The Conversation

Why are so many historically rare storms hitting the Carolinas? Geography puts these states at risk, and climate change is loading the dice

Written by Russ Schumacher, Professor of Atmospheric Science and Colorado State Climatologist, Colorado State University

A flooded Christmas tree farm in Boone, N.C., on Sept. 27, 2024.Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images

Hurricane Helene caused deadly and destructive flooding when it swept through the Southeast on Sept. 26-29, 2024. Across a broad swath of western North Carolina, where the worst flooding occurred, the amount of rainfall exceeded levels that would be...

Studying science fiction films can help students understand the power societies have to shape our lives

Written by Harry F. Dahms, Professor of Sociology, University of Tennessee

Sci-fi movies can help escape reality to better understand it.Coneyl Jay/The Image Bank via Getty Images

Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

Title of course:

Sociology, Science Fiction Film, and Artificial Intelligence

What prompted the idea for the course?

A colleague...

Accept our king, our god − or else: The senseless ‘requirement’ Spanish colonizers used to justify their bloodshed in the Americas

Written by Diego Javier Luis, Assistant Professor of History, Johns Hopkins University

Part of 'The Baptism of Ixtlilxóchitl of Texcoco,' painted by José Vivar y Valderrama in the 18th century.Museo Nacional de Historia via Wikimedia Commons

Across the United States, the second Monday of October is increasingly becoming known as Indigenous Peoples Day. In the push to rename Columbus Day, Christopher Columbus himself has...

What the facial expressions of Tim Walz and JD Vance said about their nerves, embarrassment and pride

Written by Patrick Stewart, Professor of Political Science, University of Arkansas

While viewers were listening to what JD Vance and Tim Walz said during the vice presidential debate, the candidates' facial expressions were also telling.AP Photo

Neither Ohio GOP Sen. JD Vance nor Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has the national stature of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, so viewers had a chance...

America’s dad vs. the manosphere: Walz-Vance debate highlights two versions of masculinity

Written by Karrin Vasby Anderson, Professor of Communication Studies, Colorado State University

Two guys, shaking hands: Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, ahead of their debate on Oct. 1, 2024. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Few people expected the campaign to elect the first woman president to spark a referendum on masculinity, but what it means to be a man has become “arguably the most dominant theme of this year’s...

Iran’s strikes on Israel are the latest sign that the conflict in the Middle East is spiraling, presenting rising global security threats

Written by Javed Ali, Associate Professor of Practice of Public Policy, University of Michigan

Many rockets fired from Iran are seen over Jerusalem from Hebron, the West Bank, on Oct. 1, 2024. Wisam Hashlamoun/Anadolu via Getty Images

Iran fired at least 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Oct. 1, 2024, amplifying tensions in the Middle East that are increasingly marked by “escalation after escalation,” as United Nations...

Health risks are rising in mountain areas flooded by Hurricane Helene and cut off from clean water, power and hospitals

Written by Jennifer Horney, Professor of Epidemiology and Core Faculty of Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware

Flooding across North Carolina's mountains left many residents with muddy, debris-strewn yards and flooded homesMelissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images

Hurricane Helene’s flooding has subsided, but health risks are growing in hard-hit regions of the North Carolina mountains, where many people lost access to power and clean water.

More than 150 deaths...

Being ‘mindful’ about your bank account can bring more than peace of mind − a researcher explains the payoff

Written by Emily N. Garbinsky, Associate Professor of Marketing, Cornell University

Products tout 'mindfulness' in financial planning, but it's not always clear what that means.Oscar Wong/Moment via Getty Images

Mindfulness, the meditation practice that brings one’s attention to present experiences, is gaining traction in the business world.

Researchers have long known that being mindful causes physical and mental benefits...

Yes, calling someone ‘mentally disabled’ causes real harm

Written by Kathleen Béres Rogers, Professor of English and Director, Program in Medical Humanities, College of Charleston

Donald Trump at an Erie, Pa., rally on Sept. 29, 2024, at which he said Democratic rival Kamala Harris was 'mentally impaired.'Dustin Franz/AFP/Getty Images

In a recent speech, Donald Trump used the language of intelligence, or intellectual impairment, as a weapon against Kamala Harris. And he used similar language about vice presidential candidate...

Kamala Harris’ and Donald Trump’s records on abortion policy couldn’t be more different – here’s what actions they both have taken while in office

Written by Rachel Rebouché, Professor of Law, Temple University

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris shakes hands with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during their debate on Sept. 10, 2024. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Abortion is a critical, if not the most important, issue for many voters – especially women, according to polls – ahead of the U.S. presidential election in...