The Conversation

You can't control what you can't find: Detecting invasive species while they're still scarce

Written by Jake Walsh, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison

There are 130 billion gallons of water in Wisconsin's Lake Mendota, and now, trillions of spiny water fleas.Corey Coyle/Wikimedia, CC BY

Most of the 10,000 ships lost to the bottom of the Great Lakes in wrecks over the past 400 years are still lost – hidden somewhere in 6 quadrillion gallons of water. Finding anything in a lake is a lesson in...

Not so long ago, cities were starved for trees

Written by Sonja Dümpelmann, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, Harvard University

In 1919, 1,376 new Norway Maples were planted along streets in Brooklyn.Department of Parks of the Borough of Brooklyn, City of New York

Many cities, in recent years, have initiated tree planting campaigns to offset carbon dioxide emissions and improve urban microclimates.

In 2007, New York City launched MillionTrees NYC, a program designed to plant...

Gene drive technology makes mouse offspring inherit specific traits from parents

Written by Kim Cooper, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego

Genetically engineered mice are invaluable for learning about human disease.

As mouse geneticists, we spend a lot of time waiting for mice to make more mice. Their small size, ease of care and willingness to mate have made mice the “mammal of choice” for scientists for more than a century. Indeed, these wriggly fur balls that strike...

Digital technology offers new ways to teach lessons from the Holocaust

Written by Jennifer Rich, Assistant Professor; Director of Research and Education for the Rowan Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Rowan University

A student speaks with Holocaust survivor William Morgan using an interactive virtual conversation exhibit at the the Holocaust Museum Houston in January 2019.David J. Phillip/AP

When it comes to understanding the horrors of the Holocaust – one of the key aims of International Holocaust Remembrance Day – most millennials are woefully...

What Trump and Pelosi can learn from a different kind of shutdown that crippled the nation

Written by Thomas Kochan, Professor of Management, Co-Director of the MIT Sloan Institute for Work and Employment Research, MIT Sloan School of Management

Two sides of a dispute are at an impasse.

Both refuse to negotiate until the other side gives in to their central demand, with no reason to compromise. Animosity between the parties deepens as they hurl personal insults. The stalemate seems intractable as public costs mount.

While this may sound like it’s describing the government shutdown,...

Venezuela power struggle plunges nation into turmoil: 3 essential reads

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

Can one country really have two presidents?AP Photo/Boris Vergara

Just days after Venezuela’s authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro survived a Jan. 21 military coup attempt, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition-dominated legislature declared himself the country’s interim president.

“I swear to formally assume the...

Data privacy rules in the EU may leave the US behind

Written by Thomas Holt, Professor of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University

Should privacy mean different things depending which side of the Atlantic you live on?pixinoo/Shutterstock.com

France made headlines on Jan. 21 for fining Google US$57 million – the first fine to be issued for violations of the European Union’s newly implemented General Data Protection Regulations. GDPR, as it’s called, is meant...

Why it's wrong to label students 'at-risk'

Written by Ivory A. Toldson, Professor of Counseling Psychology, Howard University

The term "at-risk" is frequently used to describe students from challenging circumstances. Some educators are working to change that.Diego Cervo/www.shutterstock.com

Of all the terms used to describe students who don’t perform well in traditional educational settings, few are used as frequently– or as casually – as the term...

How to show gratitude to TSA workers

Written by Jeremy David Engels, Sherwin Early Career Professor in the Rock Ethics Institute, and Associate Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Pennsylvania State University

Food donated for TSA workers who continue to work without pay.AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

TSA workers are usually among the least-liked government employees. But these days many travelers passing through airports are taking a moment to express their gratitude to the furloughed workers putting in their hours without pay as the partial government...

Personal diplomacy has long been a presidential tactic, but Trump adds a twist

Written by Tizoc Chavez, Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Vanderbilt University

Trump's historic meeting with North Korea dictator Kim Jung Un on June 12, 2018, in Singapore. Trump recently told a crowd that the two leaders 'fell in love.'Evan Vucci/AP Photo

President Donald Trump plans a second meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in February in what will be another example of Trump’s personal diplomacy...