The Conversation

Ancient Greece had extreme polarization and civil strife too -- how Thucydides can help us understand Jan. 6 and its aftermath

Written by Rachel Hadas, Professor of English, Rutgers University - Newark

Rioters break windows and breach the Capitol building in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Lev Radin/LightRocket via Getty Images

The second anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection is upon us. And each new revelation about that brutal mob assault on our government raises a host of fresh questions about...

Foams used in car seats and mattresses are hard to recycle – we made a plant-based version that avoids polyurethane's health risks, too

Written by Srikanth Pilla, Professor of Engineering, Clemson University

You may be sitting on polyurethane foam right now.Akhmad Bayuri/iStock/Getty Images Plus

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

The big idea

A new plant-based substitute for polyurethane foam eliminates the health risk of the material, commonly found in insulation, car seats and other types of cushioning, and it’s...

Ukraine schools remain a key battlefront in fight for nation's future

Written by Katja Kolcio, Associate Professor of Dance, Environmental Studies and Education Studies, Wesleyan University

A worker sweeps up debris in the library of a school building following a missile strike in Kharkiv on Sept. 3, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images

When Russian missiles struck Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv on New Year’s Eve, the damaged buildings included a university and at least two schools.

A...

Making sweat feel spiritual didn't start with SoulCycle – a religion scholar explains

Written by Cody Musselman, Postdoctoral Research Associate, John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

A studio set up for a SoulCycle event in New York City.Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Each January, Americans collectively atone for yet another celebratory season of indulgence. Some proclaim sobriety for “Dry January.” Others use the dawn of a new year to focus on other forms of self-improvement, like taking up...

Long COVID stemmed from mild cases of COVID-19 in most people, according to a new multicountry study

Written by Sarah Wulf Hanson, Lead Research Scientist of Global Health Metrics, University of Washington

Symptoms of long COVID-19 include fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive issues.Morsa Images/Digital Vision via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Even mild COVID-19 cases can have major and long-lasting effects on people’s health. That is one of the key findings from our recent...

Talking across the political aisle isn't a cure-all - but it does help reduce hostility

Written by Dominik Stecuła, Assistant professor of political science, Colorado State University

Americans tend to not cross their political divides amicably. New research shows what helps this actually happen. Orbon Alija, CC BY

Simmering tension in American politics came to a head two years ago, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to try to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election. The failed insurrection on...

Not all insurrections are equal -- for enslaved Americans, it was the only option

Written by Deion Scott Hawkins, Assistant Professor of Argumentation & Advocacy, Emerson College

Donald Trump supporters take over the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

For most Americans, Jan. 6 was once an ordinary, ho-hum day.

That changed in 2021 when millions of television viewers watched thousands of Trump supporters assault the U.S. Capitol in their violent attempt to stop Joe...

Green jobs are booming, but too few employees have sustainability skills to fill them – here are 4 ways to close the gap

Written by Christopher Boone, Professor of Sustainability, Arizona State University

U.S. universities now have over 3,000 sustainability programs.Andy DeLisle/ASU

To meet today’s global sustainability challenges, the corporate world needs more than a few chief sustainability officers – it needs an army of employees, in all areas of business, thinking about sustainability in their decisions every day.

That means product...

Sports broadcasters have a duty to report injuries responsibly – in the case of NFL's Damar Hamlin, they passed the test

Written by Nicole Kraft, Associate Professor of Clinical Communication, The Ohio State University

Medical personnel attend to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin after he collapsed on the field during an NFL game in Cincinnati on Jan. 2, 2023.AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

Injuries are an unfortunate part of any sport – none more so than in the NFL, where players can be felled in front of a TV audience in the tens of millions.

Typically, when a...

Diversity of US workplaces is growing in terms of race, ethnicity and age – forcing more employers to be flexible

Written by Adia Harvey Wingfield, Professor of Sociology, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

The aging of the U.S. workforce is further along for librarians than most other professions.kali9/E+ via Getty Images

Increased immigration, longer life expectancy and a decline in birth rates are transforming the U.S. workforce in two important ways. The people powering this nation’s economy include far more people of color and workers over...