The Conversation

Some nerves: How loud noise may change hearing

Written by Matthew Xu-Friedman, Associate Professor of Biology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Hearing can be affected by loud noises, but the mechanisms have not been fully understood. The auditory nerve plays a big role.9nang/Shutterstock.com

Our modern world is loud. Just sitting in a car, or an airplane, or watching movie previews, we are bombarded with sound. Even when those noises aren’t damaging to the sensitive microphone that...

How should we protest neo-Nazis? Lessons from German history

Written by Laurie Marhoefer, Assistant Professor of History, University of Washington

A supporter of President Donald Trump, center, argues with a counterprotester at a rally in Boston on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017.AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

After the murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, many people are asking themselves what they should do if Nazis rally in their city. Should they put their bodies on the line in...

How the smartphone affected an entire generation of kids

Written by Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University

New research is putting the first generation of kids to grow up with the smartphone into sharp relief.Olga Tropinina

As someone who researches generational differences, I find one of the most frequent questions I’m asked is “What generation am I in?”

If you were born before 1980, that’s a relatively easy question to answer:...

Can low doses of chemicals affect your health? A new report weighs the evidence

Written by Rachel Shaffer, PhD Student, Environmental Toxicology, University of Washington

Assessing the data.LightField Studios/shutterstock.com

Toxicology’s founding father, Paracelsus, is famous for proclaiming that “the dose makes the poison.” This phrase represents a pillar of traditional toxicology: Essentially, chemicals are harmful only at high enough doses.

But increasing evidence suggests that even low levels...

Colleges need affirmative action – but it can be expanded

Written by Eboni Nelson, Professor of Law, University of South Carolina

Race-neutral affirmative action can help identify first-generation students like Blanca Diaz and LaQuintah Garrett.AP Photo/Amy Anthony

In 2003, Justice Antonin Scalia predicted that the Supreme Court’s sanctioning of race-conscious affirmative action in higher education would spark future litigation for years to come. And right he was. From d...

Devil versus angel: When do they shift into action in the face of temptation?

Written by Paul Stillman, Post-doctoral Researcher in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The Ohio State University

Who has the upper hand in this battle?John Rawsterne/Shutterstock.com

For breakfast this morning, I had to choose between a chocolate doughnut versus a bowl of oatmeal. (The doughnut was delicious.) Throughout the day I will have to fight off urges to check Twitter, skip the gym, and watch “Game of Thrones” late into the night. At every...

Google memo completely misses how implicit biases harm women

Written by E. Anne York, Professor of Economics, Meredith College

Bias at work?pixabay.com, CC BY

Workplace biases are back in the national conversation, thanks to the recent memo by a Google employee. The memo’s author challenges the company’s diversity policies, arguing that psychological differences between men and women explain why fewer women work in tech.

He also minimizes the effect that...

Why lowering nicotine in cigarettes could change the course of health

Written by Michael P. Eriksen, Professor and Dean, School of Public Health, Georgia State University

Studies have shown that most smokers wish they had never smoked and that they wish they could stop. Lowering the levels of nicotine, the addictive chemical in cigarettes, would be a big step. DenisProductions.com/Shutterstock.com

The new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently made a surprising and bold announcement that...

Warning signs of mass violence – in the US?

Written by Max Pensky, Co-Director, Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Protesters with opposing views face off at a 'Free Speech' rally in Boston.AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

There are those who say that comparing President Donald Trump’s rhetoric to that of Adolf Hitler is alarmist, unfair and counterproductive.

And yet, there has been no dearth of such comparisons since the 2016 presidential election. Many...

Over the years, Americans have become increasingly exposed to extremism

Written by James E. Hawdon, Director, Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention, Virginia Tech

A man sporting a Nazi tattoo leaves Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Virginia on Aug. 12, 2017.Steve Helber/AP Photo

Extremism has always been with us, but the internet has allowed ideas that advocate hate and violence to reach more and more people. Whether it’s the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville or the...