The Conversation

5 ways to help robots work together with people

Written by Nancy Cooke, Professor of Human Systems Engineering, Arizona State University

Making the most of human-robot collaborations will require good teamwork.WeStudio/Shutterstock.com

For most people today, robots and smart systems are servants that work in the background, vacuuming carpets or turning lights on and off. Or they’re machines that have taken over repetitive human jobs from assembly-line workers and bank tellers....

Low-income parents want a white picket fence, not just money, before getting married

Written by Christina Gibson-Davis, Associate Professor of Sociology, Duke University

Before they walk down the aisle, many couples want to own a house, have a bank account and have a job that offers health insurance.MNStudio/shutterstock.com

Marriage rates in the U.S. are declining, especially among the lowest-income Americans.

However, in October, wage growth in the U.S. hit a nine-year high, with low-wage workers seeing some of...

In Georgia's gubernatorial race, Stacey Abrams' strategy may make victory easier for future black candidates in the South

Written by Andra Gillespie, Associate Professor, Political Science, Emory University

Democrat Stacey Abrams was poised to become America’s first black female governor in Georgia during the 2018 midterms.

She lost by only 1.5 percentage points. Because of allegations of voter suppression, Abrams felt duty-bound to legally challenge potential voting irregularities before offering any type of concession. By the time she...

Companies blocked from using West Coast ports to export fossil fuels keep seeking workarounds

Written by Shawn Olson-Hazboun, Faculty, Graduate Program on the Environment, Evergreen State College

One of the many would-be sites for fossil fuel exports in Washington state.AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

A year after Washington state denied key permits for a coal-export terminal in the port city of Longview, the Army Corps of Engineers announced it would proceed with its review – essentially ignoring the state’s decision.

This dispute pits...

Trump, Saudi Arabia and the Khashoggi case: What would Obama have done?

Written by Steven Feldstein, Frank and Bethine Church Chair of Public Affairs & Associate Professor, School of Public Service, Boise State University

President Donald TrumpAP Photo/Evan Vucci

After weeks of ratcheting tension about who authorized the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, President Donald Trump sought to put an end to the debate.

He issued a blunt public statement asserting that “we may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi,”...

Rogue science strikes again: The case of the first gene-edited babies

Written by G. Owen Schaefer, Research Assistant Professor in Biomedical Ethics, National University of Singapore

Chinese scientists led by He Jiankui claimed they used CRISPR to modify human embryos that eventually were born as twin girls.AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

The idea of scientists tinkering with the genes of babies was once the provenance of science fiction, but now it’s entered the realm of reality: On Nov. 26, Chinese scientist He Jiankui...

The road to enhancement, via human gene editing, is paved with good intentions

Written by John Evans, Professor of Sociology, University of California San Diego

A Chinese scientist claims he edited the DNA of twin girls during an in vitro fertilization procedure. CI Photos / Shutterstock.com

It appears that researchers in China have facilitated the birth of the first “designer baby” – actually babies, twin girls who are supposedly genetically resistant to HIV. The scientist who created...

The key to fixing the gender gap in math and science: Boost women's confidence

Written by Lara Perez-Felkner, Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Sociology, Florida State University

Girls who are more confident in their math skills are more likely to pursue math-intensive degrees. Areipa.lt/shutterstock.com

The gender gap in math and science isn’t going away. Women remain less likely to enroll in math-heavy fields of study and pursue math-heavy careers. This pattern persists despite major studies finding no meaningful...

Why aren't there electric airplanes yet?

Written by Venkat Viswanathan, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

Building an electric airplane is very different from building an electric car or truck.Venkat Viswanathan, CC BY-ND

As electric cars and trucks appear increasingly on U.S. highways, it raises the question: When will commercially viable electric vehicles take to the skies? There are a number of ambitious efforts to build electric-powered airplanes,...

Kim Kardashian West and ecstasy: A reminder of the social dangers of the drug

Written by Joseph Palamar, Associate Professor of Population Health, New York University Langone Medical Center

Kim Kardashian West at the 50th anniversary of Cosmopolitan magazine, Oct. 12, 2015.Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock.com

Kim Kardashian West, who has a reputation for disdaining alcohol, discussed her past use of the drug ecstasy on a recent segment of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”

“I did ecstasy once, and I got married … I...