The Conversation

Tucker Carlson pulls from an old playbook as he stokes anxiety about a masculinity crisis

Written by Conor Heffernan, Assistant Professor of Physical Culture and Sport Studies, University of Texas at Austin

Bodybuilder Charles Atlas sought to turn Americans from 'Chump to Champ.'Lee Lockwood/Getty Images

Promotions for “The End of Men,” Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s forthcoming documentary, lament “The total collapse of testosterone levels in American men.”

Carlson’s central premise is that modern society has...

Ukraine's information war is winning hearts and minds in the West

Written by Michael Butler, Associate Professor of Political Science, Clark University

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is introduced to the US Congress by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on March 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. J. Scott Applewhite-Pool/Getty Images

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dominated headlines since late February 2022. The war struck a nerve among Western audiences, evoking a high degree of support...

Using ‘science’ to market cookies and other products meant for pleasure backfires with consumers

Written by Rebecca Walker Reczek, Berry Chair of New Technologies in Marketing and Professor of Marketing, The Ohio State University

Science makes pleasure. Billy Burdette/EyeEm via Getty Images

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

The big idea

When companies say a product meant for pleasure was developed using science, consumers are less likely to buy it. That’s what we found in our peer-reviewed research.

Marketers often describe how a...

Why the world has a lot to learn about conservation – and trust – from Indigenous societies

Written by John Ziker, Professor of Anthropology, Boise State University

A family in northern Siberia watches -- but decides not to hunt -- a musk ox that wandered into the area where they live.John Ziker, Author provided

Twenty-five years ago, when I was a young anthropologist working in northern Siberia, the Indigenous hunters, fishers and trappers I lived with would often stop and solemnly offer something to the...

A member of the Marcos family is returning to power – here’s what it means for democracy in the Philippines

Written by Adrian De Leon, Assistant Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Politics is the Marcos family business.Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

Some 36 years after the People Power Revolution restored democracy to the Philippines, a member of perhaps the most brutal and corrupt political dynasties in the nation’s memory is set to return to the Philippine presidency.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the son of...

US Senate to vote on abortion rights bill -- but what would it mean to codify Roe into law?

Written by Linda C. McClain, Professor of Law, Boston University

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters ahead of a vote on abortion rights.AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on May 11, 2022, on a bill that would enshrine the right to an abortion into law.

The Democrats’ bill, the Women’s Health Protection Act, isn’t expected to pass – a...

Use of 'white privilege' makes online discussions more polarized and less constructive

Written by Christopher Quarles, PhD Candidate in Information, University of Michigan

A protester holds a sign reading 'White Privilege Is The Problem' at a rally against policy brutality and racial injustice in New York on Sept. 5, 2020. Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

A wide variety of historical, economic and cultural forces combine to allow a larger percentage of whites to climb up the socioeconomic ladder than Blacks...

What can reverse late-night TV's decline?

Written by Jon Rineman, Affiliated Faculty, Visual and Media Arts & Comedic Arts, Emerson College

James Corden, host of 'The Late Late Show,' recently announced that he will be stepping down from the show.Theo Wargo/Getty Images

In late April, after James Corden announced he would step down from “The Late Late Show” next spring, there was immediate speculation about his replacement.

Others, however, have had a different response to...

Wealthy nations are carving up space and its riches – and leaving other countries behind

Written by Theodora Ogden, Research Fellow in Emerging Space Countries, Arizona State University

There is a U.S. flag on the Moon, but in the future, countries may start to turn access to the Moon and asteroids into serious wealth.NASA/Neil A. Armstrong

Satellites help run the internet and television and are central to the Global Positioning System. They enable modern weather forecasting, help scientists track environmental degradation and...

Beyond honey: 4 essential reads about bees

Written by Jennifer Weeks, Senior Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation

Bumblebees at work, dotted with pollen.Crabchick/Flickr, CC BY

As spring gardening kicks into high gear, bees emerge from hibernation and start moving from flower to flower. These hardworking insects play an essential role pollinating plants, but they’re also interesting for many other reasons. Scientists study bees to learn about their...