The Conversation

Post-DACA: How Congress can replace Obama's program and make it even better

Written by Wayne Cornelius, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and U.S.-Mexican Relations, Emeritus, University of California, San Diego

Democrats call for Republicans to stand up to President Trump's DACA decision.AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

President Donald Trump has asked Congress to do what former President Barack Obama and his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program could not: Provide permanent protection from deportation for more than one million undocumented...

How DACA affected the mental health of undocumented young adults

Written by Elizabeth Aranda, Professor of Sociology, University of South Florida

A rally in support of DACA outside of the White House.AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

“I am getting this wonderful education. I have a job. I fit in. At the same time, I feel at any moment that can change. I don’t think that most Americans live with that thought that anything can change [in] just one minute… My biggest fear is me...

The 'internet of things' is sending us back to the Middle Ages

Written by Joshua A.T. Fairfield, Professor of Law, Washington and Lee University

Is this our relationship to tech companies now?Queen Mary Master

Internet-enabled devices are so common, and so vulnerable, that hackers recently broke into a casino through its fish tank. The tank had internet-connected sensors measuring its temperature and cleanliness. The hackers got into the fish tank’s sensors and then to the computer...

In defense of HBO's counterfactual 'Confederate'

Written by Gavriel D. Rosenfeld, Professor of History and Director of the Undergraduate Program in Judaic Studies, Fairfield University

'Assault on Fort Sanders' by Kurz & Allison (1891).Wikimedia Commons

In late July, HBO announced its forthcoming alternate history series “Confederate,” a show that will take place in a world in which the South successfully seceded from the Union and the institution of slavery persisted.

The backlash was immediate. Some decried it for...

How a tiny portion of the world's oceans could help meet global seafood demand

Written by Halley Froehlich, Postdoctoral Scholar, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara

Pike Place Market, Seattle.Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA

Seafood is an essential staple in the diets of people around the world. Global consumption of fish and shellfish has more than doubled over the last 50 years, and is expected to keep rising with global population growth. Many people assume that most seafood is something that we catch in the wild with...

Apple and 7-Eleven show why Trump's threat to sever China trade over Korea rings hollow

Written by Greg Wright, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California, Merced

President Donald Trump tweeted on September 3 that the U.S. “is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea” after it performed a nuclear test.

Though North Korea currently trades with nearly 100 countries, this threat was almost certainly aimed at China, by far its bigg...

In cities and on ranches, planning is key to protect animals during disasters

Written by Ragan Adams, Coordinator, Veterinary Extension Specialist Group, Colorado State University

Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Jansen Schamp rescues two dogs after floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey reached the grounds of a shelter in Vidor, Texas, Aug. 31, 2017.Christopher LIndahl/U.S. Navy, CC BY

It is too early to know how many animals were affected by the severe weather spawned by Hurricane Harvey. But it is likely that millions...

Why giving cash, not clothing, is usually best after disasters

Written by Julia Brooks, Researcher in international law and humanitarian response, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI), Harvard University

Unless you live near a disaster area, sending money may do more good than a mountain of toilet paper.AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

Between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other government entities, nonprofits large and small, and contributions from concerned individuals, a massive Hurricane Harvey relief effort is taking shape.

Boston Mayor...

Finger size does matter... in sports

Written by Grant Tomkinson, Professor, University of North Dakota

While this football player's arms may look like they give him an onfield advantage, his fingers may actually be more predictive of his athletic ability.Ostill/Shutterstock.com

Examine your fingers. Which is longer? Is it the index finger (the finger you use to point with – technically the second digit, or 2D, counting the thumb), or the ring...

How Muslim Americans are fighting Islamophobia and securing their civil rights

Written by Emily Cury, Research Fellow in International Affairs and Middle East Studies, Northeastern University

Rally against President Donald Trump's executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority nations.AP Photo/Andres Kudacki

The past year has been a difficult one for American Muslims.

According to a July 2017 Pew survey, 48 percent of Muslims report experiencing at least one incident of discrimination in the past 12 months. The Council on...