The Conversation

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...

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...