The Conversation

Experiments with optical tweezers race to test the laws of quantum mechanics

Written by Mishkat Bhattacharya, Associate Professor in the School of Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology

A silica sphere with a radius of 50 nanometers is trapped levitating in a beam of light. J. Adam Fenster, University of Rochester, CC BY-SA

One might think that the optical tweezer – a focused laser beam that can trap small particles – is old hat by now. After all, the tweezer was invented by Arthur Ashkin in 1970. And he received the N...

Concussion prevention: Sorting through the science to see what's sound

Written by James Smoliga, Professor of Physiology, Department of Physical Therapy, High Point University

Linebacker Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia Oct. 21, 2018.Matt Rourke/AP Photo

As his helmet collided violently with his opponent’s shoulder, Luke Kuechly looked like a life-size bobblehead doll. In an instant, the Carolina Panthers star linebacker suffered yet another concussion....

What's behind the dramatic rise in 3-generation households?

Written by Natasha Pilkauskas, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, University of Michigan

In 2016, nearly 10 percent of American kids were living in three-generation households, like this one in Detroit, Michigan.AP Photo/Paul Sancya

In a recent study, I discovered that the number of kids living with their parents and grandparents – in what demographers call a three-generation household – has nearly doubled over the past two...

Florida restores voting rights to 1.5 million citizens, which might also decrease crime

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

People in Miami learn about Amendment 4.AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

Voters in Florida approved a ballot measure on Tuesday that restores voting rights to citizens with felony convictions once they have completed their full sentence.

The newly elected Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis opposed the measure called Amendment 4. But more than 64 percent of Florida...

Marijuana expands into 3 more states, but nationwide legalization still unlikely

Written by Daniel J. Mallinson, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Administration, School of Public Affairs, Pennsylvania State University

Has marijuana legalization reached a tipping point?AP Photo/David Dermer, File

The midterm elections have further loosened marijuana restrictions in the United States. Voters in three of four states with ballot proposals on marijuana approved those initiatives.

In Utah and Missouri, voters on Tuesday decided that patients should have access to...

2 economic policies likely to change with Democrats in control of House

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

House Democrats will finally have a say in economic policy. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the midterm elections was that, unlike 2016, there wasn’t one. Polls and pundits expected Democrats would take control of the House and Republicans would keep the Senate, and that’s exactly what we’re getting.

Th...

What image will define the 2018 election?

Written by Bob Britten, Teaching Associate Professor, West Virginia University

Images of Donald Trump from the midterm campaign.Illustration by Bob Britten

Every election has its iconic images. Or does it?

There are standout images from previous campaigns. Barack Obama’s “Hope” poster, with all its homages and parodies, is a classic example.

A supporter holds the poster of Barack Obama by Shepard Fairey, in...

Threats remain to US voting system – and voters' perceptions of reality

Written by Richard Forno, Senior Lecturer, Cybersecurity & Internet Researcher, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

As Americans go to the polls, the voting process and the information environment are still not secure.AP Photo/David Goldman

As the 2018 midterms proceed, there are still significant risks to the integrity of the voting system – and information warfare continues to try to influence the American public’s choices when they cast their...

Hurricanes and water wars threaten the Gulf Coast's new high-end oyster industry

Written by Daniel R. Petrolia, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University

Gulf Coast oysters on the half shell at Wintzell's, Mobile, Ala. donireewalker, CC BY

For Cainnon Gregg, 2018 started out as a great year. After leaving his job as an installation artist to become a full-time oyster farmer in Wakulla County, Florida in 2017, Gregg began raising small oysters in baskets or bags suspended in the shallow, productive...

A game plan for technology companies to actually help save the world

Written by Bhaskar Chakravorti, Dean of Global Business, The Fletcher School, Tufts University

Working together, people and technology companies can make a lot of progress.Pedro Tavares/Shutterstock.com

Smartphones, computers and social media platforms have become indispensable parts of modern life, but the technology companies that make them and write their software are under siege. In any given week, Facebook or Google or Amazon does...