The Conversation

For tech giants, a cautionary tale from 19th century railroads on the limits of competition

Written by Richard White, Professor of American History, Stanford University

Southern Pacific steam engine No. 1364 in 1891.Wikimedia Commons

Late 19th-century Americans loved railroads, which seemed to eradicate time and space, moving goods and people more cheaply and more conveniently than ever before. And they feared railroads because in most of the country it was impossible to do business without them.

Businesses, and...

Most panhandling laws are unconstitutional since there's no freedom from speech

Written by Joseph W. Mead, Assistant Professor, Cleveland State University

Derek Cote, a homeless man, panhandling in the median strip on a street in Portland, MaineAP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Thousands of U.S. cities restrict panhandling in some way. These ordinances limit face-to-face soliciting, including interactions that occur on sidewalks and alongside roads, whether they are verbal or involve holding a sign.

According...

Italy’s economy has 'cronyism disease,' but will its next government treat it?

Written by Bruno Pellegrino, PhD Candidate in Business Economics, University of California, Los Angeles

The Five Star Movement's Luigi Di Maio and founder Beppe Grillo won big in the March 4 elections. AP Photo/Andrew Medichini

On March 4, Italy went to the polls in one of the most chaotic and unpredictable elections in recent memory. The result was in line with expectations: None of the three competing coalitions attained an outright majority.

Under...

Cutting pollution in the Chesapeake Bay has helped underwater grasses rebound

Written by Bill Dennison, Professor of Marine Science and Vice President for Science Applications, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Healthy aquatic vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay.Cassie Gurbisz/University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, CC BY-ND

Seagrasses are the “coastal canaries” of oceans and bays. When these underwater flowering plants are sick or dying, it means the ecosystem is in big trouble – typically due to pollution that reduces...

Pope Francis won't support women in the priesthood, but here's what he could do

Written by Lisa McClain, Professor of History and Gender Studies, Boise State University

Pope Francis will not ordain women to priesthood.L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo Via AP

On March 13, Pope Francis will complete his first five years as head of the Roman Catholic Church. Since his election, Pope Francis has engaged the estimated 1.2 billion Catholics and innumerable non-Catholics worldwide with his frank, inclusive talk on issues...

The Cold War's toxic legacy: Costly, dangerous cleanups at atomic bomb production sites

Written by William J. Kinsella, Professor, Department of Communication, North Carolina State University

Nuclear reactors line the bank of the Columbia River at the Hanford site in 1960.USDOE

Seventy-five years ago, in March 1943, a mysterious construction project began at a remote location in eastern Washington state. Over the next two years some 50,000 workers built an industrial site occupying half the area of Rhode Island, costing over US$230...

Republicans attacking Obamacare, one more time

Written by Simon F. Haeder, Assistant Professor of Political Science, West Virginia University

The landing page for 2018 enrollment on the ACA exchanges. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Republicans in Congress spent much of 2017 seeking to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. After repeated attempts failed, they celebrated a victory with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. While the tax bill left most of the ACA intact, it...

Food scholarships could help more students finish college

Written by Daphne Hernandez, Assistant Professor of Nutrition & Obesity Studies, University of Houston

Hunger among college students is a growing problem.Steve Cukrov/Shutterstock

It’s hard, if not impossible, to succeed in college if you’re hungry. Seems like such an easy concept that it’s not worth mentioning.

But behind that simple concept are some staggering statistics. According to the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, more than 50 percent...

'Trade wars are good'? 3 past conflicts tell a very different story

Written by Marc-William Palen, Lecturer in History, University of Exeter

These German steel coils may soon become more expensive for U.S. manufacturers.AP Photo/Martin Meissner

President Donald Trump renewed fears of a global trade war after he vowed to slap steep tariffs on foreign aluminum and steel.

The tariffs haven’t even been formally proposed, yet other countries are already threatening countermeasures. The...

Could there be another Billy Graham?

Written by Andrew Dole, Professor of Religion, Amherst College

Several thousand people gather at a rally in Washington in 1952 to hear Evangelist Billy Graham preach.AP Photo

At this time of Billy Graham’s passing, American evangelical Christianity looks to be in steep decline, at least judging by numbers. The proportion of white Americans who identify as evangelical has fallen from 23 percent of the...