The Conversation

Craft breweries are fermenting change, addressing local ills while serving local ales

Written by Colleen C. Myles, Associate Professor of Geography, Texas State University

Portland, Maine's Rising Tide Brewery supports 'economic development, LGBTQ+ rights, BIPOC equality ... and stewardship of Maine’s natural environment.'John Ewing/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Some scholars say beer and wine – and fermentation in general – helped develop civilization and shaped culture and...

When wolves move in, they push smaller carnivores closer to human development – with deadly consequences

Written by Calum Cunningham, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Washington

Smaller predators steer clear of wolves, but that brings them closer to people – and the dangers humans pose.Star Tribune via Getty Images

Large carnivores like wolves are returning to areas they used to occupy, leading scientists to wonder whether they may once again fulfill important ecological roles. But wolves’ return to the...

ChatGPT-powered Wall Street: The benefits and perils of using artificial intelligence to trade stocks and other financial instruments

Written by Pawan Jain, Assistant Professor of Finance, West Virginia University

Markets are increasingly driven by decisions made by AI. PhonlamaiPhoto/iStock via Getty Images

Artificial Intelligence-powered tools, such as ChatGPT, have the potential to revolutionize the efficiency, effectiveness and speed of the work humans do.

And this is true in financial markets as much as in sectors like health care, manufacturing and...

'Rhetoric' doesn't need to be such an ugly word – it has a lot to teach echo-chambered America

Written by Ryan Leack, Lecturer of Writing & Rhetoric, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

'Rhetoric' has a bad rap – but some of the original rhetoricians' techniques can actually help foster productive conversations.smartboy10/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

Early on in my writing courses, I ask students to define their sense of rhetoric. Responses range from “persuasion” to “manipulation,” but they...

Feinstein just the latest example of an old problem: Politicians have long been able to evade questions about their ability to serve

Written by David E. Clementson, Assistant Professor in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, in a wheelchair as she returns to the Senate after a more than two-month absence, May 10, 2023. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein recently returned to the Senate after an almost three-month absence that – because she could not vote remotely and the Senate is closely divided –...

IRS granted tax-exempt status to extremists, including an Oath Keepers foundation – here’s why that’s not as surprising as it sounds

Written by Elizabeth Schmidt, Professor of Practice, Nonprofit Organizations; Social & Environmental Enterprises, UMass Amherst

Jason Van Tatenhove, a former national spokesman for the Oath Keepers, has testified about the group's extremism.Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

When someone mentions nonprofits, chances are you picture homeless shelters, free medical clinics, museums and other groups that you believe are doing good one way or another.

Most of these organizations are...

Teenage brains are drawn to popular social media challenges – here's how parents can get their kids to think twice

Written by Elisa M. Trucco, Associate Professor of Psychology, Florida International University

The milk crate challenge went viral in the summer of 2021. ER doctors weren't amused. Apu Gomes/AFP/Getty Images

Viral social media trends started innocently enough.

In the early 2010s there was planking, the “Harlem Shake” dance and lip syncing to Carly Rae Jepsen’s summer anthem “Call Me Maybe.”

Then came the ice...

From sit-ins in the 1960s to uprisings in the new millennium, Harry Belafonte served as a champion of youth activism

Written by Jelani M. Favors, Professor of History, North Carolina A&T State University

Harry Belafonte used his personal wealth to support young activists throughout his life.Archive Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Of all the contributions for which Harry Belafonte will be remembered, perhaps none is more enduring than the celebrated entertainer’s lifelong support for youth activism.

This support can be traced back to...

'Mistaken, misread, misquoted, mislabeled, and mis-spoken' -- what Woody Guthrie wrote about the national debt debate in Congress during the Depression

Written by Mark Allan Jackson, Professor of English, Middle Tennessee State University

Guthrie questioned whether politicians really cared about the public interest -- such as the welfare of these veterans demonstrating in front of Congress in 1932.Senate Historical Office

The debt ceiling debate between the House GOP and President Joe Biden could, if not solved, lead to economic chaos and destruction – so it might seem...

Pivotal points in the COVID-19 pandemic – 5 essential reads

Written by Amanda Mascarelli, Senior Health and Medicine Editor

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has evolved over time into multiple variants and sublineages. loops7 / E+ via Getty Images

Experts have made it clear that the end of the COVID-19 national emergency, which was lifted on May 11, 2023, does not mean an end to the pandemic. But this shift signals a remarkable turning point in a pandemic...