The Conversation

What is the new COVID-19 variant BA.2, and will it cause another wave of infections in the US?

Written by Prakash Nagarkatti, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina

BA.2, one of three main omicron sublineages, is sweeping the world.BlackJack3D/iStock via Getty Images Plus

A new omicron subvariant of the virus that causes COVID-19, BA.2, is quickly becoming the predominant source of infections amid rising cases around the world. Immunologists Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti of the University of South...

SEC proposes far-reaching climate disclosure rules for companies – here’s where the rules may be vulnerable to legal challenges

Written by Daniel E. Walters, Assistant Professor of Law, Penn State

The SEC's proposed rules include some reporting of so-called Scope 3 emissions, in companies' supply chains and use of their products.AP Photo/Noah Berger

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission released its long-awaited proposal to require companies to disclose their climate risks to investors, and it’s arguably the most significant...

Defending Europe: How cultural identity shapes support for Ukraine and armed resistance against Russia

Written by Anders C. Hardig, Senior Professorial Lecturer, American University School of International Service

Slovenia Prime Minister Janez Jansa (left), Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala (second from left) and Poland Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (third from left) meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a visit to Kyiv on behalf of the European Council on March 16, 2022. Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty...

An expert on trends in gun sales and gun violence in pandemic America

Written by Garen Wintemute, Distinguished Professor of Emergency Medicine; Director, Violence Prevention Research Program, University of California, Davis

Most people buy guns for protection.(Mike Pont/Getty Images News via Getty Images)

Gun sales have risen in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Feb. 28, 2022, SciLine interviewed Garen Wintemute – an emergency medicine physician at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center and director of the California...

The 'hot hand' is a real basketball phenomenon – but only some players have the ability to go on these basket-making streaks

Written by Konstantinos Pelechrinis, Associate Professor of Computing and Information, University of Pittsburgh

Kevin Durant is one of the NBA players who shows the ability to go on hot streaks.AP Photo/Seth Wenig

March Madness is here, and basketball fans are making predictions: Who will be the Cinderella story of the college tournament? Which teams will make a run to the Final Four? And of course, which player is going to get “hot” and carry...

Older Americans are given the wrong idea about online safety – here's how to help them help themselves

Written by Nora McDonald, Assistant Professor of Information Technology, University of Cincinnati

Telling elders scary stories about online scammers is not the best way to keep them safe.Olga Gavrilenko/EyeEm via Getty Images

Recently, the U.S. Social Security Administration sent out an email to subscribers of its official blog explaining how to access social security statements online. Most people know to be suspicious of seemingly official...

‘I wanted a professor like me’ – a hip-hop artist explains his turn to academia

Written by Jabari Evans, Assistant Professor of Race and Media, University of South Carolina

The media plays an important role in the way people learn to view themselves and others.FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images

Jabari Evans, associate professor of race and media at the University of South Carolina, studies the messages that media produce about the representation of race and how that can impact marginalized groups, particularly the Black...

Kyiv's Jews, persecuted under Polish-Lithuanian, Russian, Nazi and Soviet regimes, now face the onslaught of Putin's forces

Written by Victoria Khiterer, Associate Professor of History, Millersville University

Jonathan Markovitch, the chief rabbi of Kyiv, Ukraine, arrives with his grandchild at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo

While hundreds of Jews are leaving Kyiv amid Russian attacks, many more, led by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, who is of Jewish origin, are staying on to defend the country.

Jews have always been...

Abortion pills are just as safe to prescribe based on a patient's medical history as after an in-person exam, new research finds

Written by Ushma Upadhyay, Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Science, University of California, San Francisco

Removing ultrasound and pelvic exam requirements for medication abortion could help expand access to care.Oleg Rebrik/iStock via Getty Images Plus

For many people, accessing abortion care can be a major challenge. Abortion services are usually only available in certain clinics with specialized equipment like ultrasounds, often requiring...

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson faces confirmation hearings: 7 questions answered

Written by Alexis Karteron, Associate Professor of Law, Rutgers University - Newark

A seat on the highest court in the land awaits.Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson, nominated to be the first Black female justice on the Supreme Court, began on March 21, 2022. The dayslong process will see President Joe Biden’s pick for the bench grilled by members of the Senate Judiciary...