The Conversation

Capping Russia's oil profits could keep oil flowing to global markets at a reasonable cost while slashing Putin's war funding

Written by Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Distinguished Professor, Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics, & Interim Head, Department of Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology

The world as we know it cannot function without oil, giving oil-producing countries an advantage economists call market power. Nations that produce oil are able to set the price, while countries that rely on oil have little choice but to buy it at prices determined by the seller.

While this asymmetry in market power generally favors the seller, in...

Bandits are losing interest in robbing banks, as some crimes no longer pay

Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Clinical associate professor, Boston University

John Dillinger, played by Warren Oates (pictured) in the 1973 film 'Dillinger,' allegedly robbed 24 banks.Bettmann via Getty Images

Bank robbery is a high-profile crime that fascinates many people.

Movies have been made about famous bank robbers like Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger and Butch Cassidy. There is even a new movie that just came out...

Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife have bolstered conservative causes as he is poised to lead the Supreme Court rolling back more landmark rulings

Written by Neil Roberts, Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the White House on Oct. 26, 2020. Jonathan Newton /The Washington Post via Getty Images)

With the opening of the U.S. Supreme Court’s new session on Oct. 3, 2022, Clarence Thomas is arguably the most powerful justice on the nation’s highest court.

In 1991, after Thomas became an associate...

Hurricane Ian capped 2 weeks of extreme storms around the globe: Here's what's known about how climate change fuels tropical cyclones

Written by Mathew Barlow, Professor of Climate Science, UMass Lowell

Hurricane Ian's water vapor on Sept. 28, 2022, meant heavy rainfall for large parts of Florida.NOAA

When Hurricane Ian hit Florida, it was one of the United States’ most powerful hurricanes on record, and it followed a two-week string of massive, devastating storms around the world.

A few days earlier in the Philippines, Typhoon Noru gave new...

Russia has mobilized for war many times before – sometimes it unified the nation, other times it ended in disaster

Written by Eric Lohr, Professor of Russian History, American University

A Russian citizen being called up for duty.Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Vladimir Putin’s mobilization of 300,000 additional Russian soldiers to fight in Ukraine has gotten off to a rocky start.

Nominally aimed at calling up reserve forces with prior combat experience, early reports suggest a broader dragnet and widespread...

How Hurricane Ian and other disasters are becoming a growing source of inequality – even among the middle class

Written by Anna Rhodes, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Rice University

Ian resulted in the deaths of at least 44 people in Florida and tens of billions of dollars in damage. AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Friendswood, Texas, is the type of community that one might think of as a “best case scenario” when it comes to recovering from a disaster.

It is a small tight-knit town with well-resourced residents and a...

Nobel prizes most often go to researchers who defy specialization – winners are creative thinkers who synthesize innovations from varied fields and even hobbies

Written by Robert Root-Bernstein, Professor of Physiology, Michigan State University

Innovative ideas spring from many sources, research finds.Yuichiro Chino/Moment via Getty Images

Experts often recommend that people specialize in one field of work or research to maximize their chances of success. Yet our recently published research indicates that successful innovators take a broader path.

We looked at the careers of Nobel Prize...

No, it's not just sugary food that's responsible for poor oral health in America's children, especially in Appalachia

Written by Daniel W. McNeil, Eberly Distiniguished Professor Emeritus, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Dental Public Health & Professional Practice, West Virginia University

Tooth decay can cause pain, embarrassment, missed school and more.Olga Simonova/EyeEm via Getty Images

Brushing your teeth is essential for maintaining optimal oral health, but like most aspects of health, the full story is more complicated.

As directors of the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia, we know firsthand that inequalities exist...

What is déjà vu? Psychologists are exploring this creepy feeling of having already lived through an experience before

Written by Anne Cleary, Professor of Cognitive Psychology, Colorado State University

How can someplace you've never been feel so familiar?mrs/Moment 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 do people experience déjà vu? – Atharva P., age 10, Bengaluru, India

Have you ever had...

Holocaust comparisons are frequent in US politics – and reflect a shallow understanding of the actual genocide and the US response

Written by Adam R. Seipp, Professor of History, Texas A&M University

A woman holds a sign denouncing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, with syringes in the shape of a swastika, during a 2021 rally at the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort. Jon Cherry/Getty Images

Robert Keith Packer, a 57-year-old Virginian, achieved a measure of infamy at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot when he was photographed wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with a...