The Conversation

Louisiana's 'In God We Trust' law tests limits of religion in public schools

Written by Frank S. Ravitch, Professor of Law & Walter H. Stowers Chair of Law and Religion, Michigan State University

When Louisiana passed a law in August 2023 requiring public schools to post “In God We Trust” in every classroom – from elementary school to college – the author of the bill claimed to be following a long-held tradition of displaying the national motto, most notably on U.S. currency.

But even under recent Supreme Court...

White patients are more likely than Black patients to be given opioid medication for pain in US emergency departments

Written by Trevor Thompson, Associate Professor of Clinical Research, University of Greenwich

Doctors have struggled to find the balance between effective pain management and the very real addiction risks that come with prescription pain medication.BackyardProduction/iStock via Getty Images Plus

White people who visit hospital emergency departments with pain are 26% more likely than Black people to be given opioid pain medications such as...

How to deal with visual misinformation circulating in the Israel-Hamas war and other conflicts

Written by Paul Morrow, Human Rights Fellow, University of Dayton

Social media is often used during times of conflict to spread fake news.Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In the three weeks since war began between Israel and Hamas, social media has been taken over with images and stories of attacks, many of which proved false.

For example, within hours of Hamas’ surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023, screen...

Asteroids in the solar system could contain undiscovered, superheavy elements

Written by Johann Rafelski, Professor of Physics, University of Arizona

An illustration of an asteroid orbiting through space. Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

For centuries, the quest for new elements was a driving force in many scientific disciplines. Understanding an atom’s structure and the development of nuclear science allowed scientists to accomplish the old goal of alchemists – tur...

Why Elon Musk is obsessed with casting X as the most 'authentic' social media platform

Written by Michael Serazio, Associate Professor of Communication, Boston College

X CEO Elon Musk has argued that his social media platform allows users to 'be their true selves.'Nathan Howard/Getty Images

With X, formerly known as Twitter, hitting the one-year anniversary of Elon Musk’s US$44 billion takeover of the social media platform, it can feel disorienting to try to make sense of all that’s gone down.

Blue...

A Halloween party in Boston turned ugly when a gang hurled antisemitic slurs and attacked Jewish teenagers

Written by Andrew Sperling, PhD Student in History, American University

The Boston Globe detailed the Hecht House attacks in its Nov. 3, 1950, edition.Boston Globe

On a chilly Halloween night in late October 1950, dozens of Jewish teenagers and their friends gathered for merriment in the Boston neighborhood of Dorchester at the Hecht House, a Jewish community center that provided job training and hosted social events....

AIs could soon run businesses – it’s an opportunity to ensure these 'artificial persons' follow the law

Written by Daniel Gervais, Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University

If AIs are going to play a role in society, they'll need to understand the law.PhonlamaiPhoto/iStock via Getty Images

Only “persons” can engage with the legal system – for example, by signing contracts or filing lawsuits. There are two main categories of persons: humans, termed “natural persons,” and creations of the...

'I see no happy ending' − a former national security leader on the Gaza hostage situation

Written by Gregory F. Treverton, Professor of Practice in International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Israelis whose relatives are being held hostage demonstrate on October 26, 2023 in front of the Defense Ministry building in Tel Aviv, demanding the government to bring back their loved ones. Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images

Hamas took more than 200 people hostage during its deadly rampage in Israeli border towns on Oct. 7, 2023. Among...

Back in the 1960s, the push for parental rights over school standards was not led by white conservatives but by Black and Latino parents

Written by Jerald Podair, Professor of History, Lawrence University

Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, left, and then-Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin participate in a debate on Sept. 28, 2021.Win McNamee/Getty Images

A key issue underlying the 2023 Virginia election first drew statewide – and national – attention in a debate two years ago.

During a 2021 Virginia gubernatorial debate,...

UN warns that Gaza desperately needs more aid − an emergency relief expert explains why it is especially tough working in Gaza

Written by Paul Spiegel, Director of the Center for Humanitarian Health, Johns Hopkins University

A Palestinian boy sits in a World Health Organization truck near a hospital in the southern area of the Gaza Strip. Ahmed Zakot/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

United Nations agencies on Oct. 24, 2023, pleaded for more aid to be allowed into Gaza, saying that more than 20 times the amount of food, water and medical supplies and other items...