The Conversation

Supreme Court is poised to dismantle an integral part of LBJ's Great Society – affirmative action

Written by Travis Knoll, Adjunct Professor of History, University of North Carolina – Charlotte

President Lyndon Johnson delivers the commencement address at Howard University on June 4, 1965.

Of all the civil rights policies enacted by U.S President Lyndon Johnson, affirmative action is arguably one of the most enduring – and most challenged.

Johnson made it clear during a commencement address at Howard University on June 4, 1965,...

Historians are learning more about how the Nazis targeted trans people

Written by Laurie Marhoefer, Jon Bridgman Endowed Professor of History, University of Washington

Patrons at the Eldorado, a popular LGBTQ cabaret in Berlin during the Weimar years.Herbert Hoffmann/ullstein bild via Getty Images

In the fall of 2022, a German court heard an unusual case.

It was a civil lawsuit that grew out of a feud on Twitter about whether transgender people were victims of the Holocaust. Though there is no longer much debate...

Blockchain is a key technology – a computer scientist explains why the post-crypto-crash future is bright

Written by Yu Chen, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Blockchain technology has many uses beyond cryptocurrency.Yuichiro Chino/Moment via Getty Images

People hear a lot about blockchain technology in relation to cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, which rely on blockchain systems to keep records of financial transactions between people and businesses. But a crash in public trust in cryptocurrencies like Ter...

3 ways to use ChatGPT to help students learn -- and not cheat

Written by Kui Xie, Professor of Educational Psychology and Learning Technologies, The Ohio State University

Students can use AI chatbots to break down a complex assignment into smaller steps.Maskot/Getty Images

Since ChatGPT can engage in conversation and generate essays, computer codes, charts and graphs that closely resemble those created by humans, educators worry students may use it to cheat. A growing number of school districts across the country...

Protecting the ocean: 5 essential reads on invasive species, overfishing and other threats to sea life

Written by Jennifer Weeks, Senior Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation

Fish in a kelp forest off San Benito Island, Mexico.Photo by Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Humans rely on the ocean for many things, including food, jobs, recreation and stabilization of Earth’s climate. But although ocean resources may seem infinite, human impacts like pollution, overfishing and climate change are...

A community can gentrify without losing its identity -- examples from Pittsburgh, Boston and Newark of what works

Written by Anthony Alvarez, Lecturer of Arts, Culture & Media, Rutgers University - Newark

A street mural by Manuel Acevedo at Halsey Place in Newark, N.J.Anthony Alvarez, CC BY-NC-ND

How can neighborhoods gentrify without erasing their heart and voice?

It’s an important question to ask now, I’d suggest, since many communities across the U.S. are at risk of losing their historical identities as new people and businesses move...

Several Down syndrome features may be linked to a hyperactive antiviral immune response – new research

Written by Joaquin Espinosa, Professor of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Addressing the increased risks of certain diseases among those with Down syndrome could help improve their quality of life.Halfpoint Images/Moment via Getty Images

People with Down syndrome, or trisomy 21, a genetic condition caused by an extra copy of human chromosome 21, experienced a remarkable increase in life expectancy during the 20th...

How building more backyard homes, granny flats and in-law suites can help alleviate the housing crisis

Written by Jeff Kruth, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Miami University

A newly built accessory dwelling unit in Los Angeles.Alisha Jucevic/The Washington Post via Getty Images

To many people, the image of a nuclear family in a stand-alone house with a green lawn and white picket fence still represents a fulfillment of the American dream.

However, this ideal is relatively new within a broader history of housing and...

Arsenic contamination of food and water is a global public health concern – researchers are studying how it causes cancer

Written by Cristina Andrade-Feraud, Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Health Sciences, Florida International University

One symptom of arsenic poisoning is the growth of plaques on the skin called arsenical keratosis.Anita Ghosh/REACH via Flickr, CC BY

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in the Earth’s crust. Exposure to arsenic, often through contaminated food and water, is associated with various negative health effects, including cancer.

Arsenic...

Is there life in the sea that hasn't been discovered?

Written by Suzanne OConnell, Harold T. Stearns Professor of Earth Science, Wesleyan University

The Rose-veiled fairy wrasse, a small reef fish discovered in 2022.Luiz A. Rocha/Wikimedia Commons

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

Is there life in the sea that hasn’t been discovered? – Haven W., age 12,...