The Conversation

New approach to teaching computer science could broaden the subject's appeal

Written by Lauren Margulieux, Associate Professor of Learning Technologies, Georgia State University

Language arts students can program chatbots for literary characters.shironosov/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Despite growing demand for computer science skills in professional careers and many areas of life, K-12 schools struggle to teach computer science to the next generation.

However, a new approach to computer science education – called integrat...

White House plan to combat antisemitism needs to take on centuries of hatred, discrimination and even lynching in America

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

Bess Myerson, center, was crowned Miss America in 1945, but was turned away from hotels that did not admit Jews when she went on tour. AP photo/Sam Myers

As reported antisemitic incidents in the U.S. in 2022 soared to an all-time high, the White House began developing plans to combat this hate, proclaiming in an official statement, “antisemiti...

White House plan to combat antisemitism takes on centuries of hatred, discrimination and even lynching in America

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

Bess Myerson, center, was crowned Miss America in 1945, but was turned away from hotels that did not admit Jews when she went on tour. AP photo/Sam Myers

As reported antisemitic incidents in the U.S. in 2022 soared to an all-time high, the White House began developing plans to combat this hate, proclaiming in an official statement, “antisemiti...

Chronic pain can be objectively measured using brain signals – new research

Written by Prasad Shirvalkar, Associate Professor of Anesthesia, University of California, San Francisco

Researchers are working on untangling the neural circuitry of chronic and acute pain.Victor Habbick Visions/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Using a brain implant that can record neural signals over many months, my research team and I have discovered objective...

Trans joy and family bonds are big parts of the transgender experience lost in media coverage and anti-trans legislation

Written by Derek P. Siegel, Ph.D. Candidate, Sociology, UMass Amherst

Some trans people find gender euphoria in being mothers and being with family.rparobe/E+ via Getty Images

Since the beginning of 2023, 49 U.S. state legislatures have introduced over 500 anti-trans bills. While mainstream media increasingly cover violence and legislative attacks against trans people, many scholars and activists worry that focusing...

What is a black box? A computer scientist explains what it means when the inner workings of AIs are hidden

Written by Saurabh Bagchi, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University

You can't see inside any opaque box, but the color black adds an air of mystery.chingraph/iStock via Getty Images

For some people, the term “black box” brings to mind the recording devices in airplanes that are valuable for postmortem analyses if the unthinkable happens. For others it evokes small, minimally outfitted theaters. But...

Gravitational wave detector LIGO is back online after 3 years of upgrades – how the world's most sensitive yardstick reveals secrets of the universe

Written by Chad Hanna, Professor of Physics, Penn State

When two massive objects – like black holes or neutron stars – merge, they warp space and time. Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

After a three-year hiatus, scientists in the U.S. have just turned on detectors capable of measuring gravitational waves – tiny ripples in space itself that travel through the...

AI is changing how Americans find jobs, get promoted and succeed at work

Written by Catherine Rymsha, Visiting Lecturer of Management, UMass Lowell

Insights from artificial intelligence will influence promotions and detect bias in the workplace. Yuichiro Chino/Moment via Getty Images

Whether we realize it or not, advancements in artificial intelligence are increasingly influencing the paths of our careers.

Advancements in human capital management systems, more strategic and data-driven human...

GOP's proposed expansion of SNAP work requirements targets many low-income people in their early 50s – but many of them already work

Written by Katherine Engel, PhD Student in Public Administration and Policy, American University School of Public Affairs

Many Americans in their early 50s take care of older loved ones.FredFroese/E+ via Getty Imagres

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

The big idea

Roughly half of the people who would be affected by a proposed expansion of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program work requirements already do what’s needed to meet...

Shavuot: The Jewish holiday that became all about children

Written by Laura Yares, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Michigan State University

A confirmation class in 1924 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest/Wikimedia Commons

For most American Jews today, Shavuot is not exactly a big-ticket holiday. Observance lags behind springtime Passover, and it pales in comparison to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the fall “high holidays.”

But 150 years...