The Conversation

'Even though I am a girl...': John Glenn's fan mail and sexism in the early space program

Written by Roshanna Sylvester, Associate Professor of History, DePaul University

John Glenn stands in the NASA mailroom surrounded by thousands of letters sent to him.John Glenn Archives, The Ohio State University.

News of the death of John Glenn – “the last genuine American hero” – ricocheted across the internet on Dec. 8, 2016, in less time than it had taken the famed astronaut to complete his first...

Cybersecurity's next phase: Cyber-deterrence

Written by Dorothy Denning, Distinguished Professor of Defense Analysis, Naval Postgraduate School

Can we reduce the likelihood of digital attacks?Digital defense via shutterstock.com

Cyberattackers pose many threats to a wide range of targets. Russia, for example, was accused of hacking Democratic Party computers throughout the year, interfering with the U.S. presidential election. Then there was the unknown attacker who, on a single October...

Why kids who have trouble behaving in preschool fall behind

Written by Janelle J. Montroy, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Medical Branch

What does it take for kids to be ready for school?Melanie, CC BY-NC

The landscape of early schooling is drastically changing. More and more children are attending school at an earlier age. At the same time, early childhood and kindergarten programs are increasing focus on academic content.

But are these children ready for school?

Most parents and tea...

Trump trolls, Pirate Parties and the Italian Five Star Movement: The internet meets politics

Written by Andrea Ballatore, Lecturer in Geographic Information Science, Birkbeck, University of London

We blame the internet for a lot of things, and now the list has grown to include our politics. In a turbulent year marked by the U.K.‘s decision to leave the European Union and the election of Donald Trump, some have started to wonder to what extent the recent events have to do with the technology that most defines our age.

In the aftermath...

Normalizing fascists

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

Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler in Munich, GermanyNational Archives Collection of Foreign Records Seized, 1675 - 1958

How to report on a fascist?

How to cover the rise of a political leader who’s left a paper trail of anti-constitutionalism, racism and the encouragement of violence? Does the press take the position that its subject acts...

Break out of your echo chamber: Technology arranges lunch with someone new

Written by Mohammad Ghassemi, Ph.D. Candidate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Eating lunch together is increasingly a thing of the past – but it doesn't have to be.Luke Chesser

On average, Americans spend 50 minutes a day on Facebook. That’s a lot of online socializing. It’s also about the same amount of time workers take for their lunch break. Yet there’s not nearly as much socializing then: 65...

Why OPEC's gambit to raise oil prices might not work

Written by Gürcan Gülen, Research Scientist, University of Texas at Austin

After months of speculation by oil market watchers, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) recently announced a six-month production cut of 1.2 million barrels per day (b/d) with the aim of driving up the price. It’s set to take effect on Jan. 1.

Saudi Arabia will be responsible for a little less than half of the total,...

How learning a new language improves tolerance

Written by Amy Thompson, Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of South Florida

Why learn a new language?Timothy Vollmer, CC BY

There are many benefits to knowing more than one language. For example, it has been shown that aging adults who speak more than one language have less likelihood of developing dementia.

Additionally, the bilingual brain becomes better at filtering out distractions, and learning multiple languages...

Celebrity voices are powerful, but does the First Amendment let them say anything they want?

Written by Shontavia Johnson, Professor of Intellectual Property Law, Drake University

Taking a knee during the national anthem isn't risk-free in the NFL.AP Photo/Stephen Brashear, File

When NFL player Colin Kaepernick refuses to stand for the national anthem, or the cast of the Broadway musical “Hamilton” confronts the vice president-elect, or the Dixie Chicks speak out against war, talk quickly turns to freedom of...

Trump, carbon neutrality and the next phase of business sustainability

Written by Andrew J. Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor at the Ross School of Business and Education Director at the Graham Sustainability Institute, University of Michigan

Google last week announced that it is on target to power its operations 100 percent by renewable energy, an example of businesses trying to change the energy system.Pixabay

The Trump administration appears to be moving in one direction on the issue of climate change with the appointment of climate skeptic Scott Pruitt to head up the Environmental...