The Conversation

Why does using a period in a text message make you sound insincere or angry?

Written by Lauren Collister, Scholarly Communications Librarian, University of Pittsburgh

And you thought it just indicated the end of a sentence..."Dots" via www.shutterstock.com

When it comes to texting, the period, full stop, point – whatever you call it – has been getting a lot of attention.

People have begun noticing slight changes to the way our smallest punctuation mark is deployed, from declarations that it’s goi...

Why toxic algae blooms like Florida’s are so dangerous to people and wildlife

Written by Ernst B. Peebles, Associate Professor of Biological Oceanography, University of South Florida

Detail from a satellite photo of Lake Okeechobee's algae bloom and the St. Lucie canal into which water was released. Rising water levels from heavy winter rains had water managers worried that water would breach the dike.NASA

Reported cases of algal blooms, when algae grow rapidly from an influx of nutrients in waterways, have been rising at an exp...

3D printing: a new threat to gun control and security policy?

Written by Daniel C. Tirone, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Louisiana State University

A computer design for home manufacturing of a receiver, the trigger and firing part, of a semi-automatic rifle.simonov/flickr, CC BY-SA

Following the recent mass shooting in Orlando, and the shootings in Minnesota and Dallas, the sharp political divisions over gun control within the U.S. are once again on display. In June, House Democrats even staged...

Another tragedy, another #PrayFor, but what does it really say about who cares for whom?

Written by Drew Margolin, Assistant Professor of Communication, Cornell University

The Bastille Day terror attack in Nice, France, brought the usual outpouring of emotion and expressions of support through social media. Front and center is the use of the #PrayForNice hashtag.

While this hashtag began years ago, it is becoming increasingly scrutinized as a social and political act. For example, after the Nice attacks, a number of...

Dallas and Baton Rouge shooters: A reminder of the troubled history of black veterans in America

Written by Chad Williams, Associate Professor of African and Afro-American Studies, Brandeis University

A black U.S. Marine gives salute.U.S. Marine Corps

The recent shooting deaths of eight police officers in two separate incidents has shocked the nation and left us searching for answers.

On Sunday morning, Gavin Long engaged in a shootout with police in Baton Rouge that left three officers dead and three injured. Long was also killed.

Just 10 days...

Why Nice? Don't ignore France's troubled colonial legacy

Written by Ian Coller, Associate Professor of History, University of California, Irvine

A little over a week ago, I flew out of Ataturk Airport in Istanbul and narrowly missed the attacks that left more than 40 dead and hundreds injured. Other acts have followed: Baghdad, Dhaka, Medina.

Now the city of Nice reels in shock after a truck plowed through the crowds celebrating Bastille Day.

It is the third major attack against France in...

Curbing the marijuana industry's voracious energy appetite

Written by Gina Warren, Associate Professor of Law, University of Houston

Indoor marijuana farms are becoming one of the most energy-intensive industries in the United Stateswww.shutterstock.com

As voters go to the polls this November, at least four states will consider ballot questions on marijuana legalization. Pending proposals in Nevada, Maine and California would authorize recreational marijuana use, while Floridians...

Blockchains: Focusing on bitcoin misses the real revolution in digital trust

Written by Ari Juels, Professor of Computer Science, Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, Cornell Tech, and Co-Director, Initiative for CryptoCurrencies and Contracts (IC3), Cornell University

Ensuring trust in digital records and transactions is hard; the blockchain is an important solution.Robert Bagnall/YouTube, CC BY

In 2008, short of sending a suitcase full of cash, there was essentially just one way for an individual to send money between, say, the United States and Europe. You had to wire the money through a mainstream financial...

Sexting might actually be a sign of a committed relationship

Written by Rob Weisskirch, Professor of Human Development, California State University, Monterey Bay

The new normal?Woman with phone via www.shutterstock.com.

Why do people sext? Why do they send racy or naked photos or videos and sexually loaded texts?

For a short-term hookup, sexting might seem like a direct way to get what you want – or at least try to. But according to my research, sexting is actually most likely to occur within a...

Was the Nice attacker really an IS 'lone wolf'?

Written by Mia Bloom, Professor of Communication, Georgia State University

The Bastille Day terror attack on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice has been claimed by the Islamic State Group – sort of.

Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a delivery driver known to police for petty crimes, drove a 19-ton white Renault truck into crowds gathered for a fireworks display. At least 84 are dead.

As they did when Orlando shooter Omar...