The Conversation

Newly available over-the-counter hearing aids offer many benefits, but consumers should be aware of the potential drawbacks

Written by Bradley Kesser, Professor of Otology/Neurotology, University of Virginia

Over-the-counter hearing aids are now available at pharmacies and big-box stores.Mara Ohlsson/Image Source via Getty Images

U.S. retailers began selling over-the-counter hearing aids on Oct. 17, 2022, a long-awaited move that some experts predict could be a game-changer in making these devices accessible and affordable. A prescription is no longer...

Georgia's GOP overhauled the state's election laws in 2021 – and critics argue the target was Black voter turnout, not election fraud

Written by Richard F. Doner, Goodrich C. White Professor (Emeritus) of Political Science, Emory University

A Black man and his son leave a polling location in Atlanta after casting a vote in the Georgia primary election on May 24, 2022. Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

In the rash of election reform laws enacted after former President Donald Trump’s false claims of fraud during the 2020 presidential election, few were tougher than SB 202 – the E...

Corporate spending in state politics and elections can affect everything from your wallet to your health

Written by Richard A. Devine, Assistant Professor of Management, DePaul University

From Alaska to Alabama, corporations spend money to shape their local business environments, resources and regulations. Douglas Rissing/ iStock / Getty Images Plus

Political spending by corporations is big business.

As one corporate executive with experience in business-government relations says, “A company that is dependent on government...

The US isn't at war with Russia, technically – but its support for Ukraine offers a classic case of a proxy war

Written by Monica Duffy Toft, Professor of International Politics and Director of the Center for Strategic Studies at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, stands near a damaged residential building in Irpin, Ukraine, on Sept. 8, 2022. Genya Savilov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

The United States and European countries continue to pledge their support to Ukraine as Russia’s invasion drags on into its ninth month – and have backed their alliance...

Why so many people have moved to Florida – and into harm's way

Written by Robin Faith Bachin, Professor of History, University of Miami

Miami's streets were bustling and crowded by 1926. Bettmann/Getty Images

Hurricane Ian barreled ashore with winds of up to 150 mph (240 kph) on Florida’s southwest coast on Sept. 28, 2022.

The storm’s powerful winds and torrential rains reduced entire communities to rubble, killing more than 120 people, including many who drowned...

Disasters like Hurricane Ian can affect academic performance for years to come

Written by Carl F. Weems, Professor and Chair, Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder can vary from one student to the next.LumiNola via Getty Images

When leaders at a middle school in New Orleans asked me to help students who were struggling after the city had been struck by Hurricane Katrina, we didn’t see eye to eye.

They wanted me to focus on helping the children overcome test...

Not all Asian Americans vote Democratic -- and the political leanings of different Asian ethnic groups vary

Written by Sumit Ganguly, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and the Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations, Indiana University

Asian American voter turnout increases when an Asian American is on the ballot. fstop123/Collection E+ via Getty Images

Asian Americans voted in record numbers in the presidential elections of 2016 and 2020, as well as in the 2018 midterm elections.

They are also the fastest-growing racial group in the country, with the population increasing by 81%...

A new type of material called a mechanical neural network can learn and change its physical properties to create adaptable, strong structures

Written by Ryan H. Lee, PhD Student in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles

This connection of springs is a new type of material that can change shape and learn new properties.Jonathan Hopkins, CC BY-ND

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

The big idea

A new type of material can learn and improve its ability to deal with unexpected forces thanks to a unique lattice structure with connections of...

UK prime minister forced from office amid economic turmoil, chaos in parliament and a party in disarray

Written by Garret Martin, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Co-Director Transatlantic Policy Center, American University School of International Service

Another prime minister shown the door.Rob Pinney/Getty Images

The U.K. government is in tatters after Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned on Oct. 20, 2022 – the second leader to be forced out in mere months. It follows an economic mess largely of her own making that resulted in U-turns, a high-profile firing, curious absences and plummeting...

Wildfires reshape forests and change the behavior of animals that live there

Written by Taylor Ganz, PhD Candidate in Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington

Shrubs and grasses growing in this post-fire forest offer abundant food for deer.Sarah Bassing, CC BY-ND

In the arid American West, wildfires now define summer. Recent years have seen some of the worst wildfires in recorded history. Climate change, the loss of Indigenous burning practices and a century of fire suppression are increasing the risk of...