The Conversation

Separating molecules is a highly energy-intensive but essential part of drug development, desalination and other industrial processes – improving membranes can help

Written by Bratin Sengupta, Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo

Molecules are often separated by their size, shape or other properties.twomeows/Moment via Getty Images

Separating molecules is critical to producing many essential products. For example, in petroleum refining, the hydrocarbons – chemical compounds composed of hydrogens and carbons – in crude oil are separated into gasoline, diesel and...

IRS is using $60B funding boost to ramp up use of technology to collect taxes − not just hiring more enforcement agents

Written by Erica Neuman, Assistant Professor of Accounting, University of Dayton

The IRS has relied on technology for decades, as this 1965 photo taken in its Philadelphia office shows.US News & World Report Collection/Marion S Trikosko/PhotoQuest via Getty Images

The Internal Revenue Service is getting a funding boost thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022.

That legislative...

The untold story of how Howard University came to be known as 'The Mecca'

Written by Jamaal Abdul-Alim, Lecturer in Journalism, University of Maryland

Howard University students assemble for a graduation ceremony in 2016.Jose Luis Magana for the Associated Press

If you ask just about anyone at Howard University what’s the other name for their school, they will readily tell you: “The Mecca.”

The name has been extolled by former students, such as acclaimed author Ta-Nehisi Coates,...

Entrepreneurs, beware: Owning your own business can make it harder to get hired later

Written by Jacob A. Waddingham, Assistant Professor of Management, Texas State University

Researchers found that ex-entrepreneurs are “burning up upon reentry.”Sturti/Getty Images

If you’ve been thinking about starting your own business lately, you’re not alone. Americans began launching ventures in record numbers during the pandemic, with an above-trend pace continuing through 2023.

Unfortunately, many of of...

Alabama’s defiant new voting map rejected by federal court -- after Republicans ignored the Supreme Court’s directive to add a second majority-Black House district

Written by Henry L. Chambers Jr., Professor of Law, University of Richmond

Evan Milligan, plaintiff in an Alabama case that could have far-reaching effects on minority voting power across the U.S., speaks outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 4, 2022.AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File

In a rebuke of the Alabama legislature, a panel of three federal judges rejected on Sept. 5, 2023, the state’s proposed voting...

Krishna Janmashtami: Celebrating the birthday of a beloved Hindu god, renowned for his compassion and his wisdom in the Bhagavad Gita

Written by Robert J. Stephens, Principal Lecturer in Religion, Clemson University

A child dressed up as Lord Krishna poses for a photo during the Krishna Janmashtami festival in Kolkata, India.Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Many Hindus around the world will celebrate Krishna Janmashtami, the birthday of the Hindu god Krishna, on Sept. 6. The birth celebrations occur on the eighth day after the full moon in...

Saudi reforms are softening Islam's role, but critics warn the kingdom will still take a hard line against dissent

Written by Nathan French, Associate Professor of Religion, Miami University

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, pool, File

The crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, or “MBS,” is bringing a new vision of a “moderate, balanced” Saudi Islam by minimizing the role of Saudi religious institutions once seen as critical to the monarchy.

For decades, Saudi kings...

I love swords, so I designed a course on how to use them to succeed in life

Written by Lancing C. England, Instructor, University of Tennessee

Can knowing how to handle a sword help in other areas of life?by_nicholas/E+ via Getty Images

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

Title of course:

“Samurai Swordsmanship”

What prompted the idea for the course?

When I was very young, I was intrigued by...

Paper ballots are good, but accurately hand-counting them all is next to impossible

Written by Barry C. Burden, Professor of Political Science, Director of the Elections Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Maricopa County, Ariz., conducted a hand recount of the 2020 elections for president and U.S. Senate.AP Photo/Matt York, Pool

Among people, mostly Republicans, who remain the most suspicious of the 2020 presidential election results, there’s something of a movement to return to the days when election ballots in the United States were counted...

The US broke global trade rules to try to fix climate change – to finish the job, it has to fix the trade system

Written by Noah Kaufman, Research Scholar in Climate Economics, Columbia University

U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act on Aug. 16, 2022, including electric vehicle subsidies with 'buy American' rules.Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden’s landmark climate law, is now expected to prompt a trillion dollars in government spending to fight climate change and...