The Conversation

Got $1.2T to invest in roads and other infrastructure? Here's how to figure out how to spend it wisely

Written by Anna Nagurney, Eugene M. Isenberg Chair in Integrative Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst

A collapsed bridge in Atlanta in 2017 backed up traffic for a month.AP Photo/David Goldman

The American economy is underpinned by networks.

Road networks carry traffic and freight; the internet and telecommunications networks carry our voices and digital information; the electricity grid is a network carrying energy; financial networks transfer...

How hip-hop in the classroom is raising the volume of learning: 4 essential reads

Written by Jamaal Abdul-Alim, Education Editor, The Conversation

Hip-hop education helps students from all backgrounds learn. Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty Images

Scholars trace the origin of hip-hop to a “back to school jam” that DJ Kool Herc threw in an apartment in the South Bronx in 1973. Today the music genre is one of the most popular in the U.S.

In July 2021, Congress formally...

Organized crime is a top driver of global deforestation – along with beef, soy, palm oil and wood products

Written by Jennifer Devine, Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies, Texas State University

Fires burn off forest cover and natural grasses to create cattle pasture in the Maya forest in Guatemala.Jennifer Devine, CC BY-ND

Every year the world loses an estimated 25 million acres (10 million hectares) of forest, an area larger than the state of Indiana. Nearly all of it is in the tropics.

Tropical forests store enormous quantities of...

The ancient history of adding insult to injury

Written by Andrew M. McClellan, Lecturer in Classics and Humanities, San Diego State University

The witty one-liner is a calling card of the James Bond film franchise.Bob Penn/Sygma via Getty Images

At one point in the latest James Bond installment, “No Time To Die,” the henchman Primo has the upper hand on 007. But Bond has a wristwatch that can trigger an electromegnetic pulse keyed to local circuitry. Primo, conveniently, has a...

Have we made an object that could travel 1% the speed of light?

Written by Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona

It only takes light about eight minutes to go from the Sun to Earth. loops7/E+ via Getty Images

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

Have we made an object that could travel at at least 1% the speed of light? – Anadi, age...

Disinformation is spreading beyond the realm of spycraft to become a shady industry – lessons from South Korea

Written by K. Hazel Kwon, Associate Professor of Journalism and Digital Audiences, Arizona State University

Efforts to reduce tensions between the Koreas, like the 2018 inter-Korean summit, are frequently the target of disinformation campaigns in South Korea.AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

Disinformation, the practice of blending real and fake information with the goal of duping a government or influencing public opinion, has its origins in the Soviet Union. But...

What is Zakat? A scholar of Islam explains

Written by Iqbal Akhtar, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Florida International University

Giving a portion of one's wealth annually is part of the spiritual practice in Islam. gahsoon/E+ via Getty Images

Muslims see wealth as a gift and a divine dispensation. The Quran urges individuals to share their wealth and income with those of lesser means. Almsgiving is one of the five pillars of Islam – a fundamental practice within the...

Steve Bannon indicted over Jan. 6 panel snub, pushing key question over presidential power to the courts

Written by Jennifer Selin, Kinder Institute Assistant Professor of Constitutional Democracy, University of Missouri-Columbia

Bannon faces potential jail time for contempt of Congress.Bryan Smith/AFP via Getty Images

Former Trump ally Steve Bannon faces possible fines and time behind bars after being indicted on two counts of contempt of Congress.

The criminal charges, announced on Nov. 12, 2021, by the Department of Justice, follow a vote by the House of Representatives...

The ‘great resignation’ is a trend that began before the pandemic – and bosses need to get used to it

Written by Ian O. Williamson, Dean of the Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine

Employers are having a harder time recruiting new workers. AP Photo/Marta Lavandier

Finding good employees has always been a challenge - but these days it’s harder than ever. And it is unlikely to improve anytime soon.

The so-called quit rate – the share of workers who voluntarily leave their jobs – hit a new record of 3% in...

Fewer diabetes patients are picking up their insulin prescriptions – another way the pandemic has delayed health care for many

Written by Ismaeel Yunusa, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Outcomes Sciences, University of South Carolina

The pandemic has made it harder for diabetes patients to receive the ongoing care they need.Maskot/Maskot via Getty Images

Insulin is as essential as water for many people with diabetes. Of the more than 30 million Americans with diabetes, approximately 7.4 million rely on insulin to manage their condition. But it is one of the most costly drugs on...