The Conversation

Taxing the rich to help the poor? Here's what the Bible says

Written by Mathew Schmalz, Associate Professor of Religion, College of the Holy Cross

Biblical principles have provided an understanding on how to help the needy.Lamppost Collective/Shutterstock.com

The new tax reform bill has led to an intense debate over whether it would help or hurt the poor. Tax reform in general raises critical issues about whether the government should redistribute income and promote equality in the first...

For baby's brain to benefit, read the right books at the right time

Written by Lisa Scott, Associate Professor in Psychology, University of Florida

How can you maximize reading's rewards for baby?aijiro/Shutterstock.com

Parents often receive books at pediatric checkups via programs like Reach Out and Read and hear from a variety of health professionals and educators that reading to their kids is critical for supporting development.

The pro-reading message is getting through to parents, who...

What will Trump's declaration on Jerusalem mean to Palestinians?

Written by Maha Nassar, Assistant Professor in the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies, University of Arizona

When President Donald Trump on Dec. 5 recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, he not only effectively endorsed Israel’s de facto annexation of East Jerusalem, which Palestinians have also long claimed as their own – he also radically altered the direction of American foreign policy in the Middle East.

Since 1993, successive...

Honduras's election crisis is likely to end in violence

Written by Lirio Gutiérrez Rivera, Assistant Professor in Political Science, Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Violence erupted across Honduras as the country responded to a presidential election that's too close to call. No matter who wins, the bloodshed is likely to continue.AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd

The violent election crisis in Honduras, where both incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernández and challenger Salvador Nasralla are claiming victory in the...

Will artificial intelligence become conscious?

Written by Subhash Kak, Regents Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Oklahoma State University

What's the link between technology and consciousness?AlexLMX/Shutterstock.com

Forget about today’s modest incremental advances in artificial intelligence, such as the increasing abilities of cars to drive themselves. Waiting in the wings might be a groundbreaking development: a machine that is aware of itself and its surroundings, and that...

California fire damage to homes is less 'random' than it seems

Written by Faith Kearns, Academic Coordinator, California Institute for Water Resources, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Can California update its building codes to minimize fire damage?AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

In the midst of the many wildfire emergencies that have faced California this year, it can often seem that the way houses burn, or don’t, is random.

The thing is, though, it’s not. Firefighters and researchers alike have a pretty solid understanding of...

Who's to blame for keeping Time's #MeToo 'silence breakers' silent?

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

Time magazine recognized the #MeToo movement as its 'person' of the year.Faye Sadou/MediaPunch/IPX

Time magazine just named the #MeToo movement its “person” of the year, recognizing the women and men who raised their voices against abuses of power as the “silence breakers.”

For decades, victims of sexual harassment have...

Eating out might be devouring your food budget – and you probably have no idea

Written by Amit Sharma, Professor, Hospitality Finance, Director, Food Decisions Research Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University

Diners eat at Katz's Delicatessen in New York, New York.Seth Wenig/AP Photo

If you were to guess how much you spend on eating out per month, chances are you’ll miss the mark by a quite a bit.

In a recent study, I found that adults tend to underestimate how much they spend on eating out by more than twice what they’re actually spending.

Th...

Why Trump's evangelical supporters welcome his move on Jerusalem

Written by Julie Ingersoll, Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Florida

Why Jerusalem matters to evangelicals.jaime.silva, CC BY-NC-ND

President Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, Dec. 6 that the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel received widespread criticism. Observers quickly recognized the decision as related not so much to national security concerns as to domestic U.S. politics and...

Can Atlanta's new mayor revive America's 'black mecca'?

Written by Maurice J. Hobson, Assistant Professor of African-American Studies, Georgia State University

Keisha Lance Bottoms.AP Photo/John Bazemore

The Atlanta mayoral showdown between Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mary Norwood was a political battle 30 years in the making.

Atlanta was poised to elect its first white mayor in decades. However, Bottoms, who is black, claimed a narrow victory with a few hundred votes more than her opponent. Norwood, who is...