The Conversation

COP26 left the world with a climate to-do list: Here are 5 things to watch for in 2022

Written by Rachel Kyte, Dean of the Fletcher School, Tufts University

John Kerry, the U.S. presidential special envoy for climate, surrounded by other negotiators during COP26.UNFCCC, CC BY-NC-SA

How much the world achieved at the Glasgow climate talks – and what happens now – depends in large part on where you live.

In island nations that are losing their homes to sea level rise, and in other highly...

An environmental sociologist explains how permaculture offers a path to climate justice

Written by Christina Ergas, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Tennessee

Permaculture practitioners manage their gardens or farms in ways inspired by the sustainability and resilience of healthy natural ecosystems.simonkr/E+ via Getty Images

Big farming is both a victim of climate change and a contributor. Droughts, floods and soil degradation threaten crop yields. But agriculture produces nearly one-quarter of global...

Infrastructure law: High-speed internet is as essential as water and electricity

Written by Hernán Galperin, Associate Professor of Communication, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Closing the digital divide requires deploying a lot of fiber-optic cables in rural and low-income areas.AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Joe Biden on Nov. 15, 2021, was hailed by the White House and advocates as a historic investment to improve internet access in America.

As a researcher...

'Off-label' use is common in medicine – a bioethicist and legal philosopher explain why the COVID-19 vaccines are different

Written by Elizabeth Lanphier, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Bioethicist, University of Cincinnati

Research suggests that about 20% of all prescriptions are administered "off-label."Hafakot/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Kids ages 5 to 11 can now be vaccinated against COVID-19 following the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization of the Pfizer Bio-NTech vaccine for this age group and the Centers for Disease Control and...

As climate change parches the Southwest, here's a better way to share water from the shrinking Colorado River

Written by Daniel Craig McCool, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Utah

Sign at a boat ramp on Lake Mead, near Boulder City, Nevada, Aug. 13, 2021. The lake currently is roughly two-thirds empty.AP Photo/John Locher

The Colorado River is a vital lifeline for the arid U.S. Southwest. It supplies water to seven states, Mexico, 29 Indian reservations and millions of acres of irrigated farmland. The river and its...

How my family makes holiday decisions that work for everyone, according to a negotiation expert

Written by Rachel Croson, Executive Vice President and Provost, University of Minnesota

Negotiation concepts can be used not only to get what you need or want but also to make your family life happier overall.Marko Geber/DigitalVision via Getty Images

This is a holiday season like no other.

Many people have been apart for nearly two years and have had so many “virtual” holidays that they are craving physical presence this...

How to make voting districts fair to voters, not parties

Written by Linda Fowler, Professor of Government, Dartmouth College

Representatives say the Pledge of Allegiance at the State Capitol in Austin. Texas is one of many states that redrew their political maps in 2021.Tamir Kalifa via Getty Images

Should fairness to political parties be the standard for evaluating legislative redistricting?

Across the nation, state lawmakers are jockeying to advantage their party...

What Americans can learn from other cultures about the language of gratitude

Written by Jeremy David Engels, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Penn State

A family holds hands and prays before a Thanksgiving meal. skynesher/E+ via Getty Images

Families and friends traditionally gather to express gratitude during this time of year. Many also participate in acts of service and charity as a way of giving back to their local communities.

As communication scholars who study intercultural communication, we...

Want to take an online course? Here are 4 tips to make sure you get the most out of it for your career

Written by Anne Trumbore, Executive Director of Digital and Open Enrollment at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia

Hiring managers often prefer nondegree credentials from top universities over credit-bearing certificates from for-profit institutions. Drazen_/E+ Collection via Getty Images

The “Great Resignation” has left a lot of people with time on their hands. And while this time may be a welcome respite from the daily grind, most folks will need...

Russian anti-satellite weapon test: What happened and what are the risks?

Written by Wendy Whitman Cobb, Professor of Strategy and Security Studies, US Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies

If a satellite is destroyed, the debris fans out in orbit and poses serious threats to other satellites or crewed spacecraft. ESA/ID&Sense/ONiRiXEL via WikimediaCommons, CC BY-SA

On Nov. 15, 2021, U.S. officials announced that they had detected a dangerous new debris field in orbit near Earth. Later in the day, it was confirmed that Russia had...