The Conversation

Got a boss who denies reality? A behavioral scientist's guide to tactful truth telling

Written by Gleb Tsipursky, Assistant Professor of History of Behavioral Science, The Ohio State University

'He said what?'fizkes/Shutterstock.com

‘Tis the season for holiday parties at the office.

While they’re great for building workplace camaraderie and team spirit, when was the last time a colleague - perhaps fueled by too much alcohol - said something so ridiculous that it made your jaw drop? Perhaps a desk mate went into something...

Kurdistan earthquake: politics creates roadblocks to relief

Written by Haidar Khezri, Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of Central Eurasian Studies (CEUS), Indiana University

Many of the Iranian dead in the Nov. 12 Iran earthquake lived in the Mehr Housing, state-built affordable apartments that crumbled when other buildings stayed up.AP Photo/Vahid Salemi

Iran and Iraq are still struggling with the aftermath of a 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck along their shared border on Nov. 12. The recovery effort has been...

Kurdistan earthquake: Politics create roadblocks to relief

Written by Haidar Khezri, Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of Central Eurasian Studies (CEUS), Indiana University

Many of the Iranian dead in the Nov. 12 Iran earthquake lived in the Mehr Housing, state-built affordable apartments that crumbled when other buildings stayed up.AP Photo/Vahid Salemi

Iran and Iraq are still struggling with the aftermath of a 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck along their shared border on Nov. 12. The recovery effort has been...

A tax increase that's proven to save lives

Written by Jeffrey Drope, Professor in Residence of Global Health, Marquette University

Lung cancer remains the world’s largest cancer killer, but the world is not doing all it can to curb it.

Tobacco use is the largest risk factor for lung cancer. It is also a risk factor for at least 11 other cancers, and the reason that a mind-numbing 1.5 million tobacco-related cancer deaths occur every year worldwide.

This is much more than...

As students near graduation, career and technical education provides a boost

Written by Jay Stratte Plasman, Ph.D. Candidate in Education Policy, Leadership, and Methodology, University of California, Santa Barbara

Students work on an experiment in a biotech class at Antioch High School in Antioch, California. AP Photo/ Ben Margot

For the past decade or so, every American president has sought to use career and technical education – or CTE – as a way to boost achievement and prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow.

When the Bush administration sign...

Living and aging well with HIV: New strategies and new research

Written by Allison Webel, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University

In honor of National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Raheem DeVaughn sings to hundreds of women gathered at the launch of the national campaign on Wednesday, March 8, 2017, in Oakland, California. /Invision for AIDS Healthcare Foundation/AP Images/Peter Barreras

A generation ago, a list of tips for aging well with AIDS would have seemed...

Rosie the Riveters discovered a wartime California dream

Written by Samuel Redman, Assistant Professor of History, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Women shipfitters working on board the USS Nereus at the U.S. Navy Yard in Mare Island, circa 1943.Department of Defense

For many American families, the Great Depression and Dust Bowl struck like swift punches to the gut. New Deal work relief programs like the Works Progress Administration tossed lifelines into the crushing economic waves, but many...

Has Trump's presidency triggered the movement against sexual harassment?

Written by Ashwini Tambe, Editorial Director, Feminist Studies; Associate Professor, Department of Women's Studies, University of Maryland

The cascade of sexual harassment accusations over the past month has moved from high-profile men to lesser-known people in sectors such as higher education and the restaurant industry. In an important and fundamental way, the ground beneath us has shifted: Victims everywhere have lost their patience and their fear, and are finding willing...

Taxpayers want more fairness. GOP plan to 'reform' the tax code doesn't deliver

Written by Stephanie Leiser, Lecturer in Public Policy, University of Michigan

Protesters shout their disapproval of the Republican tax bill on Capitol Hill.AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Republicans seem to be operating under the assumption that if the details of their tax “reform” plan are aired for too long, the whole thing might fall apart.

The House passed its version of the most sweeping overhaul of the tax...

When envisioning the future of TV, think of a shopping mall

Written by Amanda Lotz, Fellow at the Peabody Media Center and Professor of Media Studies, University of Michigan

Disney has announced that it will be launching its own streaming service for its central brands, and another one for live sports. Richard Drew/AP Photo

One of the biggest media industry stories this year is Disney’s announcement that it will launch its own internet-distributed television service in 2018.

There’s a lot we don’t...