The Conversation

1 in 4 government officials accused of sexual misconduct in the #MeToo era is still in office today

Written by Jamillah Williams, Associate Professor of Law, Georgetown University

Colorado state senator Randy Baumgardner was accused of inappropriately touching a former legislative aide.AP Photo/David Zalubowski

At least 138 government officials, in both elected and appointed positions, have been publicly reported for sexual harassment, assault, misconduct or violence against women since the 2016 election, according to an...

The big lessons of political advertising in 2018

Written by Erika Franklin Fowler, Associate Professor of Government, Wesleyan University

Screen shot of Beto O'Rourke's Facebook ad, 2018Facebook

The 2018 midterm elections are in the books, the winners have been declared and the 30-second attack ads are – finally – over.

As co-directors of the Wesleyan Media Project, which has tracked and analyzed campaign advertising since 2010, we spend a lot of time assessing trends in...

YouTube, persuasion and genetically engineered children

Written by George Estreich, Instructor, Oregon State University

In a masterfully manipulative Youtube video, He Jiankui tells the world about the first genetically edited babies.AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

On Sunday, Nov. 25, the scientist He Jiankui claimed the birth of the world’s first genetically engineered children: twins, created by IVF, their DNA altered at fertilization. Changes like these, because...

CRISPR babies raise an uncomfortable reality – abiding by scientific standards doesn't guarantee ethical research

Written by J. Benjamin Hurlbut, Associate Professor of Life Sciences, Arizona State University

What does oversight really ensure?Ousa Chea/Unsplash, CC BY

Uncertainty continues to swirl around scientist He Jiankui’s gene editing experiment in China. Using CRISPR technology, He modified a gene related to immune function in human embryos and transferred the embryos to their mother’s womb, producing twin girls.

Many questions about...

Screening the human future: YouTube, persuasion and genetically engineered children

Written by George Estreich, Instructor, Oregon State University, Oregon State University

In a masterfully manipulative Youtube video, He Jiankui tells the world about the first genetically edited babies.AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

George H.W. Bush understood that markets and the environment weren't enemies

Written by Matthew Kahn, Professor of Economics, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

President George H.W. Bush (right) fishing on the Kennebunk River in Maine, Aug. 27, 1990. AP Photo/Doug Mills

Former President George H.W. Bush, who died on Nov. 30, was admirable for many reasons, from his skillful leadership through the end of the Cold War to his personal warmth and courtesy. As an environmental economist, I believe his approach...

Climate change is shrinking winter snowpack, which harms Northeast forests year-round

Written by Andrew Reinmann, Assistant Professor, CUNY Graduate Center

Snowpack protects tree roots and soil from harmful freeze/thaw cycles.Rebecca Siegel, CC BY

Climate change often conjures up images of heat, drought and hurricanes. But according to the latest U.S. National Climate Assessment, released on Nov. 23, 2018, winters have warmed three times faster than summers in the Northeast in recent years. These...

How Hanukkah came to America

Written by Dianne Ashton, Professor of Religion, Rowan University

In the United States, Hanukkah has gained much significance.Tercer Ojo Photography/Shutterstock.com

Hanukkah may be the best known Jewish holiday in the United States. But despite its popularity in the U.S., Hanukkah is ranked one of Judaism’s minor festivals, and nowhere else does it garner such attention. The holiday is mostly a domestic...

Why we'll miss George H.W. Bush, America's last foreign policy president

Written by James Goldgeier, Professor at the School of International Service and Visiting Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, American University School of International Service

Unlike every president who followed him, George H.W. Bush had a background in foreign policy. In 1972, Bush was serving as U.S. ambassador to the U.N.AP Photo/Dave Pickoff

There are many reasons to miss George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States. A World War II hero, he later served his country with great distinction in a number of...

Why companies should help pay for the biodiversity that’s good for their bottom line

Written by Joanne Burgess, Assistant Professor of Economics, Colorado State University

Like Dr. Seuss' imaginary truffula trees, baobabs are endangered. Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock.com

In the “The Lorax,” an entrepreneur regrets wiping out all the make-believe truffala trees by chopping them down to maximize his short-term gains. As the Dr. Seuss tale ends, the Once-ler – the man responsible for this environmental...