The Conversation

In letters from Stalin's labor camps, a window into Soviet political oppression

Written by Emily Johnson, Associate Professor of Russian, University of Oklahoma

Over a period of 30 years, millions of criminals and political prisoners were sent to Soviet labor camps.Wikimedia Commons

In 2011, I was at the Hoover Institution Archives sifting through the papers of the Latvian poet and journalist Arsenii Formakov (1900-1983) when I noticed a folder of letters encased in clear plastic.

From the oval censorship...

People don’t trust scientific research when companies are involved

Written by John C. Besley, Associate Professor of Advertising and Public Relations, Michigan State University

People seem to think industry-funded research belongs in the garbage.mllejules/Shutterstock.com

A soda company sponsoring nutrition research. An oil conglomerate helping fund a climate-related research meeting. Does the public care who’s paying for science?

In a word, yes. When industry funds science, credibility suffers. And this does not...

Will optimistic stories get people to care about nature?

Written by Diogo Veríssimo, David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellow, Georgia State University

The Pinocchio anole lizard (Anolis probiscis) was first described in Ecuador in 1953, then believed to have become extinct until it was rediscovered in 2005.Javier Abalos Alvarez/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Nature doesn’t make the news often these days. When it does, the story usually revolves around wildlife on the brink, record-setting climate...

How the hijab has grown into a fashion industry

Written by Faegheh Shirazi, Professor, Department of Middle Eastern Studies, University of Texas at Austin

Nike, the well-known U.S. sportswear company, recently introduced a sports hijab. The reaction to this has been mixed: There are those who are applauding Nike for its inclusiveness of Muslim women who want to cover their hair, and there are those who accuse it of abetting women’s subjugation.

Nike, in fact, is not the first corporate brand...

Can we talk about free speech on campus?

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

Students protested at UC Berkeley on both sides: in opposition to Ann Coulter and in support of free speech.AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

The recent cancellation of an appearance by conservative commentator Ann Coulter at the University of California at Berkeley resulted in confrontations between protestors. It’s the latest in a series of heate...

Macron beats Le Pen, but can he lead France?

Written by Joshua Cole, Professor of History, University of Michigan

Macron votesEric Feferberg/AP

In the second round of the French presidential election, extremism lost.

It is less clear what won.

Estimates after the polls closed had Emmanuel Macron winning with 63.7 percent of the vote. National Front candidate Marine Le Pen took approximately 36.3 percent. That’s less than the 40 percent some polls gave...

Fake news, echo chambers and filter bubbles: Underresearched and overhyped

Written by William H. Dutton, Professor of Media and Information Policy, Michigan State University

Don't panic: An international survey finds concerns about fake news are overblown.studiostoks/shutterstock.com

In the early years of the internet, it was revolutionary to have a world of information just a click away from anyone, anywhere, anytime. Many hoped this inherently democratic technology could lead to better-informed citizens more easily pa...

How African-Americans disappeared from the Kentucky Derby

Written by Katherine Mooney, Assistant Professor of History, Florida State University

From 1921 to 2000, no black jockeys competed. Wikimedia Commons

When the horses enter the gate for the 143rd Kentucky Derby, their jockeys will hail from Louisiana, Mexico, Nebraska and France. None will be African-American. That’s been the norm for quite a while. When Marlon St. Julien rode the Derby in 2000, he became the first black man to...

How pre-existing conditions became front and center in health care vote

Written by Simon Haeder, Assistant Professor of Political Science, West Virginia University

Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.) speaks to reporters outside the White House on May 3, 2017 after a meeting with the president on proposed legislation that could limit coverage for preexisting conditions. Susan Walsh/AP

Pre-existing conditions became the focus of debate on the American Health Care Act, which was narrowly passed 217-213 by the House of...

Who are Jehovah's Witnesses?

Written by Mathew Schmalz, Associate Professor of Religion, College of the Holy Cross

The Russian Supreme Court recently sanctioned Jehovah’s Witnesses as an extremist group. This ruling criminalizes Jehovah’s Witnesses who express their beliefs and allows the Russian government to liquidate any property held by the organization.

There are over eight million Jehovah’s Witnesses in 240 countries worldwide. Russia,...