The Conversation

How one state bridged the cultural divide on climate change to prepare for a stormier future

Written by Cameron Wake, Josephine A Lamprey Professor in Climate and Sustainability, University of New Hampshire

Coastal municipalities need to prepare for higher chances of storms and rising sea levels.AP Photo/Jim Cole

The year 2017 painted a grim picture of coastal storms in the eastern United States. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria were deadly and destructive harbingers of how climate change contributes to bigger storms with stronger winds, greater...

Teens aren't just risk machines – there's a method to their madness

Written by Jessica Flannery, Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Psychology, University of Oregon

Just because everyone else is doing it...Shane Pope, CC BY

You know the conventional wisdom: Adolescents are impulsive by nature, like bombs ready to go off at the most minor trigger. Parents feel they must cross their fingers and hope no one lights the fuse that will lead to an explosion. Adults often try restricting and monitoring teens’...

White men may be biggest winners when a city snags Amazon’s HQ2

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

The tech sector has long had a diversity problem. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

Amazon may be hosting the biggest – and most economically important – reality show ever as city mayors compete to snag the retailer’s second headquarters. And just like TV, it has a diversity problem.

More than 230 cities made the initial bid, and just...

5 things to know about North and South Korea

Written by Ji-Young Lee, Assistant Professor, American University School of International Service

Editor’s note: Professor Ji-Young Lee of American University answers five questions to help put issues related to North Korea’s nuclear weapons capabilities into context.

Why is there a North and a South Korea?

Before there was a North and South Korea, the peninsula was ruled as a dynasty known as Chosŏn, which existed for more than...

Why treating addiction with medication should be carefully considered

Written by Scott Teitelbaum, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Florida

Vivitrol, a non-opioid medication, is used to treat some cases of opioid dependence. Addiction specialists stress that not all patients need medication, but that many do.AP Photo/Carla K. Carlson

When a patient has diabetes, doctors typically prescribe insulin, along with diet and exercise. When a patient has high blood pressure, we prescribe...

Trump's push for new offshore drilling is likely to run aground in California

Written by Charles Lester, Researcher, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz

Kelp and sardines in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.NOAA, CC BY

The Trump administration’s effort to dramatically expand federal offshore oil production has reignited a battle with California that dates back nearly 50 years.

On January 28, 1969, a blowout from Union Oil’s Platform A spilled more than 3.2 million gallons of...

Sessions' war on pot could speed up marijuana legalization nationwide

Written by Paul Seaborn, Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver

Customers lining up to legally buy recreational marijuana in West Hollywood, Calif.AP Photo/Richard Vogel

Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently clarified how the Trump administration intends to treat states that have legalized pot, which remains illegal on the federal level.

The Obama administration eventually took a relatively hands-off approach...

Improve your internet safety: 4 essential reads

Written by Jeff Inglis, Science + Technology Editor, The Conversation US

Staying safe online requires more than just a good password.Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com

On Feb. 6, technology companies, educators and others mark Safer Internet Day and urge people to improve their online safety. Many scholars and academic researchers around the U.S. are studying aspects of cybersecurity and have identified ways people can help...

Your next hearing aid could be a video game

Written by Dana Boebinger, Ph.D. student in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University

Video games can help train the brain to hear better.Monika Wisniewska/Shutterstock.com

Roughly 15 percent of Americans report some sort of hearing difficulty; trouble understanding conversations in noisy environments is one of the most common complaints. Unfortunately, there’s not much doctors or audiologists can do. Hearing aids can amplify...

How rich are the rich? If only you knew

Written by Gil B. Manzon Jr., Associate Professor of Accounting, Boston College

“If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets.”

Actor and comedian Chris Rock made this astute statement during a 2014 interview with New York magazine, referring to the yawning gap between rich and poor. In so doing, he stumbled upon a key challenge in the study of inequality.

What’s the best...