The Conversation

How effective does a COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine need to be to stop the pandemic? A new study has answers

Written by Bruce Y. Lee, Professor of Health Policy and Management, City University of New York

The lower the vaccine's effectiveness, the more likely social distancing in some form may still be necessary.Gopixa via Getty Images

The U.S. is pinning its hopes on a COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine, but will a vaccine alone be enough to stop the pandemic and allow life to return to normal?

The answer depends on a how “good” the vaccine...

Federal spending covers only 8% of public school budgets

Written by David S. Knight, Assistant Professor of Education Finance and Policy, University of Washington

The White House is threatening to cut funds to school districts that don't resume daily in-person instruction.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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State and local tax dollars cover the bulk of U.S. public school funding.

The federal government spends just under US$55 billion per year on K-12 education, in addition to outlays for early childhood...

Through protest and resistance, Lumbees seek to reconcile past with present

Written by Jessica R. Locklear, History Ph.D. Student, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Lumbee Reverend Dr. Mike Cummings, center with his back to the camera, prays for protesters in Pembroke, North Carolina.Krista Davis, CC BY-ND

It may not have seemed unusual when a protest in support of Black lives and against police brutality moved through the town of Pembroke, North Carolina, in late June and faced off with counterprotesters.

But...

A restart of nuclear testing offers little scientific value to the US and would benefit other countries

Written by Ferenc Dalnoki-Veress, Scientist-in-Residence and Adjunct Professor, Middlebury

Hundreds of nuclear weapons have been tested by the U.S. since WWII, but newer science has replaced the need for live detonations. Galerie Bilderwelt / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

July 15, 2020 marks 75 years since the detonation of the first nuclear bomb. The Trinity Test, in New Mexico’s Jornada del Muerto desert, proved that the design...

4 things students should know about their health insurance and COVID-19 before heading to college this fall

Written by Paul Shafer, Assistant Professor, Health Law, Policy, and Management, Boston University

College students should weigh their health insurance options if they take in-person classes this fall.Geber86/GettyImages

As colleges and universities decide whether or not to reopen their campuses this fall, much of the discussion has focused on the ethics behind the decision and the associated health risks of in-person instruction.

As a researcher...

Duckweed is an incredible, radiation-fighting astronaut food – and by changing how it is grown, we made it better

Written by Barbara Demmig-Adams, Professor of Plant Ecology and Molecular Biology, University of Colorado Boulder

The tiny floating duckweed plant is uniquely suited to meet the nutritional needs of astronauts.Dr. Jared J. Stewart, CC BY-ND

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

What’s the big idea?

Current industrialized food systems were optimized for a single goal – growing the maximum amount of food for the least...

Why does white always go first in chess?

Written by Daaim Shabazz, Associate Professor of International Business, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

The white-moves-first rule became standard in the late 1800s.Nupat Arjkla / EyeEm / Getty Images

Editor’s note: The recent protests over racism have rekindled a longstanding discussion about whether chess promotes white privilege with its rule that the first move always goes to the player with the white pieces. In this Q&A, Daaim Shabazz,...

An argument for gene drive technology to genetically control insects like mosquitoes and locusts

Written by Isobel Ronai, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Sydney

Swarms of locusts are seen on a tree in a residential area in the southwestern Pakistan city of Quetta on June 12, 2020. BANARAS KHAN/AFP via Getty Images

The fate of society rests in part on how humans navigate their complicated relationship with insects – trying to save “good” insects and control “bad” ones. Some...

An argument for gene drive technology to genetically control populations of insects like mosquitoes and locusts

Written by Isobel Ronai, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Sydney

Swarms of locusts are seen on a tree in a residential area in the southwestern Pakistan city of Quetta on June 12, 2020. BANARAS KHAN/AFP via Getty Images

The fate of society rests in part on how humans navigate their complicated relationship with insects – trying to save “good” insects and control “bad” ones. Some...

Why Buddhist monks collect alms and visit households even in times of social distancing

Written by Thomas Borchert, Professor of Religion, University of Vermont

Monks socially distancing as they go about their daily alms rounds while dressed in face masks as well as robes have become a common sight during the coronavirus pandemic in Thailand. Pictures in Thai media show the efforts monks and their lay supporters are making in maintaining social distance, as they carry on with the practice nonetheless.

I...