The Conversation

My art uses plastic recovered from beaches around the world to understand how our consumer society is transforming the ocean

Written by Pam Longobardi, Regents' Professor of Art and Design, Georgia State University

Pam Longobardi amid a giant heap of fishing gear that she and volunteers from the Hawaii Wildlife Fund collected in 2008.David Rothstein, CC BY-ND

I am obsessed with plastic objects. I harvest them from the ocean for the stories they hold and to mitigate their ability to harm. Each object has the potential to be a message from the sea – a...

Tribes in Maine left out of Native American resurgence by 40-year-old federal law denying their self-determination

Written by Joseph Kalt, Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy, Emeritus, Harvard Kennedy School

Supporters of one of several tribal sovereignty bills march in front of the governor's mansion on April 11, 2022, in Augusta, Maine. AP Photo/David Sharp

Hundreds of the 574 federally recognized Indian nations in the U.S. now routinely provide their citizens with the full array of services customarily expected from state and local governments, from...

Scandals can end congressional careers – which is why the Office of Congressional Ethics regularly faces attempts to rein it in

Written by Logan Dancey, Associate Professor of Government, Wesleyan University

The House GOP under new leader Kevin McCarthy, center in front of flag, adopted rules that included changes to operations of the office that conducts investigations of members.Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Members of Congress can have their reputations damaged when caught up in a scandal, as media coverage surrounding George Santos for...

Why the love story of Radha and Krishna has been told in Hinduism for centuries

Written by Jeffery D. Long, Professor of Religion and Asian Studies, Elizabethtown College

In the Hindu tradition, the story of the divine love of Radha and Krishna features prominently.Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images

Although it originated as a Christian holiday in honor of St. Valentine, Valentine’s Day has become a global celebration of romantic love, observed by people of many religions and of no religion.

Other...

Big Oil's trade group allies outspent clean energy groups by a whopping 27x, with billions in ads and lobbying to keep fossil fuels flowing

Written by Christian Downie, Associate Professor, Australian National University

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You’ve probably seen ads promoting gas and oil companies as the solutions to climate change. They’re meant to be inspiring and hopeful, with scenes of a green, clean future.

But shiny ads are not all these companies do to protect their commercial interests in the face of a rapidly heating world. Most also provide...

Why does the Earth spin?

Written by Silas Laycock, Professor of Astronomy, UMass Lowell

There are many pieces of evidence to help explain why the Earth spins, and some major mysteries.Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/DigitalVision via Getty Images

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.

Why does the Earth spin? Sara H., age 5, New...

A less biased way to determine trademark infringement? Asking the brain directly

Written by Zhihao Zhang, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, University of Virginia

Neuroimaging could help the courts better distinguish between two similar trademarks.RichVintage/E+ via Getty Images

Does the toothpaste Colddate infringe upon the trademark of Colgate? Some might think this is a no-brainer. But in a 2007 lawsuit between the two brands, Colgate-Palmolive lost on the grounds that the two brands were...

What a second-century Roman citizen, Lucian, can teach us about diversity and acceptance

Written by Eleni Bozia, Associate Professor of Classics and Digital Humanities, University of Florida

Lucian of Samosata, a high-ranking Roman official.Michael Nicholson/Corbis via Getty Images

People who don’t fit the dominant demographic of where they live can often be asked, “Where are you really from?”

In 2017, CNN surveyed about 2,000 people who shared their stories on social media with the hashtag #whereiamreallyfrom. The...

Cost of getting sick for older people of color is 25% higher than for white Americans – new research

Written by Marc Cohen, Clinical Professor of Gerontology and Co-Director LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, UMass Boston

Racial and ethnic inequality extends to what researches call 'disease cost burdens.'sukanya sitthikongsak/Moment via Getty Images

As you age, you’re more likely to get sick. And health problems can affect your financial well-being too.

People with health problems spend heavily on health care – the cumulative cost of chronic diseases in...

Studying abroad is poised to make a post-pandemic comeback – here are 5 questions students who plan to study overseas should ask

Written by David L. Di Maria, Associate Vice Provost for International Education, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Travel restrictions can disrupt the best-laid plans.damircudic/E+ via Getty Images

Before the pandemic struck in 2020, the number of U.S. students studying abroad had been pretty much rising steadily each year.

Whereas more than 154,000 students from the U.S. participated in study abroad programs during the 2000-2001 academic year, that number more...