The Conversation

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...

5 ways to protect yourself from cybercrime

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

Learn to protect yourself.Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock.com

High-profile data breaches at companies like British Airways and Marriott get a lot of media coverage, but cybercriminals are increasingly going after community groups, schools, small businesses and municipal governments.

Just in the Midwest, hospitals, libraries, voter registration systems and...

How fireflies glow – and what signals they're sending

Written by Clyde Sorenson, Professor of Entomology, North Carolina State University

A firefly's light is part of its mating strategy.Japan's Fireworks/Shutterstock.com

You might not really be sure you saw what you think you saw when the first one shows up. But you stare in the direction of the flicker of light and there it is again – the first firefly of the evening. If you are in good firefly habitat, soon there are dozens,...

Our database of police officers who shoot citizens reveals who's most likely to shoot

Written by David Johnson, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland

A memorial display with a drawing of Antwon Rose II sits in front of the Allegheny County courthouse. Police officer Michael Rosfeld shot Rose three times as he fled a car after a traffic stop.AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

In the debate over fatal police shootings of minority citizens, one theme is persistent: White officers, rather than nonwhite...

Micro-naps for plants: Flicking the lights on and off can save energy without hurting indoor agriculture harvests

Written by Kevin M. Folta, Professor of Horticultural Sciences and Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Florida

Pulses of light followed by extended dark periods might help make indoor agricultural production more sustainable.DutchScenery/Shutterstock.com

A nighttime arrival at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport flies you over the bright pink glow of vegetable production greenhouses. Growing crops under artificial light is gaining momentum, particularly in...

'Avengers: Endgame' is nowhere near the worldwide box office record – here's why

Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Senior Lecturer, Boston University

Marvel’s gambit to propel “Avengers: Endgame” to become the top-grossing movie of all time finally paid off.

The studio re-released the final film in its “Avengers” series earlier this month with extra footage and a post-credit tribute in an effort to pass James Cameron’s 2009 film “Avatar” as the...

Why does the US sentence people to hundreds of years in prison?

Written by Darryl K. Brown, Professor of Law, University of Virginia

The U.S. gives out relatively strong sentences compared to other western democracies.Billion Photos/Shutterstock.com

On July 15, a Virginia judge sentenced James Fields Jr. to a life sentence, plus 419 years, for killing Heather Heyer at the 2017 Charlottesville white nationalist rally by ramming his car into a crowd.

Some may wonder about the point...

Asylum restrictions: The president can enforce the law, but can't change it

Written by Jean Lantz Reisz, Supervising Attorney, USC Immigration Clinic and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law, University of Southern California

President Donald Trump keeps trying to change immigration law and the courts keep blocking him.AP/Alex Brandon

Since his inauguration, President Trump’s immigration policies have been frustrated by the laws the U.S. Constitution requires him to “faithfully execute.”

While the Constitution has been interpreted to give the president...