The Conversation

Disasters can wipe out affordable housing for years unless communities plan ahead – the loss hurts the entire local economy

Written by Shannon Van Zandt, Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University

Slow recovery for vulnerable households can slow the recovery of the entire community.Scott Olson/Getty Images

The tornadoes and wildfires that devastated communities from Kentucky to Colorado in the final weeks of 2021 left thousands of people displaced or homeless. For many of them, it will be months if not years before their homes are rebuilt.

Tha...

Dogs can be trained to sniff out COVID-19 – a team of forensic researchers explain the science

Written by Kenneth G. Furton, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University

Researchers at Florida International University successfully trained One Betta, a Dutch Shepard, and three other dogs to detect COVID-19 on face masks. The dogs got it right 96% to 99% of the time. Joe Raedle/Staff/Getty Images North America

With up to 300 million scent receptors, dogs are among the best smell detectors in the animal world. The...

The Jan. 6 Capitol attacks offer a reminder – distrust in government has long been part of Republicans' playbook

Written by Amy Fried, John M. Nickerson Professor of Political Science, University of Maine

The Republican National Committee has legitimized the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attacks. The RNC declared on Feb. 4, 2022, that the insurrection and preceding events were “legitimate political discourse” — an assertion that Sen. Mitch McConnell soon after countered, saying that it was a “violent insurrection.”

The Justice...

Japan's Shinto religion is going global and attracting online followers

Written by Kaitlyn Ugoretz, PhD Candidate, East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies, University of California Santa Barbara

A Shinto priest performs a ritual at an altar.Leo Laporte/flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

American Kit Cox, 35, works as an electrical engineer and enjoys biking and playing piano. But what some might consider surprising about Cox, who was raised as Methodist, is that she practices the Japanese religion known as Shinto.

While Cox’s interest in Shinto was...

New evidence of discrimination against Black coaches in the NFL since 2018

Written by Joshua D. Pitts, Associate Professor of Sport Management and Economics, Kennesaw State University

Eric Bieniemy, who has been the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator since 2018, has reportedly interviewed for 14 head-coaching jobs.Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Boldly going where no NFL coach has gone before, recently fired Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores put his future career at stake and filed a class-action lawsuit against the...

How Lourdes became a byword for hope

Written by Dorian Llywelyn, President, Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Apparitions of the Virgin Mary have inspired pilgrimages – and souvenirs – in Lourdes, France, for more than a century.Culture Club/Hulton Archive via Getty Images

Thousands of apparitions of the Virgin Mary have been reported by Christians across the world, from fourth-century Asia Minor, which is now Turkey, to contemporary California....

The 50 biggest US donors gave or pledged nearly $28 billion in 2021 – Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates account for $15 billion of that total

Written by David Campbell, Associate Professor of Public Administration, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, gave their foundation $15 billion right before their divorce became final. Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty ImagesLudovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images

The 50 Americans who gave or pledged the most to charity in 2021 committed to giving a total of US$27.7 billion to hospitals,...

Olympic skiers and snowboarders are competing on 100% fake snow – the science of how it's made and how it affects performance

Written by Peter Veals, Professor of Atmospheric Science, University of Utah

Snowmaking machines blow cold water, which freezes before it hits the ground.Alexander Uhrin/iStock via Getty Images

The winter Olympics conjure up images of snowy mountain ranges, frozen ice rinks and athletes in cold-weather gear. And for good reason. Winter Olympic venues have often been in places that receive an average snowfall of 300 inches...

What is 'legitimate political discourse,' and does it include the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol?

Written by Jennifer Mercieca, Professor of Communication, Texas A&M University

When persuasion stops and violence begins, that's the line between 'legitimate political discourse' and something very different, scholars explain.AP Photo/John Minchillo

When the governing body of the Republican Party called the events of Jan. 6, 2021, “legitimate public discourse,” it renewed a sometimes-furious debate about what are,...

Midlife isn't a crisis, but sleep, stress and happiness feel a little different after 35 – or whenever middle age actually begins

Written by Soomi Lee, Assistant Professor of Aging Studies, University of South Florida

When midlife begins can vary from person to person.Flashpop/Digitalvision via Getty Images

Fewer than one-fifth of Americans say they actually experienced a midlife crisis. And yet there are still some common misunderstandings people have about midlife.

I study midlife, and especially how people in this stage of life experience sleep and stress. In...