The Conversation

Why lowering nicotine in cigarettes could change the course of health

Written by Michael P. Eriksen, Professor and Dean, School of Public Health, Georgia State University

Studies have shown that most smokers wish they had never smoked and that they wish they could stop. Lowering the levels of nicotine, the addictive chemical in cigarettes, would be a big step. DenisProductions.com/Shutterstock.com

The new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently made a surprising and bold announcement that...

Warning signs of mass violence – in the US?

Written by Max Pensky, Co-Director, Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Protesters with opposing views face off at a 'Free Speech' rally in Boston.AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

There are those who say that comparing President Donald Trump’s rhetoric to that of Adolf Hitler is alarmist, unfair and counterproductive.

And yet, there has been no dearth of such comparisons since the 2016 presidential election. Many...

Over the years, Americans have become increasingly exposed to extremism

Written by James E. Hawdon, Director, Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention, Virginia Tech

A man sporting a Nazi tattoo leaves Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Virginia on Aug. 12, 2017.Steve Helber/AP Photo

Extremism has always been with us, but the internet has allowed ideas that advocate hate and violence to reach more and more people. Whether it’s the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville or the...

Are Islamic State recruits more street gang members than zealots?

Written by James L. Gelvin, Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, University of California, Los Angeles

A makeshift memorial to the victims of the terrorist attack in Barcelona. Police killed five men August 18 believed to have been involved.AP Photo/Manu Fernandez

The recent terrorist attacks in Spain and Finland once again compel us to ask: Who joins the Islamic State, and why?

As a professor of modern Middle Eastern history, I have spent the...

How religion motivates people to give and serve

Written by David King, Assistant Professor of Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

What's the role of faith in service?European Commission DG ECHO, CC BY-NC-ND

Saturday, August 19 is World Humanitarian Day – a time to remember the tremendous humanitarian need around the world.

The stark reality is that the world is facing the greatest humanitarian crisis since 1945: Mass starvations are threatening millions of people in...

The Confederate statue debate: 3 essential reads

Written by Nick Lehr, Editor, Arts and Culture, The Conversation

Editor’s note: The following is a roundup of archival stories related to the debate over what to do with Confederate statues.

The impetus for the “Unite the Right” rally held in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12 was a proposal to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from a city park.

In the wake of the violence...

Harvard study strengthens link between breast cancer risk and light exposure at night

Written by Richard G. "Bugs" Stevens, Professor, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut

Artificial light has transformed the night sky, a change researchers continue to link to health problems. Fabio Falchi et al , CC BY-ND

A new study from Harvard has found greater risk of breast cancer in women who live in neighborhoods that have higher levels of outdoor light during the night.

The findings are based on the Nurses’ Health Study...

More states are allowing guns on college campuses

Written by Neal H. Hutchens, Professor of Higher Education, University of Mississippi

Eleven states now have some sort of law permitting guns on college campuses.Lucio Eastman (Free State Project), CC BY-SA

A community college instructor in Texas recently started off the academic year by wearing a bulletproof vest and army helmet to class. He did this to protest a law that, starting this August, authorizes individuals to carry...

Making driverless cars safe for people on foot

Written by Michael Clamann, Senior Research Scientist, Humans and Autonomy Lab, Duke University

Is it safe to cross?Duke Humans and Anatomy Lab, CC BY-ND

Right now, there are two ways to be safe crossing a road: Wait until no cars are close by, so there’s enough time to make it to the other side of the street – or communicate with oncoming drivers. As the number of pedestrian deaths on U.S. roads climbs, up 25 percent since 2010...

Explaining polygamy and its history in the Mormon Church

Written by Joanna Brooks, Professor of English and Comparative Literature, San Diego State University

Polygamy advocate Brady Williams talks with his five wives during an interview at their home in a polygamous community outside Salt Lake City. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File

The arrest of polygamist leader Lyle Jeffs, evictions of polygamist families and new studies on crippling genetic disorders among small ultra-orthodox or...