The Conversation

Fewer crops are feeding more people worldwide – and that's not good

Written by Karl Zimmerer, Professor of Geography, Pennsylvania State University

Peruvian potatoes and black corn.www.Shutterstock.com

One day last March I talked with Juliana and Elisa, a mother and daughter who farmed just outside the city of Huánuco, Peru. Although they had only one acre of land in this mountainous landscape, they grew dozens of local varieties of potatoes and corn, along with other crops. And they...

An ethical guide to responsible giving

Written by Ted Lechterman, Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society

Chancelor Bennett, better known as Chance The Rapper, is donating millions of dollars through his SocialWorks charity to shore up Chicago’s public schoolsAP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Every holiday season, Americans find themselves showered with mailed appeals, beseeching phone calls and emotional pleas from Facebook friends seeking support...

The messy reality of religious liberty in America

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

The wedding cake on display at Masterpiece Cakeshop.AP Photo/Brennan Linsley

On Dec. 5, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court will again tackle the contentious issue of religious freedom, when it hears oral arguments in “Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.”

The case involves a Denver bakery owner who refused to make a...

Philip Morris hides data in plain sight on dangers of new heat-not-burn product

Written by Stanton Glantz, Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Sleek IQOS store in Korea. Minji Kim, Ph.D., CC BY-SA

For as long as smoking has been known to cause cancer and other diseases, Big Tobacco has worked to avoid the truth about its deadly and highly addictive products.

Nicotine is the addictive drug in tobacco. Burning the tobacco generates an aerosol of ultrafine particles that carries nicotine...

An armed robber's Supreme Court case could affect all Americans' digital privacy for decades to come

Written by H.V. Jagadish, Bernard A. Galler Collegiate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan

How much can your cellphone reveal about where you go?pathdoc/Shutterstock.com

A man named Timothy Carpenter planned and participated in several armed robberies at Radio Shack and T-Mobile stores in Michigan and Ohio between 2010 and 2012. He was caught, convicted and sentenced to 116 years in federal prison. His appeal, which will be heard by the...

Each volcano has unique warning signs that eruption is imminent

Written by Tracy K.P. Gregg, Associate Professor of Geology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Just a burp, or indication of coming disaster?AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati

Mount Agung in Bali has been thrusting ash thousands of feet into the sky for almost two weeks. Lava is burbling at the volcano’s peak. Indonesian authorities have ordered evacuations around Agung, while tourists are stranded at the closed airport. The volcano’s...

Redefining 'safety' for self-driving cars

Written by Srikanth Saripalli, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University

When self-driving cars get in crashes, who's to blame?Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority via AP

In early November, a self-driving shuttle and a delivery truck collided in Las Vegas. The event, in which no one was injured and no property was seriously damaged, attracted media and public attention in part because one of the vehicles was...

Parole violations are driving prison’s revolving door

Written by Shawn D. Bushway, Professor of Public Administration and Policy, University at Albany, State University of New York

Rapper Meek Mill is back in prison in Pennsylvania for violating the terms of his probation.

According to officials, Mill left the state without permission, did not meet with his probation officer, tested positive for Percocet, failed to complete community service and got into a fight at an airport.

Mill’s case has drawn new attention to how...

Why faith inspires people to give

Written by David King, Assistant Professor of Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Salvation Army USA West, CC BY

After Thanksgiving, Americans turn their attention to shopping with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday as well as holidays such as Hanukkah and Christmas. However, this is also the time for giving.

In recent years, nonprofits have sought to capitalize on this attention both on shopping and giving...

Keeping score of 'friends' on Facebook and Instagram may be harmful to your health

Written by Ashley Whillans, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Who needs 'friends'?Ditty_about_summer/Shutterstock.com

Ever felt like your peers have more pals than you do?

These days, with the rise of social media apps like Facebook and Instagram, it is easier than ever to benchmark the number of “friends” you have against your peers.

So, if you find yourself wondering how your social networks...