The Conversation

What employers can do to stop the next Larry Nassar

Written by Elizabeth C. Tippett, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Oregon

Larry Nassar will spend the rest of his life in prison for his crimes. Should anyone else bear responsibility? AP Photo/Paul Sancya

The criminal case against Larry Nassar ended on Jan. 24 after the testimony of more than 100 former gymnasts led to what amounts to a lifetime prison sentence for sex crimes.

The legal saga surrounding his decades of...

Americans are saving energy by staying at home

Written by Ashok Sekar, Postdoctoral Fellow, Energy Systems Transformation (EST) Research Group, University of Texas at Austin

www.shutterstock.com

Information and communication technologies are radically transforming modern lifestyles. They are redefining our concept of “space” by turning homes and coffee shops into workspaces. (This article was written in a coffee shop.) Instead of going to the theater, many people sit in the comfort of their homes and stream...

How mass incarceration harms U.S. health, in 5 charts

Written by Emily Nagisa Keehn, Associate Director, Human Rights Program, Harvard Law School, Harvard University

The U.S. incarcerates a higher percentage of its citizens than any other country in the world.

There’s little doubt among researchers that mass incarceration is wreaking havoc on our society, in particular on people of color, LGBTQ and the poor. What’s often overlooked in this discussion is the damage that prisons and jails do to our...

Online social networks can help fight social anxiety

Written by Eva Buechel, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of South Carolina

People feeling anxious about social interactions can find support and solace on social media.Dean Drobot/Shutterstock.com

Ever since online social networks were first created, people have wondered why they’re popular and how they affect users. Researchers, practitioners and social commentators have expressed concern that they reduce more...

Want to be president of Mexico? There's an app for that

Written by Ana C. de Alba, PhD Candidate at The Fletcher School, Tufts University

When Mexicans go to the polls to elect their next president in July, their choices will include — for the first time in history — independent candidates with no political party affiliation.

Last fall, 48 independent aspirants threw their hats in the presidential ring, hoping to cash in on widespread anger at the Mexican political...

3 key quotes from Trump's first State of the Union, explained

Written by Steven Pressman, Professor of Economics, Colorado State University

Editor’s note: President Donald Trump, in his first State of the Union address, took credit for a growing economy, urged Congress to invest more in infrastructure and defense and promoted an immigration plan that ties citizenship for Dreamers to border security and an end to family-based migration. During the 80-minute speech – the...

Why Amazon and friends' plan could be a major disrupter of health care system

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

Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase’s announcement that they will create an independent company to offer health care to their employees “free from profit-making incentives and constraints” sent a shock through the health care industry, with share prices of some incumbents tumbling on Jan. 30.

Of course, this is not a...

Trump's path to citizenship for 1.8 million will leave out nearly half of all Dreamers

Written by Kevin Johnson, Dean and Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o Studies, University of California, Davis

Anxiously awaiting the State of the UnionAP Photo/Susan Walsh

Which “Dreamers” will be given legal recourse to stay in the U.S., and which ones will be left out?

This is the central question surrounding current debate in Washington over a group of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. The scramble for a...

Can scientists learn to make 'nature forecasts' just as we forecast the weather?

Written by Michael Dietze, Associate Professor of Earth and Environment, Boston University

Images created by NASA with satellite data helped the U.S. Department of Agriculture analyze outbreak patterns for southern pine beetles in Alabama, in spring 2016.NASA

Imagine that spring has finally arrived and you’re planning your weekend. The weather forecast looks great. You could go to the beach – but what if it’s closed...

Talent doesn't explain the success of the Patriots and Eagles

Written by Kyle Emich, Assistant Professor of Management, University of Delaware

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talks to players during a game against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 17, 2017.AP Photo/Butch Dill

The New England Patriots lost their best wide receiver to an ACL tear before the season started. Two months later, Patriots defensive captain and Pro Bowl linebacker Dont'a Hightower tore his pectoral muscle, ending...