The Conversation

Federal employees work for both Democrats and Republicans – even Kellyanne Conway

Written by Matthew May, Research Associate, Boise State University

Federal ethics lawyers determined earlier this month that White House adviser Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits a variety of political activities by federal employees. During two television appearances last year, Conway, a Republican, had encouraged Alabama voters to vote against the Democratic senate candidate in a special...

Don't quit Facebook, but don't trust it, either

Written by Denise Anthony, Professor of Sociology, Dartmouth College

What is this man doing with your data?AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

Is it time to give up on social media? Many people are thinking about that in the wake of revelations regarding Cambridge Analytica’s questionable use of personal data from over 50 million Facebook users to support the Trump campaign. Not to mention the troubles with data theft, trol...

La esterilización forzada perjudicó a miles en California, especialmente a las mujeres latinas

Written by Nicole L. Novak, Postdoctoral Research Scholar, University of Iowa

Tarjeta postal del Hospital Estatal de Napa en Napa, California, alrededor de 1905. Más de 1.900 californianos fueron recomendados para la esterilización mientras los pacientes estaban aquí.La colección de Alex Wellerstein

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Iris López tenía 18 años cuando en 1942 comenzó a...

Forced sterilization programs in California once harmed thousands – particularly Latinas

Written by Nicole L. Novak, Postdoctoral Research Scholar, University of Iowa

Postcard of the Napa State Hospital in Napa, Calif., circa 1905. Over 1,900 Californians were recommended for sterilization while patients here.The collection of Alex Wellerstein

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In 1942, 18-year-old Iris Lopez, a Mexican-American woman, started working at the Calship Yards in Los Angeles. Working on the home front building Vi...

Mitochondria mutation mystery solved: Random sorting helps get rid of duds

Written by Arunas L. Radzvilavicius, Postdoctoral Researcher of Evolutionary Biology, University of Pennsylvania

When a cell divides, mitochondria are randomly allotted to the resulting new cells.Odra Noel. Wellcome Images, CC BY-NC

You probably know about the 23 pairs of chromosomes safely stowed in your cells’ nuclei. That’s where the vast majority of your genes can be found. But there are 37 special genes — a very tiny fraction of the...

Want to fight crime? Plant some flowers with your neighbor

Written by Marc A Zimmerman, Professor, University of Michigan

Flint, Mich., has one of the highest crime rates in the country for a city of its size. One neighborhood has found a novel way to fight back.Carlos Osorio/AP Images

Neighborhoods struggling with physical decline and high crime often become safer simply when local residents work together to fix up their neighborhood.

My colleagues and I at the Univers...

How energy storage is starting to rewire the electricity industry

Written by Eric Hittinger, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Rochester Institute of Technology

Grid-scale energy storage systems may make it easier to rely completely on renewable energy.petrmalinak/Shutterstock.com

The market for energy storage on the power grid is growing at a rapid clip, driven by declining prices and supportive government policies.

Based on our research on the operation and costs of electricity grids, especially the benefi...

School resource officers can prevent tragedies, but training is key

Written by Elizabeth Englander, Professor of Psychology, and the Director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC), Bridgewater State University

Police in front of Great Mills High School, the scene of a shooting on March 20, 2018, in Great Mills, Md.Alex Brandon/AP

Despite legitimate concerns about the effects of placing school resource officers in the nation’s schools, the reality is having these officers on a school’s campus can literally save lives and avert tragedy.

That...

Public support for animal rights goes beyond keeping dogs out of overhead bins

Written by Garrett M. Broad, Assistant Professor of Communication and Media Studies, Fordham University

Dogs can become as close to you as any other person – but are they 'legal persons'?Olena Yakobchuk/Shutterstock.com

A French bulldog named Kokito recently died aboard a United Airlines plane after a flight attendant ordered his owner to place him in an overhead bin.

Public outrage ensued. Proposed bipartisan legislation, now pending in the...

Red state, blue state: How colors took sides in politics

Written by David Scott Kastan, George M. Bodman Professor of English, Yale University

For decades, each party simply used a combination of red, white and blue. palbrigo/shutterstock.com

When Americans hear some pundits projecting a “blue wave” in the 2018 midterm elections, they understand that this is a prediction of a big Democratic victory. Blue of course symbolizes the Democratic party, while red represents the GOP.

T...