The Conversation

Is Russia committing genocide in Ukraine? A human rights expert looks at the warning signs

Written by Alexander Hinton, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology; Director, Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights, Rutgers University - Newark

A Ukrainian soldier observes a destroyed shopping mall in Kyiv on March 29, 2022. Mykhaylo Palinchak/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

There’s a real threat that Russia will commit genocide in Ukraine. As evidence of war crimes emerges, there is reason to believe it may already be taking place.

“Russia’s forces have...

Biden bets a million barrels a day will drive down soaring gas prices – what you need to know about the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Written by Scott L. Montgomery, Lecturer, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington

Several sites, such as this one near Freeport, Texas, store the hundreds of million of barrels in the United States' Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Department of Energy via AP

The Biden administration on March 31, 2022, said it plans to release an unprecedented 180 million barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to combat the recent...

The Human Genome Project pieced together only 92% of the DNA – now scientists have finally filled in the remaining 8%

Written by Gabrielle Hartley, PhD Candidate in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut

Over half of the human genome contains repetitive DNA sequences whose functions are still not fully understood.Malte Mueller/fStop via Getty Images

When the Human Genome Project announced that they had completed the first human genome in 2003, it was a momentous accomplishment - for the first time, the DNA blueprint of human life was unlocked. But...

William Tecumseh Sherman knew the enduring cruelty of war

Written by Mitchell G. Klingenberg, Postdoctoral Fellow and Instructor of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations, United States Army War College

Gen. William T. Sherman on horseback at fortifications near Atlanta in 1864.George N. Barnard via Library of Congress

It is doubtful the tragic devastation of the Russia-Ukraine War would surprise William Sherman were he alive today. The iconic U.S. Army soldier was a student of war at home and abroad.

Sherman, who lived from 1820 to 1891, concluded...

Transgender people of color face unique challenges as gender discrimination and racism intersect

Written by Gabriel Lockett, PhD Candidate in Counseling Psychology, University of Florida

Transgender people of color face more than their share of discrimination and violence.We Are/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Throughout history, transgender people of color have had a place of honor in many indigenous cultures around the world.

This changed in many places, however, as European colonizers began forcing indigenous people to follow...

Sri Lanka teeters on economic edge, from pandemic-fueled financial crisis and Ukraine war spillovers

Written by Vidhura S Tennekoon, Assistant Professor of Economics, IUPUI

Fuel has been hard to come by in Sri Lanka lately.AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena

An unprecedented economic crisis is unfolding in Sri Lanka. And while the country’s problems have been brewing for years, spillovers from the crisis in Ukraine have sent the island nation over the edge.

The Sri Lankan rupee has plunged to a record low against the...

Behind the crypto hype is an ideology of social change

Written by Rick Wash, Associate Professor of Information Science and Cybersecurity, Michigan State University

For some, promoting cryptocurrencies is political activism.Vasil Dimitrov/E+ via Getty Images

Ads for blockchain, NFTs and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin seem to be everywhere. Crypto technologies are being promoted as a replacement for banks; a new way to buy art; the next big investment opportunity, and an essential part of the metaverse.

To many,...

Brains are bad at big numbers, making it impossible to grasp what a million COVID-19 deaths really means

Written by Lindsey Hasak, Doctoral Candidate in Developmental and Psychological Sciences, Stanford University

The human brain isn't built to understand large numbers.OsakaWayne Studios/Moment via Getty Images

As of April 2022, there have been nearly 1 million confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. For most people, visualizing what a million of anything looks like is an impossible task. The human brain just isn’t built to comprehend such large numbers.

W...

Criminal justice algorithms: Being race-neutral doesn’t mean race-blind

Written by Duncan Purves, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Florida

An algorithm is the centerpiece of one criminal justice reform program, but should it be race-blind?the_burtons/Moment via Getty Images

Justice is supposed to be “blind.” But is race blindness always the best way to achieve racial equality? An algorithm to predict recidivism among prison populations is underscoring that debate.

The...

Transgender women are finding some respect in India, but a traditional gender-nonconforming group – hijras – remains stigmatized

Written by Liz Mount, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Flagler College

Members of the Association of Transgender and Hijra at Bengal light a lamp to mark Transgender Day of Bengal in Kolkata, India, in 2017.AP Photo/Bikas Das

The confirmation of Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender federal official in the U.S., as assistant secretary to Department of Health and Human Services, showed the progress toward...