The Conversation

The Georgia peach may be vanishing, but its mythology is alive and well

Written by William Thomas Okie, Assistant Professor of History and History Education, Kennesaw State University

This is a tough year for the Georgia peach. In February, growers fretted about warm winter temperatures, which prevented some fruit from developing properly. They were more discouraged in March after a late freeze damaged many of the remaining fruit. By May they were predicting an 80 percent crop loss. Now in July...

How some rich people are trying to dismantle inequality

Written by Erynn Beaton, Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Management, John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University

Members of Patriotic Millionaires, whose privileged members advocate for higher taxes on the rich, met with lawmakers in this 2015 photo to discuss legislation to close the carried interest loophole.Senate Democrats, CC BY-SA

Ample research indicates that the growing problem of wealth and income inequality could stunt U.S. economic growth and...

The Library of Congress opened its catalogs to the world. Here's why it matters

Written by Melissa Levine, Lead Copyright Officer, Librarian, University of Michigan

The Library of Congress is in Washington, D.C.Valerii Iavtushenko/Shutterstock.com

Imagine you wanted to find books or journal articles on a particular subject. Or find manuscripts by a particular author. Or locate serials, music or maps. You would use a library catalog that includes facts – like title, author, publication date, subject...

Explaining the rise in hate crimes against Muslims in the US

Written by Brian Levin, Professor, Department of Criminal Justice and Director, Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism, California State University San Bernardino

Muslim women hold signs to express opposition to hate crimes and rhetoric.AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Hate crimes against Muslims have been on the rise. The murder of two samaritans for aiding two young women who were facing a barrage of anti-Muslim slurs on a Portland train is among the latest examples of brazen acts of anti-Islamic hatred.

Earlier in...

How Lula evolved from Brazil's top politician to its most notable convict

Written by Terry L. McCoy, Professor Emeritus of Latin American Studies and Political Science, University of Florida

Brazilians watched along with the rest of the world as one of the country’s leading federal judges ruled that its most popular political figure is a criminal.

On July 12, Sergio Moro, the federal judge leading Brazil’s massive “car wash” investigation, convicted former two-term President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da...

Can Trump use the presidential pardon to thwart the Russia investigations?

Written by Austin Sarat, Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

Speculation is mounting that President Donald Trump could issue a pardon to members of his family and close associates who are suspected of colluding with Russia in the 2016 campaign.

Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, recently cautioned about “the possibility of presidential pardons in this...

Why the US doesn't understand Chinese thought – and must

Written by Bryan W. Van Norden, Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Professor, Yale-NUS College

Plato, Confucius and Aristotle. Ancient Greek philosophy is widely taught in American universities, but classes in Chinese philosophy are few and far between.Public domain

The need for the U.S. to understand China is obvious. The Chinese economy is on track to become the largest in the world by 2030, Chinese leadership may be the key to resolving...

Here's the three-pronged approach we're using in our own research to tackle the reproducibility issue

Written by Ben Marwick, Associate Professor of Archaeology, University of Washington

Step one is not being afraid to reexamine a site that's been previously excavated.Dominic O'Brien. Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, CC BY-ND

If you keep up with health or science news, you’ve probably been whipsawed between conflicting reports. Just days apart you may hear that “science says” coffee’s good for you, no...

Protecting your smartphone from voice impersonators

Written by Kui Ren, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Is this an impostor trying to break into your phone with his voice?Georgejmclittle/Shutterstock.com

It’s a lot easier to talk to a smartphone than to try to type instructions on its keyboard. This is particularly true when a person is trying to log in to a device or a system: Few people would choose to type a long, complex secure password if...

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...