The Conversation

Women in tech suffer because of American myth of meritocracy

Written by Banu Ozkazanc-Pan, Visiting Associate Professor of Engineering, Brown University

Will they disrupt the tech sector? Reuters/Eduardo Munoz

The American dream is built on the notion that the U.S. is a meritocracy. Americans believe success in life and business can be earned by anyone willing to put in the hard work necessary to achieve it, or so they say.

Thus, Americans commonly believe that those who are successful deserve to...

Why genetics makes some people more vulnerable to opioid addiction – and protects others

Written by Jill Turner, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina

Every day, 91 Americans die from an opioid overdose. Rates of abuse of these drugs have shot up over the past 15 years and continue to climb.

Why is this happening? Is there hope for helping individuals with opioid addiction?

From a scientific standpoint, addiction is a disease. And, as researchers who study opioid addiction, we’re hopeful...

Rap music's path from pariah to Pulitzer

Written by Lakeyta Bonnette-Bailey, Associate Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University

Kendrick Lamar performs during the Festival d'ete de Quebec on July 7, 2017.Amy Harris/AP Photo

Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize win is a major milestone for hip-hop, a genre that celebrates its 45th birthday this August.

It’s also a triumph that many, a mere decade ago, would have never predicted. As someone who teaches and studies the...

Global timber trafficking harms forests and costs billions of dollars – here's how to curb it

Written by Kenneth E. Wallen, Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, University of Arkansas

Illegally logged rosewood in Antalaha, Madagascar, 22 February 2005.Erik Patel, CC BY-SA

If a tree falls in the forest, do you care how it was brought down?

Few people think about where the wood in their furniture, floors or doors comes from or how it got there. And few would guess that one of the most illegally traded wild products worldwide is a...

Why does a president demand loyalty from people who work for him?

Written by Yu Ouyang, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Purdue University Northwest

President Donald Trump and former FBI Director James Comey.AP Photo/Evan Vucci, left, and Andrew Harnik

Former FBI Director James Comey’s story has gradually been unveiled, culminating in the release of his memoir, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership.”

What makes Comey’s account of life in public service noteworthy...

Aneurysm strikes baseball pitcher, but why? A neurosurgeon explains the mysterious condition

Written by Brian Hoh, Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Florida

Danny Farquhar's fellow relief pitchers hung up Farquhar's jersey in the Chicago White Sox bullpen on April 21, 2018, to show their support.AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Danny Farquhar, 31, suffered a brain hemorrhage in the White Sox dugout after throwing 15 pitches Friday night, April 20, devastating his family, teammates...

How images change our race bias

Written by S. Brent Rodriguez-Plate, Visiting Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Hamilton College

Images are not static. They grab our attention, incite desire, alter our relations to others, and tweak our beliefs, as they usher us into new worlds.

When “Black Panther” was released, Baye McNeil, a former Brooklynite now living in Japan, was thrilled. As he told The Japan Times, he joined “a group of palpably positive brothers...

Delivering VR in perfect focus with nanostructure meta-lenses

Written by Federico Capasso, Professor of Applied Physics, Senior Research Fellow in Electrical Engineering, Harvard University

Could there be a future with smaller, less bulky VR headsets?Jean-Marc Giboux/AP Images for Siemens

If wearing a virtual reality or augmented reality headset is ever to become commonplace, hardware manufacturers will need to figure out how to make the devices small and lightweight while ensuring their images are sharp and clear. Unfortunately, this...

Wind energy's swift growth, explained

Written by John Hall, Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, left, speaks with Deepwater Wind CEO Jeffery Grybowski in 2016.AP Photo/Steven Senne

The wind industry is growing quickly around the world, especially in China and the U.S., where the total amount of electricity generated by wind turbines nearly doubled between 2011 and 2017.

All told, about 25 percent of global...

Should you insure that trip or TV? Here's what an economist would do

Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Economist and Research Scientist, The Ohio State University

Offers of extended warranties are increasingly becoming the norm for TVs and other relatively inexpensive goods. AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

You can buy insurance for practically anything these days.

Planning a vacation to France? Your airline, travel agent or even hotel will likely offer trip insurance in case you need to change your dates or cancel....