The Conversation

How to make sure we all benefit when nonprofits patent technologies like CRISPR

Written by Shobita Parthasarathy, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Women's Studies, University of Michigan

Are research nonprofits holding up their end of the tax-exempt bargain?Will Hart, CC BY

Universities and other nonprofit research institutions are under increasing fire about their commitments to the public interest. In return for tax-exempt status, their work is supposed to benefit society.

But are they really operating in the public interest when...

Dunkirk survivors’ terror didn’t end when they were rescued

Written by John Broich, Associate Professor, Case Western Reserve University

A scene from 'Dunkirk,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

In late May 1940, Vic Viner was one of the 338,000 Allied troops on the beaches around the French port of Dunkirk hoping for rescue as the German Army neared and the Luftwaffe circled above.

At age 99, Viner met with Christopher Nolan, writer and director of a...

What's the deal with the debt ceiling? 5 questions answered

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

Ceilings are overrated. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Editor’s note: The U.S. government maxed out its credit card in March and has been moving money around ever since to avoid running out of cash. But very soon we will reach the limits of this financial sleight of hand, and Congress will have to either raise the debt ceiling – currently...

Republicans fail on health care. Here's why the rest of Trump's agenda won't be 'so easy,' either

Written by Patrick T. Hickey, Assistant Professor of Political Science, West Virginia University

Sen. Rand Paul speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill.AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Passing legislation is always a difficult, messy task. America’s highly polarized political environment, with party activists demanding ideological purity on both sides of the aisle, makes that task even harder.

The announcement by Senators Mike Lee and Jerry...

Engaging Colombia's students may be key to long-term peace

Written by Nadia Rubaii, Co-Director, Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention, and Associate Professor of Public Administration, Binghamton University, State University of New York

A FARC member waves a white peace flag to commemorate the completion of their disarmament.AP Photo/Fernando Vergara

The end of violence does not always constitute peace.

In June, Colombian officials announced that members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia had officially disarmed and become civilians after turning over the last of their...

Human noise pollution is disrupting parks and wild places

Written by Rachel Buxton, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Colorado State University

A red fox listening for prey under the snow in Yellowstone National Park. Noise can affect foxes and other animals that rely on their hearing when they hunt.Neal Herbert/NPS

As transportation networks expand and urban areas grow, noise from sources such as vehicle engines is spreading into remote places. Human-caused noise has consequences for wildl...

Why Trump's threat to slap tariffs on foreign steel is a bad idea

Written by William Hauk, Associate Professor of Economics, University of South Carolina

A worker at an auto parts plant in Orion Township, Michigan, lifts coiled steel into place. AP Photo/Paul Sancya

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump attracted a lot of support by promising to restore jobs to the American manufacturing sector.

One sector that has been hit hard by purportedly unfair foreign competition is the U.S....

Four charts that show who loses out if the White House cuts food stamps

Written by Orgul Demet Ozturk, Associate Professor of Economics, University of South Carolina

About 13 percent of American households have low or very low food security.Aleksei Potov/Shutterstock

The White House has proposed cutting 25 percent of SNAP’s budget – about US$193 billion – over the next decade.

SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, though it’s more widely known by its pre-2008 name,...

The real costs of cheap surveillance

Written by Jonathan Weinberg, Professor of Law, Wayne State University

Who's collecting your data, and what are they using your data for?Brian A. Jackson/Shutterstock.com

Surveillance used to be expensive. Even just a few years ago, tailing a person’s movements around the clock required rotating shifts of personnel devoted full-time to the task. Not any more, though.

Governments can track the movements of massive...

How the social gospel movement explains the roots of today's religious left

Written by Christopher H. Evans, Professor of the History of Christianity, Boston University

A Moral Monday protest led by a preacher, Rev. William Barber.AP Photo/Martha Waggoner

Throughout American history, religion has played a significant role in promoting social reform. From the abolitionist movement of the early 19th century to the civil rights movement of the 20th century, religious leaders have championed progressive political...