The Conversation

How the Nazis destroyed the first gay rights movement

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

'Damenkneipe,' or 'Ladies’ Saloon,' painted by Rudolf Schlichter in 1923. In 1937, many of his paintings were destroyed by the Nazis as 'degenerate art.'

Very recently, Germany’s Cabinet approved a bill that will expunge the convictions of tens of thousands of German men for “homosexual acts” under that country’s...

Is Indonesia’s 'pious democracy' safe from Islamic extremism?

Written by Jeremy Menchik, Assistant Professor of International Relations, Boston University

Supporters of Jakarta's former Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama.AP Photo/Dita Alangkara

In May, the governor of Jakarta, Indonesia – a Christian – was convicted for blasphemy against religion and sentenced to two years in prison.

The conviction has shocked observers around the globe. Since the country’s democratic transition...

If we stopped emitting greenhouse gases right now, would we stop climate change?

Written by Richard B. Rood, Professor of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan

Best-case scenario, how much are we locked into?Kletr/Shutterstock.com

Earth’s climate is changing rapidly. We know this from billions of observations, documented in thousands of journal papers and texts and summarized every few years by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The primary cause of that change is...

A look inside Ohio's lawsuit against opioid manufacturers

Written by Efthimios Parasidis, Associate Professor of Law and Public Health, The Ohio State University

Ohio made headlines when it became the second state to file a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers on May 31.

The suit names Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and subsidiary Cephalon, Johnson & Johnson and subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Allergan.

Ohio’s legal theory is based on a straightforward...

Pot with patents could plant the seeds of future lawsuits

Written by Craig Nard, Galen J. Roush Professor of Law; Director, Spangenberg Center for Law, Technology & the Arts and the FUSION Certificate Program in Design, Innovation & IP Management, Case Western Reserve University

It’s hard to make sense of cannabis regulation.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) continues to categorize marijuana as a Schedule I drug. That means the government believes it has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” putting it in the same league as LSD and heroin. The Trump administration...

Why Abraham Lincoln is an icon for Republicans and Democrats alike

Written by Shawn Parry-Giles, Professor of Communication, University of Maryland

After his assassination, Abraham Lincoln became a beacon of the United States presidency.Bethany Moslen/shutterstock.com

During the 2016 Republican presidential primary, The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward and Robert Costa asked Donald Trump if he could be a “unifier” like Abraham Lincoln who expressed “‘Malice toward...

Ocean life: 5 essential reads

Written by Jennifer Weeks, Editor, Environment and Energy, The Conversation

Great white photobomb.George T. Probst/NOAA/Flickr, CC BY

If you’re spending this holiday weekend at the beach or headed there later this summer, take a moment to consider how many amazing life forms inhabit the oceans. From microscopic plankton to apex predators like great white sharks, the marine world teems with bizarre and often beautiful...

How Spam became one of the most iconic American brands of all time

Written by Ayalla A. Ruvio, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Michigan State University

Eight billion cans sold and counting...abimages/Shutterstock.com

While you might think of Spam as a basic canned meat, it’s actually one of the greatest business success stories of all time: Since Hormel Foods Corporation launched the affordable, canned pork product in 1937, it’s sold over eight billion cans in 44 countries around the...

Why poverty is not a personal choice, but a reflection of society

Written by Shervin Assari, Research Investigator of Psychiatry and Public Health, University of Michigan

A homeless camp in Los Angeles, where homelessness has risen 23 percent in the past year, in May 2017.AP Photo/Richard Vogel

As the Senate prepares to modify its version of the health care bill, now is a good time to back up and examine why we as a nation are so divided about providing health care, especially to the poor.

I believe one reason the...

Why on July 4 should we remember the psalm 'By the Rivers of Babylon'?

Written by David W. Stowe, Professor of English and Religious Studies, Michigan State University

What is the meaning of the 2,500-year old Hebrew psalm for oppressed groups?Gebhard Fugel [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

On the anniversary of America’s independence, the abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass made a biblical Psalm – Psalm 137 – best known for its opening line, “By the Rivers of Babylon,” a...