The Conversation

Jewish denominations: A brief guide for the perplexed

Written by Joshua Shanes, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, College of Charleston

From Reconstructionism to ultra-Orthodoxy, Judaism is richly diverse.MendyHechtman/iStock via Getty Images

As a scholar of modern Jewish history, religion and politics, I am often asked to explain the differences between Judaism’s major denominations. Here is a very brief overview:

Rabbinic roots

Two thousand years ago, Jews were divided...

Russians are using age-old military tactic of flooding to combat Ukraine’s counteroffensive

Written by Liam Collins, Founding Director, Modern War Institute, United States Military Academy West Point

A screen grab shows the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant after a blast on June 6, 2023. Zelenskyy Social Media Account / via Getty Images

On the morning of June 6, 2023, thousands of Ukrainians awoke to the sounds of rushing water following an explosion at the Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River.

Initially, there were questions on how the dam...

Despite threats of violence, Trump's federal indictment happened with little fanfare -- but that doesn't mean the far-right movement is fading, an extremism scholar explains

Written by Amy Cooter, Director of Research, Academic Development, and Innovation, Middlebury

Trump supporters and protesters gather peacefully outside the Miami federal courthouse on June 13, 2023.Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty at a federal courthouse in Miami on June 13, 2023, to 37 felony counts related to withholding – and refusing to return – classified government...

How the Unabomber's unique linguistic fingerprints led to his capture

Written by Roger J. Kreuz, Associate Dean and Professor of Psychology, University of Memphis

Ted Kaczynski was arrested after the longest and most expensive investigation in the FBI's history.Rich Pedroncelli/AFP via Getty Images

Can the language someone uses be as unique as their fingerprints?

As I describe in my forthcoming book, “Linguistic Fingerprints: How Language Creates and Reveals Identity,” that was true in the case of...

96.4% of Americans had COVID-19 antibodies in their blood by fall 2022

Written by Matt Hitchings, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, University of Florida

Infection and vaccination both leave their mark in your blood.Yulia Reznikov/Moment via Getty Images

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Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, were present in the blood of 96.4% of Americans over the age of 16 by September 2022. That’s according to a serosurvey – an analysis testing for the presence of these...

When homes flood, who retreats and to where? We mapped thousands of FEMA buyouts and found distance and race play a role

Written by James R. Elliott, Professor of Sociology, Rice University

After Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans in 2021, Kirt Talamo, a fourth-generation Louisianan, decided it was time to go. He sold his flooded home, purchased his grandmother’s former house on New Orleans’ west bank, which hadn’t flooded, and moved in. It felt good to be back within its familiar walls, but his mind was on the future.

&ld...

EU files antitrust charges against Google – here's how the ad tech at the heart of the case works

Written by Eric Zeng, Postdoctoral Researcher in Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University

European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager discusses the EU's antitrust case against Google.AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

The European Union filed an antitrust case against Google on June 14, 2023, charging that the company abused its power in the online advertising market to disadvantage its competition. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a s...

Why the Federal Reserve's epic fight against inflation might be over

Written by Ryan Herzog, Associate Professor of Economics, Gonzaga University

Time to press the stop button?iStock/Getty Images

The Federal Reserve’s decision to hold rates steady signals that central bankers believe it is time to hit pause, at least temporarily, on their aggressive campaign to tame runaway inflation.

The latest data, not to mention several other factors, however, suggests it’s time for a full...

Seeing dead fruit flies is bad for the health of fruit flies – and neuroscientists have identified the exact brain cells responsible

Written by Christi Gendron, Research Assistant Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan

For _Drosophila melanogaster_, their senses have a significant effect on how quickly they age.nico_blue/E+ via Getty Images

All living organisms age. People have long sought ways to slow, halt or reverse this process, which is commonly associated with declining mental and physical health. One area researchers are probing is the role that sensory...

Silvio Berlusconi had a complex relationship with US presidents: Friend to one, shunned by another

Written by Jason Davidson, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, University of Mary Washington

Things looking up for the Bush-Berlusconi relationship.Philippe Desmazes/AFP via Getty Images)

When the administration of Geroge W. Bush needed an ally to help sell its proposed invasion of Iraq to a skeptical European audience, Silvio Berlusconi stepped forward.

It wasn’t that the Italian prime minister was particularly concerned over the...