world of cyber threats, the push for cyber peace is growing

Written by Scott Shackelford, Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics; Director, Ostrom Workshop Program on Cybersecurity and Internet Governance; Cybersecurity Program Chair, IU-Bloomington, Indiana University

A push for digital peace is growing around the world.Finchen/Shutterstock.com

Digital conflict and military action are increasingly intertwined, and civilian targets – private businesses and everyday internet users alike – are vulnerable in the digital crossfire. But there are forces at work trying to promote peace online.

It will be a...

Evolution doesn't proceed in a straight line – so why draw it that way?

Written by Quentin Wheeler, Senior Fellow for Biodiversity Studies, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Evolution has no final endpoint in mind.Uncle Leo/Shutterstock.comA high school marching band’s T-shirt places a horn-playing Homo sapiens at the end of the evolutionary process.Brian Kloppenburg, Jordan Summers, Main Street Logo

Evolution doesn’t follow a preordained, straight path. Yet images abound that suggest otherwise. From museum...

How American Christian media promoted charity abroad

Written by Heather D. Curtis, Associate Professor of Religion, Tufts University

An illustration from the Christian Herald showing famine-hit people in India.Courtesy of the Christian Herald Association, New York

Many religions urge their adherents to be charitable toward those in need.

Jesus directed his followers to sell their possessions and give alms to the poor. The Hebrew Bible instructed the Jews to provide generously...

How to address America's lead crisis and provide safe drinking water for all

Written by Qi Bing, Ph.D. Student in Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy, University of California, Irvine

Warning signs in the Newark Health Department after the city learned that lead service lines to houses still were contaminating water. Seth Wenig/AP, CC BY-NC-ND

Since the Flint drinking water crisis erupted five years ago, Americans have realized that many cities and towns struggle to ensure safe water. Currently residents of Newark, New Jersey ar...

The test that could save the life of a long-time smoker you know

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

Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable death in the U.S. A test for long-time smokers might be able to detect lung cancer earlier, thereby saving lives. Lightspring/Shutterstock.com

A test called CT lung cancer screening could save the lives of tens of thousands of American smokers and former smokers every year, but only only 4% of those...

Curious Kids: Why do we say 'OK'?

Written by Elly van Gelderen, Professor of English, Arizona State University

It's a simple word with a strange history.Andrii Oleksiienko/shutterstock.com

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

Why do we say ‘OK’?

Of all the words in the English language, the word “OK” is pretty new:...

When religious ideology drives abortion policy, poor women suffer the consequences

Written by Gretchen E. Ely, Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Abortion rights supporters in Missouri take part in a protest, after state lawmakers passed rules aimed at closing Missouri's only abortion clinic, May 30, 2019.AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

In Northern Ireland, Catholics and Protestants are frequently segregated, with some neighborhoods divided by barbed wire fences, reflecting deep historical conflicts...

Colombia's peace process under stress: 6 essential reads

Written by Catesby Holmes, Global Affairs Editor, The Conversation US

Three years after negotiating a landmark peace agreement with the Colombian government, a top commander of the now defunct FARC guerrilla group has called for “a new stage in the armed struggle.”

In a 32-minute online video posted Aug. 29, FARC second-in-command Iván Márquez appeared with other rebels in fatigues to...

A new solution for America's empty churches: A change of faith

Written by Ashima Krishna, Assistant Professor, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

A 2012 photograph of the Sunrise Church of Christ in Buffalo's East Side. The building has since been demolished.AP Photo/David Duprey

Over the past few decades, vacant and underutilized churches have become a familiar sight in American cities.

In some cases, a congregation or a religious governing body – say, a Catholic diocese – will...