The Conversation

Helping plants remove natural toxins could boost crop yields by 47 percent

Written by Paul South, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Genetically engineered tobacco plants growing in a greenhouse.Paul South, CC BY-ND

Can you imagine the entire population of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom and France going hungry?

You don’t need to imagine. That is exactly what happens every day when an estimated 815 million people around the globe go hungry....

How Catholic women fought against Vatican's prohibition on contraceptives

Written by Mary J. Henold, John R. Turbyfill Professor of History, Roanoke College

People dressed as sperm cells at Papal Nuncio building in The Hague for the sixth birthday of the encyclical, 'Humanae Vitae.'Nationaal Archief

Fifty years ago a fierce debate erupted in the Catholic Church over the papal document “Humanae Vitae,” which reiterated the church’s ban on artificial contraception. Six hundred...

Why care about undocumented immigrants? For one thing, they've become vital to key sectors of the US economy

Written by Mary Jo Dudley, Director of Cornell Farmworker Program, Cornell University

Suzanne Mayes reacts to Melania Trump's jacket as she collects toys for detained families.AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

While the nation’s attention is currently focused on the southern border, what’s being forgotten is that millions of undocumented immigrants continue to live in the U.S. – and most of them work.

And in fact, these...

Trump's new plan to consolidate federal food safety efforts won't work. Here's why

Written by Timothy D. Lytton, Distinguished University Professor & Professor of Law, Georgia State University

An FDA lab technician inspects food for contaminants in Lenexa, Kansas.AP Photo/Todd Feeback

The Trump administration on June 21 unveiled an ambitious plan to consolidate federal food safety efforts within the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Currently, 15 agencies throughout the federal government administer 35 different laws related to food safety...

Nationalism and piety dominate Turkey's election

Written by Resat Kasaba, Professor of International Studies, University of Washington

Under a canopy of Turkish flags, supporters of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) attend an election rally in Gaziantep, eastern TurkeyPresidency Press Service via AP, Pool

Turkey goes to the polls to vote for president and parliament on Sunday.

As a scholar of the history and politics of the Middle...

Las bebidas light pueden perjudicar tu dieta

Written by Eunice Zhang, Clinical Fellow of Preventive Medicine, University of Michigan

Coca-Cola es la gaseosa más popular del mundo. La versión original está hecha con azúcar, pero las otras contienen edulcorantes artificiales que ahora se relacionan con problemas de obesidad y diabetes.Chones/shutterstock.com

Read in English.

Los edulcorantes artificiales están en todas partes, pero el jurado...

El bombardeo de noticias falsas distorsiona la realidad en Venezuela

Written by Miguel Angel Latouche, Associate Professor, Universidad Central de Venezuela

Nota editorial: Este articulo se publicó por primera vez el 28 de agosto de 2017.Read in English.

La noticia corrió como pólvora a lo largo de las redes: Leopoldo López, el líder de la oposición venezolana preso en la cárcel militar de Ramo Verde ha muerto. Lo dijo Leopoldo Castillo, un conocido...

Physical therapy could lower need for opioids, but lack of money and time are hurdles

Written by Mark Bishop, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, University of Florida

Physical therapists Steven Hunter and Laura Hayes teach an unidentified patient lumbar stabilization exercises at the Equal Access Clinic in Gainesville, FloridaMaria Belen Farias, UF Health Photography, CC BY-SA

Physical therapists help people walk again after a stroke and recover after injury or surgery, but did you know they also prevent...

The Bezos-Buffett-Dimon health care venture: Eliminate the middlemen

Written by J.B. Silvers, Professor of Health Finance, Weatherhead School of Management & School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University

Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway, Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase created a health venture in January.AP File Photos.

The new health care venture formed by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase announced June 20 that Harvard professor and well-known author Atul Gawande would be the company’s CEO. The idea...

China cannot spend its way to soccer greatness

Written by Mary Gallagher, Professor of Political Science, University of Michigan

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, is one of the most powerful people on the planet.

He is also a soccer fan.

Since taking office in 2013, Xi has put soccer squarely at the center of his ambitious plan to turn China into a wealthy superpower. Xi has a “World Cup dream.” He wants China to qualify for, host and eventually win the World...