The Conversation

Using lies and disinformation, Putin and his team have been building the case for a Ukraine invasion for 14 years

Written by Juris Pupcenoks, Associate Professor of Political Science, Marist College

The destroyed fuel station in Stoyanka, Ukraine. Putin has been laying the rhetorical groundwork for the invasion of Ukraine for years. Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images

As the invasion of Ukraine began in late February 2022, President Vladimir Putin offered several justifications for why Russia had no other option.

First: Russia needed to fight the...

How the 'test to treat' initiative aims to get ahead of the next wave of COVID-19

Written by C. Michael White, Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut

Pharmacies could play an increasingly important role in testing and treatment of COVID-19.dusanpetkovic/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Going into the third year of the pandemic, public health experts are developing strategies to work within communities to have a more nimble and rapid response to COVID-19 infection rates.

C. Michael White, a professor...

The 1 in 10 U.S. doctors with reservations about vaccines could be undermining the fight against COVID-19

Written by Matt Motta, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Oklahoma State University

While the vast majority of primary care providers have higher confidence in vaccines than the general public, some do not.Evgeniy Shkolenko/iStock via Getty Images Plus

American attitudes toward scientific expertise have become increasingly contentious in recent years. But many people across the political spectrum still place high levels of trust...

Planting mixes of flowers around farm fields helps keep bees healthy

Written by Hamutahl Cohen, Extension Agent, University of Florida

Bees feeding in monoculture fields of single crops such as sunflowers crowd together and pass parasites to one another at high rates.Lauren Ponisio/University of Oregon, CC BY-ND

It’s springtime in California, and bees are emerging to feast on flowering fields – acres upon acres of cultivated almonds, oranges and other fruits and nuts...

People are more likely to react to a Black person's story of injustice – even if it happened to someone who is white

Written by Anne Hamby, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Boise State University

Black people are seen as more credible speaking on issues of racial injustice. Scott Olson/Getty Images

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

The big idea

People appear more willing to boycott a retailer in response to a video message about a consumer’s experience of injustice while shopping when the narrator is...

What are war crimes? 3 essential reads on atrocities in Ukraine and the likelihood of prosecuting Putin

Written by Amy Lieberman, Politics + Society Editor, The Conversation

Bodies lie on the ground after a strike in Bucha, a suburb on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 4, 2022. AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd

Russian troops retreated from Kyiv and the nearby town of Bucha in early April 2022, and new horrors of their occupation were revealed.

Ukrainian forces found the bodies of at least 410 civilians – among them...

Revolutionary changes in transportation, from electric vehicles to ride sharing, could slow global warming – if they’re done right, IPCC says

Written by Alan Jenn, Assistant Professional Researcher in Transportation, University of California, Davis

Electric vehicle sales are growing quickly.Michael Fousert/Unsplash

Around the world, revolutionary changes are under way in transportation. More electric vehicles are on the road, people are taking advantage of sharing mobility services such as Uber and Lyft, and the rise in telework during the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the way people think...

Lessons in realpolitik from Nixon and Kissinger: Ideals go only so far in ending conflict in places like Ukraine

Written by Jeffrey Fields, Associate Professor of the Practice of International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Supporters of Ukraine, like these demonstrators in Boston on Feb. 27, 2022, are likely to be disappointed by any peace deal. Vincent Ricci/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The U.S. has limited options in confronting Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The Biden administration’s strategy is moderated by what’s known as...

Cyberattacks have yet to play a significant role in Russia’s battlefield operations in Ukraine – cyberwarfare experts explain the likely reasons

Written by Nadiya Kostyuk, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology

There is little evidence that Russia has coordinated cyber operations with conventional military operations in Ukraine.Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

Throughout the latter half of 2021, as it became clear that Russia was massing a large portion of its conventional combat power on the eastern borders of Ukraine, analysts offered...

Reliable death tolls from the Ukraine war are hard to come by – the result of undercounts and manipulation

Written by Neta C. Crawford, Professor of Political Science and Department Chair, Boston University

The body of a serviceman near a destroyed Russian military vehicle.Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images

Those who initiate wars often begin with an overly optimistic assumption that the fighting will be quick, controllable and that casualties will be low. When many bodies start coming home or are left on the battlefield, it is a sign that the war is...