The Conversation

Elon Musk's bid spotlights Twitter's unique role in public discourse – and what changes might be in store

Written by Anjana Susarla, Professor of Information Systems, Michigan State University

Twitter may not be a darling of Wall Street, but it occupies a unique place in the social media landscape.AP Photo/Richard Drew

Twitter has been in the news a lot lately, albeit for the wrong reasons. Its stock growth has languished and the platform itself has largely remained the same since its founding in 2006. On April 14, 2022, Elon Musk, the...

Why we can't 'boost' our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic for the long term

Written by Prakash Nagarkatti, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina

Although the COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives, they have been insufficient at preventing breakthrough infections.Andriy Onufriyenko/Moment via Getty Images

With yet another COVID-19 booster available for vulnerable populations in the U.S., many people find themselves wondering what the end game will be.

The mRNA vaccines currently used...

Jackie Robinson was a Republican until the GOP became the 'white man’s party'

Written by Chris Lamb, Professor of Journalism, IUPUI

Wearing his military uniform, Jackie Robinson signs a contract on Oct. 23, 1945 to becomes the first Black to play with a white professional baseball team. Bettmann/Getty Images

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, forever changing baseball and society.

Robinson was Black, and the integration of...

Legacy of Jim Crow still affects funding for public schools

Written by Derek W. Black, Professor of Law, University of South Carolina

School funding inequities persist along racial and economic lines. David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Nearly 70 years ago – in its 1954 Brown v. Board decision – the Supreme Court framed racial segregation as the cause of educational inequality. It did not, however, challenge the lengths to which states went to ensure the...

How hypersonic missiles work and the unique threats they pose – an aerospace engineer explains

Written by Iain Boyd, Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder

Hypersonic missiles can change course to avoid detection and anti-missile defenses.U.S. Air Force graphic

Russia used a hypersonic missile against a Ukrainian arms depot in the western part of the country on March 18, 2022. That might sound scary, but the technology the Russians used is not particularly advanced. However, next-generation hypersonic...

I've studied stadium financing for over two decades – and the new Bills stadium is one of the worst deals for taxpayers I've ever seen

Written by Victor Matheson, Professor of Economics and Accounting, College of the Holy Cross

Buffalo Bills owners Kim and Terry Pegula received a sweetheart deal from the state to finance their new stadium. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

After New York lawmakers blew past the deadline to approve the state budget, they finally came to an agreement on April 9, 2022, that included a US$850 million subsidy for a new stadium in Buffalo for the...

Christians hold many views on Jesus' resurrection – a theologian explains the differing views among Baptists

Written by Jason Oliver Evans, Ph.D. Candidate in Religious Studies, University of Virginia

Resurrection of Christ depicted in 14th-century fresco in Chora Church, Istanbul, Turkey.LP7/Collections E+ via Getty Images

Every year, Christians from around the world gather for worship on Easter Sunday. Also known as Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, Easter is the final day of a weeklong commemoration of the story of Jesus’ final days in...

Senator Dianne Feinstein faces pressure to end her 30 years representing California

Written by Lincoln Mitchell, Associate Adjunct Research Scholar, Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, Columbia University

Dianne Feinstein, a former San Francisco mayor, became the first woman to represent California in the U.S. Senate, in 1992.Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images

On Nov. 27, 1978, Dianne Feinstein – then the 45-year-old president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and two-time failed mayoral candidate – effectively announced her...

Elon Musk argues Twitter would be better off in private rather than public hands – corporate governance scholars would disagree

Written by Bert Spector, Associate Professor of International Business and Strategy at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University

Musk argues Twitter is better off in private hands – his. Patrick Pleul/Pool via AP

Billionaire Elon Musk says he wants to take Twitter private by buying 100% of its publicly held shares in a deal worth US$43 billion.

In a letter to the board, he said that Twitter can’t serve as a platform for free speech as a public company....

Want to know why India has been soft on Russia? Take a look at its military, diplomatic and energy ties

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

A close relationship based on strategic needs.Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

As global democracies lined up to condemn the actions of Russia in Ukraine, one country was less forthcoming in its criticism – and it was the largest democracy of them all: India.

Throughout the ongoing crisis, the government in India has carefully avoided taking an...