The Conversation

The US economy likely just entered its longest ever expansion – here's who's benefiting in 3 charts

Written by Steven Pressman, Professor of Economics, Colorado State University

Not everyone gets an equal share. TimeShops/Shutterstock.com

The U.S. economy likely surpassed an important milestone last month: Americans are now experiencing the longest economic expansion in the nation’s history, assuming the data still being collected bears this out.

This is certainly good news and something to celebrate. But, as an econo...

Sugar substitutes: Is one better or worse for diabetes? For weight loss? An expert explains

Written by Jamie Pitlick, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice , Drake University

Sugar and artificial sweeteners comes in many shapes and colors.New Africa/Shutterstock.com

Wandering through the grocery store, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the numerous brands and health claims on the dozens of sugar substitutes. It can be particularly confusing for those with diabetes or pre-diabetes who must keep their blood sugar in check...

Florida makes the restoration of voting rights contingent on criminal debt payments

Written by Victoria Shineman, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, right, signed the measure state lawmakers approved.AP Photo/Steve Cannon

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a measure approved by state lawmakers that makes the restoration of voting rights for people convicted of felonies contingent on having paid off all criminal debt associated with their conviction.

A coalition of...

Half a million American minors now live in Mexico

Written by Claudia Masferrer, Assistant Professor at Centre for Demographic, Urban and Environmental Studies, The College of Mexico, A.C.

Children in this group are growing up with roots in both the U.S. and Mexico.Aleks_Shutter/Shutterstock.com

While much of the current news has been focused on Central American migrants making their way through Mexico to the U.S., little attention has been paid to a different migration story: the number of American-born minors – all U.S....

Controlling weeds on playing fields, parks and lawns without herbicides

Written by Jason Henderson, Associate Professor of Turfgrass and Soil Sciences, University of Connecticut

Grass surfaces require a lot of maintenance, especially in high-traffic areas.Jason Henderson, CC BY-ND

Turfgrass covers more than 40 million acres of land in the continental United States, including lawns, parks, commercial landscapes, sports fields and golf courses. It is the single largest irrigated crop in the nation.

Turfgrasses are grass...

Liberals and conservatives have wildly different TV-viewing habits – but these 5 shows bring everyone together

Written by Johanna Blakley, Managing Director, The Norman Lear Center, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Political fissures extend to the TV screen.vilax/Shutterstock.com

There’s been a lot of concern about how conservatives and liberals consume their news from sources that merely confirm their preexisting beliefs. The result, supposedly, has been a disintegration of a shared reality and a fracturing of the nation’s political life.

But...

How can you tell if another person, animal or thing is conscious? Try these 3 tests

Written by Tam Hunt, Affiliate Guest in Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara

Researchers have ideas how to probe consciousness in another.agsandrew/Shutterstock.com

How can you know that any animal, other human beings, or anything that seems conscious, isn’t just faking it? Does it enjoy an internal subjective experience, complete with sensations and emotions like hunger, joy, or sadness? After all, the only...

Why the Supreme Court asked for an explanation of the 2020 census citizenship question

Written by Kevin Johnson, Dean and Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o Studies, University of California, Davis

Immediately before the Supreme Court’s summer recess each year, it releases decisions in some of its most challenging and significant cases.

This year was no different.

On June 27, the last day of the term, the Supreme Court decided Department of Commerce v. New York, a case exploring legal issues surrounding the addition of the question,...

Democrats debate the repeal of Section 1325 – what you need to know about the immigration law that criminalizes unauthorized border crossings

Written by Kit Johnson, Associate Professor of Law, University of Oklahoma

Julián Castro skewered the immigration provision during the first Democratic debate. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

During the first Democratic presidential debate of the 2020 race, former Housing and Urban Development secretary Julián Castro challenged all candidates to join his call for the repeal of a controversial immigration law.

The law, S...

Sequencing the genome of newborns in the US: Are we ready?

Written by Tom Diacovo, Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of UPMC Division of Newborn Medicine, University of Pittsburgh

Every child born in the U.S. has a blood sample taken to screen for genetic diseases. Helen Sushitskaya/Shutterstock.com

Twenty-four to 48 hours after birth, every newborn in the U.S. will have a few drops of blood drawn and sent to a lab to be screened for hidden and potentially life-threatening disorders. This process, known as universal newborn...