The Conversation

Why finding new HIV targets takes so long: Some basics about basic research

Written by Christy Gaines, Doctoral candidate, biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

A vial of blood that has been tested for HIV. Jarun Ontarkal/Shutterstock.com

Although great strides have been made at combating human immunodeficiency virus, leading to better quality of life and a longer life expectancy for those living with the virus, significant problems remain.

As of 2016, 36.7 million people worldwide were living with the...

GOP tax plan doubles down on policies that are crushing the middle class

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

A big part of that check is being drawn from middle-class accounts.AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

The U.S. middle class has always had a special mystique.

It is the heart of the American dream. A decent income and home, doing better than one’s parents, and retiring in comfort are all hallmarks of a middle-class lifestyle.

Contrary to what some may...

Climate change will displace millions in coming decades. Nations should prepare now to help them

Written by Gulrez Shah Azhar, Ph.D. Candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Pakistani commuters travel on a flooded street following a heavy rainfall in Karachi, Aug. 31, 2017.AP Photo/Shakil Adil

Wildfires tearing across Southern California have forced thousands of residents to evacuate from their homes. Even more people fled ahead of the hurricanes that slammed into Texas and Florida earlier this year, jamming highways...

Exxon Mobil's about-face on climate disclosure

Written by Paul Griffin, Distinguished Professor of Management, University of California, Davis

Protesters have sought for years to force Exxon Mobil to disclose the risks it faces due to climate change and to do more to minimize them. AP Photo/LM Otero

Exxon Mobil Corp. has vowed to do a better job in disclosing the risks it faces from climate change starting “in the near future” after bucking pressure to do that for years.

Until...

Market bubbles and sonic attacks: Mass hysterias will never go away

Written by Barry Markovsky, Professor of Sociology, University of South Carolina

Were U.S. diplomats at the embassy in Cuba stricken by a mass delusion?AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa

Ancient and quaint seem the days of witch crazes, demon scares and tulip manias. Instances of mass hysteria may strike you as rare events in modern advanced societies. But such outbreaks are products of their times. They’re still around today, just...

The dangerous belief that white people are under attack

Written by Clara Wilkins, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Wesleyan University

Lucian Wintrich, left, leaves court on Dec. 11 after charges of breach of peace were dropped. In November, Wintrich had delivered a speech at the University of Connecticut titled 'It's OK To Be White.'AP Photo/Jessica Hill

In August, the Justice Department decided to investigate instances of bias against whites in university admissions. Since then,...

What is a soul, anyway? Pullman's 'La Belle Sauvage' tackles the big questions

Written by Marek Oziewicz, Professor, Literacy Education, University of Minnesota

“La Belle Sauvage” is the first volume of “The Book of Dust” series, in which the best-selling fantasy author Philip Pullman returns to the world of “His Dark Materials.”

As a scholar of fantasy and children’s literature, I have been hoping for this novel for 17 years. The original trilogy, which consist...

Why justice is more important than the rule of law

Written by Klaus Mladek, Associate Professor of German Studies and Comparative Literature, Dartmouth College

Special Counsel Robert Mueller.AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File

The 2017 Stress in America survey has confirmed it: Americans are officially freaking out.

The survey, conducted by the Harris Poll, reports that what keeps many Americans up at night is genuine political anxiety. Rather than issues related to their work or families, respondents said...

Why Trump's plan to forbid spouses of H-1B visa holders to work is a bad idea

Written by Amy Bhatt, Associate Professor of Gender and Women's Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

U.S. immigration law has a complicated history with keeping families together. Reuters/Brian Snyder

On Dec. 14, the Trump administration announced a regulatory change that would strip spouses of high-skilled foreign workers of the right to work in the United States.

The apparent aim is to promote Trump’s “Buy American, Hire...

Tips from negotiation experts for truly happy holidays

Written by Rachel Croson, Dean, College of Social Science; MSU Foundation Professor of Economics, Michigan State University

bokan/Shutterstock.com

I had the most awesome Thanksgiving this year.

My husband took our two boys, ages 8 and 10, to his family’s celebration, and I had five days of uninterrupted sleep, fun with friends and grownup time. Don’t get me wrong; I love my husband’s family and I believe that holidays are important opportunities for...