The Conversation

How the medical profession can help heal divisions as well as diseases

Written by Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University

Doctors can play a role not only in the treatment of their patients but also broader issuesmichaeljung/Shutterstock.com

Medicine need not be confined to the role of cultural bellwether, a sheep with a bell on its neck that reveals where the whole flock is headed. Along with other professions such as law, clergy and education, medicine can and...

The bizarre phenomenon of vacation surprise videos

Written by Jenna Drenten, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Loyola University Chicago

Sometimes the reaction doesn't go as planned.Lily & Chloe Official/YouTube

Parents have long surprised their kids with a family vacation.

However, the practice of parents recording their kids’ reactions – and then sharing them online – is a unique phenomenon of the social media age.

In the days after Christmas, you may have...

No, Trump is not like Obama on Middle East policy

Written by James L. Gelvin, Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, University of California, Los Angeles

President Donald Trump speaks at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq.(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

On Jan. 6, National Security Advisor John Bolton walked back President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would quickly withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, saying that such a withdrawal might actually take months or years.

Trump’s announcement came more...

Would bringing back pork-barrel spending end government shutdowns?

Written by Diana Evans, Professor of political science, Trinity College

Members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., second from right, walk toward the Capitol building, Jan. 4, 2019. AP/Andrew Harnik

For eight years, Congress has banned the use of earmarks, otherwise known as “pork-barrel spending.” Earmarks paid for pet projects of legislators back in their districts, as a way of...

Congress used to pass bipartisan legislation – will it ever again?

Written by Jeffrey D. Grynaviski, Professor of Political Science, Wayne State University

GOP President Ronald Reagan and Democratic House Speaker Tip O'Neill at the April, 1983 signing of bipartisan social security legislation.AP/Barry Thumma

Congress seemingly hasn’t accomplished much apart from a tax cut and criminal justice reform since the election of President Trump in 2016, despite all three branches being controlled by the...

Women who ran for Congress avoided women's issues in their campaign ads

Written by Shawn Parry-Giles, Professor of Communication, University of Maryland

Screenshot of 'Elaine Luria for Congress: Sea Change.'YouTube

A record number of women were sworn into Congress on Jan. 3.

The influx of women candidates helped turn the midterm election into what many observers dubbed a “Year of the Woman.”

But despite a tide of voter sentiment favoring women, these winners got to Congress or a...

Many hate crimes never make it into the FBI's database

Written by Sophie Bjork-James, Assistant Professor of the Practice in Anthropology, Vanderbilt University

A small memorial for Srinivas Kuchibhotla outside Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe, Kansas.AP Photo/Orlin Wagner

The FBI’s latest numbers showed a 17 percent increase in reported hate crimes in 2017.

But what does this actually say about the actual number of hate crimes occurring in the U.S.? Not much.

The Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990...

Why does it feel good to see someone fail?

Written by Shensheng Wang, Ph.D. Candidate in Psychology, Emory University

To feel a pang of pleasure at the misfortune of others is to be human.VixCompaNi/Shutterstock.com

In the Pixar animated film “Inside Out,” most of the plot plays out inside protagonist Riley’s head, where five emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger – direct her behavior.

The film was released to glowing...

Schools fall short when it comes to helping students in grief – here's how they can improve

Written by David Schonfeld, Director, National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement, University of Southern California

Many children experience the death of a loved one. How teachers respond matters.Blacqbook/www.shutterstock.com

An adolescent experiences the death of his mother after a lengthy illness.

When I ask what services he would like to receive from the school, he initially says he didn’t expect special treatment, would be embarrassed by counseling...

Amelia Earhart would have a hard time disappearing in 2019

Written by Brian Strzempkowski, Assistant Director, Center for Aviation Studies, The Ohio State University

Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Model 10-E Electra, with advanced navigation equipment mounted above the cockpit.USAF/Wikimedia Commons

When Amelia Earhart took off in 1937 to fly around the world, people had been flying airplanes for only about 35 years. When she tried to fly across the Pacific, she – and the world – knew it was risky. She...