The Conversation

How 'Succession' feeds the hidden fantasies of its well-to-do viewers

Written by Robert Samuels, Continuing Lecturer in Writing, University of California, Santa Barbara

Where's the appeal in watching a group of obnoxious, pampered, backstabbing siblings?HBO

“Succession” has returned for its fourth and final season, giving the show’s fans one last opportunity to watch the kids of the wealthy Roy family desperately try to gain the approval of their media mogul father by any means necessary.

I’v...

NRA's path to recovery from financial woes leaves the gun group vulnerable to new problems

Written by Brian Mittendorf, Fisher Designated Professor of Accounting, The Ohio State University

The gun group might be less sturdy than it appears. Kelly Nigro/Moment Open via Getty Images

The National Rifle Association’s financial firepower, which arose in part due to its large and loyal membership base, has long been one of the gun group’s main sources of strength.

But the NRA has in recent years faced a financial tsunami, one...

NRA's path to recovery from financial woes leaves the gun group vulnerable to new problems

Written by Brian Mittendorf, Fisher Designated Professor of Accounting, The Ohio State University

The gun group might be less sturdy than it appears. Kelly Nigro/Moment Open via Getty Images

The National Rifle Association’s financial firepower, which arose in part due to its large and loyal membership base, has long been one of the gun group’s main sources of strength.

But the NRA has in recent years faced a financial tsunami, one...

Should the US ban TikTok? Can it? A cybersecurity expert explains the risks the app poses and the challenges to blocking it

Written by Doug Jacobson, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University

Is a wildly popular social media app a threat to the U.S.?AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 23, 2023, amid a chorus of calls from members of Congress for the federal government to ban the Chinese-owned video social media app and reports that the Biden administration is pu...

Should the US ban TikTok? Can it? A cybersecurity expert explains the risks the app poses and the challenges to blocking it

Written by Doug Jacobson, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University

Is a wildly popular social media app a threat to the U.S.?AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Federal Reserve bows to bank-crisis fears with quarter-point rate hike, letting up a little in its fight against inflation

Written by Jeffery S. Bredthauer, Associate Professor Of Finance, Banking and Real Estate, University of Nebraska Omaha

Fed chair Jerome Powell opted for a cautious approach on rates.Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter-point on March 22, 2023, bowing to market expectations that it would temper its aggressive program of rate hikes amid a still-brewing banking crisis.

The U.S. central bank lifted rates to a range of 4.75% to...

Federal Reserve bows to bank-crisis fears with quarter-point rate hike, letting up a little in its fight against inflation

Written by Jeffery S. Bredthauer, Associate Professor Of Finance, Banking and Real Estate, University of Nebraska Omaha

Fed chair Jerome Powell opted for a cautious approach on rates.Alex Wong/Getty Images

The U.S. central bank lifted rates to a range of 4.75% to...

Researchers turned superglue into a recyclable, cheap, oil-free plastic alternative

Written by Allison Christy, Graduate Research Assistant, Boise State University

Researchers discovered a way to turn superglue into strong, clear plastic that can be made into many shapes.Allison Christy, CC BY-ND

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Our team used superglue as a starting material to develop a low-cost, recyclable and easily produced transparent plastic called polyethyl...

Researchers turned superglue into a recyclable, cheap, oil-free plastic alternative

Written by Allison Christy, Graduate Research Assistant, Boise State University

Researchers discovered a way to turn superglue into strong, clear plastic that can be made into many shapes.Allison Christy, CC BY-ND

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Our team used superglue as a starting material to develop a low-cost, recyclable and easily produced transparent plastic called polyethyl...

In Congress, breaking unwritten rules that encouraged civility and enabled things to get done is becoming the new normal

Written by Sarah Burns, Associate Professor of Political Science, Rochester Institute of Technology

Speaker Kevin McCarthy at a news conference on Capitol Hill. Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

When House Speaker Kevin McCarthy ordered an investigation into the Manhattan district attorney’s ongoing criminal probe of former President Donald Trump, he broke with House practices and norms.

And the three committee chairmen...