The Conversation

What in the world is a slime eel?

Written by Nicola Di Girolamo, Associate Professor of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Oklahoma State University

Researchers pour a barrel of hagfish into a holding tank aboard a research vessel about 20 miles off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.AP/Steven Senne

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.

What is a slime eel? - Minti F.,...

Investors, consumers and workers are changing capitalism for the better by demanding companies behave more responsibly

Written by Elizabeth Schmidt, Professor of Practice, Nonprofit Organizations; Social & Environmental Enterprises, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Capitalism’s days may be numbered – at least judging by recent polls.

A majority of millennials reject the economic system, while 55% of women aged 18 to 54 say they prefer socialism. More Democrats now have a positive view of socialism than capitalism.

One problem interpreting numbers like these is that there are many definitions of...

US health care: An industry too big to fail

Written by Michael Williams, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Integration; Associate Professor of Surgery and Director of the UVA Center for Health Policy, University of Virginia

As I spoke recently with colleagues at a conference in Florence, Italy about health care innovation, a fundamental truth resurfaced in my mind: the U.S. health care industry is just that. An industry, an economic force, Big Business, first and foremost. It is a vehicle for returns on investment and the success of our society second.

This is...

The Supreme Court decision that kept suburban schools segregated

Written by Jon Hale, Associate Professor of Education, University of South Carolina

A 1974 Supreme Court decision found that school segregation was allowable if it wasn't being done on purpose.AP

America recently marked the 65-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education – a landmark case intended to abolish the “separate-but-equal” doctrine of racial segregation in...

Facebook algorithm changes suppressed journalism and meddled with democracy

Written by Jennifer Grygiel, Assistant Professor of Communications (Social Media) & Magazine, News and Digital Journalism, Syracuse University

How do you feel about Facebook?fyv6561/Shutterstock.com

Facebook’s News Feed algorithm determines what users see on its platform – from funny memes to comments from friends. The company regularly updates this algorithm, which can dramatically change what information people consume.

As the 2020 election approaches, there is much public...

Is Boris Johnson, Britain's new prime minister, anti-immigrant, a homophobe, a bigot – or just politically expedient?

Written by Luke Reader, Teaching Fellow, History Department, Case Western Reserve University

After the election of Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader and prime minister, does Britain have a populist, nativist politician as its head of government?

It’s hard to say. Johnson has been a little of everything during his career.

Over three decades in public life, Johnson has shifted between social liberalism and right-wing...

Without school, a 'lost generation' of Rohingya refugee children face uncertain future

Written by Rubayat Jesmin, Doctoral Student, College of Community and Public Affairs, Binghamton University, State University of New York

A Rohingya refugee girl sells vegetables in Kutupalong refugee camp, Bangladesh. Access to education is extremely limited in the camps, and most children — particularly girls — receive little to no formal education, Aug. 28, 2018.AP Photo/Altaf Qadri

The boy’s eyes lit up when he talked about his dream of becoming a doctor.

Seven-y...

Resource depletion is a serious problem, but 'footprint' estimates don't tell us much about it

Written by Robert B. Richardson, Professor of Sustainable Development, Michigan State University

Government negligence, rampant development and illegal land clearing spark wildfires in Indonesia that annually ravage thousands of acres of forest.AP Photo

Experts widely agree that human activities are harming the global environment. Since the Industrial Revolution, the world economy has grown dramatically. Overall this is a success story, since...

Why are Atlantic and Gulf coast property owners building back bigger after hurricanes?

Written by Eli Lazarus, Associate Professor in Geomorphology, University of Southampton

Surf threatens beach houses on Dauphin Island, Alabama, September 4, 2011 during Tropical Storm Lee. AP Photo/Dave Martin

U.S. coastal counties are densely populated and extensively developed. They also are directly exposed to sea level rise and storms, which scientists predict will become more destructive as climate change progresses.

But despite...

Heart transplant doctors could help more people by accepting donations from the obese

Written by Leora Yarboro, Associate Professor of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Virginia Medical Center, University of Virginia

The number of potential organ donors who are obese is on the rise.Csaba Deli/shutterstock.com

Heart disease is the top cause of death in the U.S. For some people with end-stage heart disease, a heart transplant can save their life.

Unfortunately, there are currently more patients on the heart transplant list than there are suitable donors. As a...