The Conversation

New sanctions on Russia and Iran are unlikely to work. Here's why

Written by David Cortright, Director of Policy Studies, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

Sanctions are much in demand these days as a tool of American foreign policy.

Members of Congress want tough new sanctions against Russia for its interference in American elections. Sanctions will remain in place against North Korea, the White House says, until Pyongyang shows progress toward denuclearization. And after tearing up the Iran nuclear...

The infantilization of Western culture

Written by Simon Gottschalk, Professor of Sociology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

What happens when an entire society succumbs to childlike behavior and discourse?Elantseva Marina

If you regularly watch TV, you’ve probably seen a cartoon bear pitching you toilet paper, a gecko with a British accent selling you auto insurance and a bunny in sunglasses promoting batteries.

This has always struck me as a bit odd. Sure, it...

Overhydrating presents health hazards for young football players

Written by Tamara Hew-Butler, Associate Professor of Exercise and Sports Studies, Wayne State University

Thomas Johnson drinks Gatorade at a 'Beat the Heat' event the company sponsored in Fort Worth, Texas, June 10, 2013.Brandon Wade/Invision for Gatorade/AP Photo

With August football practice fast approaching, every coach’s favorite cheer will be to “stay hydrated” and “keep urine clear” during the summer heat.

In 2017,...

The demise of US nuclear power in 4 charts

Written by Ahmed Abdulla, Assistant Research Scientist, Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego

California's San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station was shut down in 2013. julius fekete/shutterstock.com

In 2025, the second of two nuclear reactors at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in California will be shut down. Locally, critics of the technology will rejoice at the fulfillment of their ultimate goal: a nuclear-free California.

At the same time,...

Parts of the Pacific Northwest's Cascadia fault are more seismically active than others – new imaging data suggests why

Written by Miles Bodmer, PhD Student in Earth Sciences, University of Oregon

What's going on 150 kilometers below the Earth's surface?Good Free Photos

The Pacific Northwest is known for many things – its beer, its music, its mythical large-footed creatures. Most people don’t associate it with earthquakes, but they should. It’s home to the Cascadia megathrust fault that runs 600 miles from Northern...

Is Trump profiting from his office in violation of the Constitution? Judge allows emoluments case to move ahead

Written by Mark Kende, Professor of Law, Drake University

Did Maine Gov. Paul LePage stay at a Trump hotel to ingratiate himself with the president?AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Donald Trump has repeatedly been accused of financially profiting from being president of the United States.

Significantly, on July 25, a U.S. district judge for the District of Maryland rejected Trump’s effort to dismiss a case...

What the early church thought about God's gender

Written by David Wheeler-Reed, Visiting Assistant Professor, Albertus Magnus College

All Saints Episcopal Church, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Carolyn Fitzpatrick

The Episcopal Church has decided to revise its 1979 prayer book, so that God is no longer referred to by masculine pronouns.

The prayer book, first published in 1549 and now in its fourth edition, is the symbol of unity for the Anglican Communion. The Anglican Communion is...

Why I use Harry Potter to teach a college course on child development

Written by Georgene Troseth, Associate Professor of Psychology, Vanderbilt University

Harry Potter books have captured the imaginations of entire generations.Clark Jones/Courtesy of Scholastic, Inc./AP

In an effort to find a more engaging way to present child development to new psychology students, I decided to use a book about a little orphan boy who later discovers he is a wizard.

As the course evolved over the years, I found...

Citizenship through the eyes of those who have lost the right to vote

Written by Kimberly R. Kras, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies , University of Massachusetts Lowell

A fundamental right of U.S. citizenship is having your voice heard by voting to elect representatives. However, at least 6 million U.S. citizens cannot vote in the United States because they have been convicted of a felony.

Losing the right to vote is among numerous other consequences of being convicted of a crime. This so-called “civil...

Niños centroamericanos siguen migrando a EEUU porque huyen de la muerte

Written by Julio Ernesto Acuna Garcia, Assistant Professor, Economics Department, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador)

La violencia de pandillas y sus crecientes redes criminales han convertido a El Salvador, Honduras y Guatemala -países conocidos como el “Triángulo del Norte”- en una de las zonas más peligrosas del mundo.

La tasa de homicidios en El Salvador en 2016 -109 asesinatos por cada 100.000 personas- fue 25 veces la de...