The Conversation

Collaboration, not fighting, is what the rural West is really about

Written by Steven C. Beda, Instructor of History, University of Oregon

Harney County, Ore., sign.Wikimedia/Ken Lund, CC BY-SA

Dick Jenkins is a fourth-generation rancher living in Oregon’s most remote county. I wanted to know why he continues living in a rural community, even though life elsewhere might be easier.

“Taking care of [the land] is worth more than all the money in the world,” he told me....

My thoughts are my password, because my brain reactions are unique

Written by Wenyao Xu, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

A test subject entering a brain password.Wenyao Xu, et al., CC BY-ND

Your brain is an inexhaustible source of secure passwords – but you might not have to remember anything. Passwords and PINs with letters and numbers are relatively easily hacked, hard to remember and generally insecure. Biometrics are starting to take their place, with...

Republican women are just fine, thank you, with being Republican

Written by Christine A. Kray, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Rochester Institute of Technology

'Women for Trump' listening to President Donald Trump speak at a campaign rally in Wheeling, WV, in September.AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

Republican women have faced a conundrum repeatedly in the last two years.

In the cases of Donald Trump, Roy Moore and Brett Kavanaugh, the question facing them has been whether to support a male Republican leader...

Hambre mundial aumenta por tercer año consecutivo debido al cambio climático

Written by Jessica Eise, Ross Fellow in the Brian Lamb School of Communication Doctoral Program, Purdue University

Un hombre camina por un invernadero al noreste de Uganda, donde se enseñan técnicas de agricultura sostenible, como cultivos resistentes a las sequías y plantación de árboles. Fotografía del 19 de octubre de 2017.AP Photo/Adelle Kalakouti

El hambre en el mundo ha aumentado por tercer año consecutivo,...

Democrats can't count on Latinos to swing the midterms

Written by Steffen W. Schmidt, Lucken Endowed Professor of Political Science, Iowa State University

Latinos make up 12 percent of all registered voters in the US, but less than half vote regularly.AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File

Democrats are ready to turn out in record numbers for November’s midterm elections, surveys show, particularly women and older voters.

But not all members of the party are as motivated.

Democrats have “a Latino...

How American tax laws encourage inequality

Written by Anthony C. Infanti, Professor of Law, University of Pittsburgh

People of color, women and the LGBTQ community are just some of the groups who often get slighted with tax reforms.Andrey_Popov/shutterstock.com

Talk of tax reform always seems to be in the air.

Last fall, Republicans in Congress hastily pushed through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, hailing it as “historic legislation” and “once-in-a-g...

Migrant caravan members have right to claim asylum – here's why getting it will be hard

Written by Abigail Stepnitz, PhD Candidate, University of California, Berkeley

Roughly 5,000 people, mostly from Central America’s violent and unstable “Northern Triangle” of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras are reportedly making their way through Mexico with the intention of claiming asylum at the U.S. border. The so-called “migrant caravan” is attracting intense social and political...

Reclaiming video games' queer past before it disappears

Written by Adrienne Shaw, Associate Professor of Media and Communication, Temple University

The cover of the ‘GayBlade’ game, scanned by designer Ryan Best.LGBTQ Game Archive, Author provided

The role of video games in queer communities is finally being recognized – but it’s almost too late.

For 30 years, GLAAD, a leading advocate for LGBTQ visibility in the media, has honored TV shows that positively represent...

Energy transitions are nothing new but the one underway is unprecedented and urgent

Written by Brian C. Black, Distinguished Professor of History and Environmental Studies, Pennsylvania State University

A horse-drawn fire vehicle turns the corner at the intersection of West 43rd Street and Broadway in New York City about a century ago.Library of Congress

The combustion of oil, gas and coal have made possible a much higher standard of living for humans through radical innovations in technology and science over the past 150 years. Yet for decades,...

What kind of support do breast cancer patients want? Food, rides and prayer

Written by Tisha Felder, Assistant Professor of Nursing, University of South Carolina

There are lots of ways to support a friend through breast cancer. Sharing the journey is key, studies suggest. Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

For 31 days every October, pink ribbons and #BCAM hashtags flood our social media timelines with information about breast cancer. That’s because key cancer and medical groups declared October as National...