The Conversation

Tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees made it to the US – here's how the resettlement process works

Written by Kathryn Libal, Director, Human Rights Institute, Associate Prof. Social Work and Human Rights, University of Connecticut

Mohammad Attaie and his wife, Deena, newly arrived from Afghanistan, get assistance from medical translator Jahannaz Afshar at the Valley Health Center TB/Refugee Program in San Jose, Calif., on Dec. 9, 2021. AP Photo/Eric Risberg

As of February 2022, some 65,000 Afghans evacuated during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan have settled in U.S....

What's the IOC – and why doesn't it do more about human rights issues related to the Olympics?

Written by Yannick Kluch, Assistant Professor of Sport Leadership; Director of Outreach and Inclusive Excellence, Virginia Commonwealth University

This protest outside IOC headquarters in early 2022 objected to the Winter Games being held in China. Valentin Flauraud/AFP via Getty Images

The International Olympic Committee, a nongovernmental organization based in Switzerland that’s independent of any one nation, was founded in 1894. It’s a group of officials who supervise and...

The Cold War, modern Ukraine and the spread of democracy in the former Soviet bloc countries

Written by Michael De Groot, Assistant Professor, International Studies, Indiana University

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.Alexei Druzhinin / Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

As Russia masses forces and equipment on Ukraine’s border, international tensions over a possible invasion intensify almost daily. Ukraine has emerged as ground zero of what some pundits have...

What are false flag attacks – and could Russia make one work in the information age?

Written by Scott Radnitz, Associate Professor of International Studies, University of Washington

The Russian and Ukrainian governments both blamed forces aligned with the other for mortar fire in eastern Ukraine and for using the accusations as justification for increased aggression.AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda

In the past few weeks, U.S. officials have warned several times that Russia plans to create the appearance of an attack on its own forces and...

Rising costs of climate change threaten to make skiing a less diverse, even more exclusive sport

Written by Brian P. McCullough, Associate Professor of Sport Management and Director of the Laboratory for Sustainability in Sport, Texas A&M University

Some resorts have launched diversity efforts to try to appeal to a wider community.Johannes Kroemer via Getty Images

Watching skiers compete almost entirely on artificially made snow at the 2022 Winter Olympics, we found it hard not to think about climate change and what it will mean for the future of the winter sports industry – and who will...

Happy Twosday! Why numbers like 2/22/22 have been too fascinating for over 2,000 years

Written by Barry Markovsky, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of South Carolina

Is "Twosday" as special as some corners of the internet seem to think?articular/iStock via Getty Images Plus

This Feb. 22, the world hits an unprecedented milestone. It’s the date itself: 2/22/22. And this so-called “Twosday” falls on a Tuesday, no less.

It’s true the number pattern stands out, impossible to miss. But does...

The Supreme Court could hamstring federal agencies' regulatory power in a high-profile air pollution case

Written by Albert C. Lin, Professor of Law, University of California, Davis

Coal piles outside of PacifiCorp's Hunter power plant in Castle Dale, Utah.George Frey, AFP, via Getty Images

On Feb. 28, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in West Virginia v. EPA, a case that centers on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change. How...

Want better child care? Invest in entrepreneurial training for child care workers

Written by Anne Douglass, Professor of Early Care and Education Leadership, Policy, and Practice, UMass Boston

Entrepreneurial leadership values expertise from providers, educators and parents. SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images

Christine Heer – a veteran preschool teacher – had long harbored a passion to run a nature-based preschool. So in 2015 she opened Sprouts Farm and Forest Kindergarten in central Massachusetts.

Diana Stinson did...

Female business travelers pay less than their male colleagues because they tend to book earlier

Written by Javier D. Donna, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Florida

Women tend to book business travel earlier than men.Michael Duva/Stone via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Female employees consistently pay lower airfares than men do for the same flights because they tend to book earlier, according to a new peer-reviewed article I co-authored.

To reach...

Can religion and faith combat eco-despair?

Written by Rita D. Sherma, Associate Professor of Dharma Studies, Graduate Theological Union

There's a growing belief that teachings from religious faiths belong in the discussion around environmental protection. ImagineGolf/E+/Getty Images

Scientists regularly study the ongoing degradation of Earth’s environment and track the changes wrought by a warming planet. Economists warn that intensifying disasters are harming people’s...