The Conversation

Why treating addiction with medication should be carefully considered

Written by Scott Teitelbaum, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Florida

Vivitrol, a non-opioid medication, is used to treat some cases of opioid dependence. Addiction specialists stress that not all patients need medication, but that many do.AP Photo/Carla K. Carlson

When a patient has diabetes, doctors typically prescribe insulin, along with diet and exercise. When a patient has high blood pressure, we prescribe...

Trump's push for new offshore drilling is likely to run aground in California

Written by Charles Lester, Researcher, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz

Kelp and sardines in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.NOAA, CC BY

The Trump administration’s effort to dramatically expand federal offshore oil production has reignited a battle with California that dates back nearly 50 years.

On January 28, 1969, a blowout from Union Oil’s Platform A spilled more than 3.2 million gallons of...

Sessions' war on pot could speed up marijuana legalization nationwide

Written by Paul Seaborn, Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver

Customers lining up to legally buy recreational marijuana in West Hollywood, Calif.AP Photo/Richard Vogel

Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently clarified how the Trump administration intends to treat states that have legalized pot, which remains illegal on the federal level.

The Obama administration eventually took a relatively hands-off approach...

Improve your internet safety: 4 essential reads

Written by Jeff Inglis, Science + Technology Editor, The Conversation US

Staying safe online requires more than just a good password.Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com

On Feb. 6, technology companies, educators and others mark Safer Internet Day and urge people to improve their online safety. Many scholars and academic researchers around the U.S. are studying aspects of cybersecurity and have identified ways people can help...

Your next hearing aid could be a video game

Written by Dana Boebinger, Ph.D. student in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University

Video games can help train the brain to hear better.Monika Wisniewska/Shutterstock.com

Roughly 15 percent of Americans report some sort of hearing difficulty; trouble understanding conversations in noisy environments is one of the most common complaints. Unfortunately, there’s not much doctors or audiologists can do. Hearing aids can amplify...

How rich are the rich? If only you knew

Written by Gil B. Manzon Jr., Associate Professor of Accounting, Boston College

“If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets.”

Actor and comedian Chris Rock made this astute statement during a 2014 interview with New York magazine, referring to the yawning gap between rich and poor. In so doing, he stumbled upon a key challenge in the study of inequality.

What’s the best...

5 charts show why the South is the least healthy region in the US

Written by Jay Maddock, Dean and Professor of Public Health, Texas A&M University

A medical student examines a patient during daily rounds at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Year after year, southern states consistently rank among the worst in the U.S. for health and wellness.

This is not a new trend. The rankings have changed little over the last quarter century....

3 questions about the FISA court answered

Written by Lacey Wallace, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Pennsylvania State University

The E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse houses the FISA court. AP Photo/ Evan Vucci

On Feb. 2, President Donald Trump allowed the release of the previously classified “Nunes memo.” The memo, written by Republican congressional aides, criticized information used as the basis for a FISA court surveillance application related to the...

Trump and Nunes torch tradition of trust between Congress and FBI

Written by Douglas M. Charles, Associate Professor of History, Pennsylvania State University

Trump with FBI Director Christopher Wray on Dec. 15, 2017.AP Photo/Evan Vucci

President Donald Trump’s attacks on the FBI may have reached a climax.

In an apparent attempt to discredit Robert Mueller’s Russia probe, staff of the House Intelligence Committee on behalf of its chair Republican Devin Nunes of California, wrote and on Feb. 2 r...

The complex history of 'In God We Trust'

Written by David Mislin, Assistant Professor, Intellectual Heritage Program, Temple University

'In God we Trust' on dollar bills.Stepan Lytovchenko via www.shutterstock.com

In his first State of the Union address President Donald Trump sought to link religion with American identity.

“Together, we are rediscovering the American way. In America, we know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, are the center of the American...