The Conversation

What is USB-C? A computer engineer explains the one device connector to rule them all

Written by Shreyas Sen, Elmore Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University

With pressure from the European Union, Apple has thrown in the towel on its Lightning connector, left, in favor of the standard USB-C, right.Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Apple announced on Sept. 12, 2023, that it plans to adopt the USB-C connector for all four new iPhone 15 models, helping USB-C become the connector of choice of the...

A constitutional revolution is underway at the Supreme Court, as the conservative supermajority rewrites basic understandings of the roots of US law

Written by Morgan Marietta, Professor of Political Science, University of Texas at Arlington

The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, written in 1787 on parchment paper.Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In a 2006 episode of the television show “Boston Legal,” conservative lawyer Denny Crane asserted that he had a constitutional right to carry a concealed firearm: “And the Supreme Court is...

Why China’s real estate crisis should make the global travel industry nervous

Written by Zhiyong Yang, Professor of Marketing, Miami University

The global tourism industry is rebounding – but cautious Chinese consumers are choosing to stay closer to home.DuKai photographer/Moment/Getty Images

Once upon a time – in 2019 – tourists from China were among the best-traveled in the world. They collectively spent more than US$250 billion abroad – nearly twice as much as...

CDC greenlights two updated COVID-19 vaccines, but how will they fare against the latest variants? 5 questions answered

Written by Prakash Nagarkatti, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina

The CDC expects the updated shots to be effective at preventing severe COVID-19, even in the face of new variants.Teka77/iStock via Getty Images Plus

On Sept. 12, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the newly formulated COVID-19 vaccines for all Americans ages 6 months and up, hours after its expert advisory committee...

Republicans call for impeachment inquiry into Biden -- a process the founders intended to deter abuse of power as well as remove from office

Written by Clark D. Cunningham, Professor of law and ethics, Georgia State University

Yielding to pressure from hard-line members of the GOP House caucus, on Sept. 12, 2023, U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy directed the top Republicans in Congress to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The Republicans allege that the president committed financial wrongdoing with foreign businesses.

GOP-led congressional inqui...

US response to Gabon and Niger coups suggests need for a new West Africa policy in Washington

Written by Julius A. Amin, Professor of History, University of Dayton

Supporters of Niger's pro-coup National Council for Safeguard of the Homeland celebrateAFP via Getty Images

Recent coups in the West African nations of Gabon and Niger caught U.S. diplomats a little off guard. They also indicate Washington may need to reassess its policy in the region or risk becoming increasingly irrelevant to the new governments.

D...

Antisemitism on Elon Musk's X is surging and dredging up many ancient, defamatory themes of blaming Jews

Written by Pamela S. Nadell, Professor and Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women's & Gender History and Director of the Jewish Studies Program, American University

Elon Musk has both sparked and permitted antisemitism on X, the social media platform he now owns.Chesnot/Getty Images

Since buying Twitter, rebranded as X, billionaire Elon Musk, who calls himself a “free speech absolutist,” has welcomed hatemongers to the platform, including one who recently coined the trending hashtag #BanTheADL.

The...

Looking for your 'calling'? What people get wrong when chasing meaningful work

Written by Garrett Potts, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, University of South Florida

Searching for your 'calling' can be a source of joy -- but also stress and distraction.Tom Werner/Stone via Getty Images

As a professor, I’m fortunate to teach a course called World Religions for Healthcare Professionals that prepares students for the spiritual and ethical issues they may encounter in their careers. But the class often boils...

How evasive and transmissible is the newest omicron offshoot, BA.2.86, that causes COVID-19? 4 questions answered

Written by Suresh V. Kuchipudi, Professor and Department Chair of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh

BA.2.86 is beginning to spread throughout the United States.baranozdemir/E+ via Getty Images

The latest variant, or sublineage, of SARS-CoV-2 to emerge on the scene, BA.2.86, has public health experts on alert as COVID-19 hospitalizations begin to rise and the new variant makes its way across the globe.

The Conversation asked Suresh V. Kuchipudi, a...

30 years after Arafat-Rabin handshake, clear flaws in Oslo Accords doomed peace talks to failure

Written by Maha Nassar, Associate Professor in the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies, University of Arizona

A historic handshake.MPI/Getty Images

On Sept. 13, 1993, the world watched as Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat shook hands on the White House lawn. It was a stunning moment. The famous handshake between adversaries marked the beginning of what became known as the Oslo Accords, a...