The Conversation

Long power outages after disasters aren't inevitable – but to avoid them, utilities need to think differently

Written by Seth Blumsack, Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics and International Affairs, Penn State

Power poles downed by Hurricane Ida in Houma, Louisiana, Aug. 30, 2021.Nick Wagner/Xinhua via Getty Images

A busy 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is in full swing. The year’s 18th named storm, Sam, has become a hurricane. Meanwhile, some residents in the parts of Louisiana hit hardest by Hurricane Ida in late August are still waiting for their...

What Harvard’s humanist chaplain shows about atheism in America

Written by Penny Edgell, Professor of Sociology, University of Minnesota

People in attend a talk at the American Atheists National Convention in 2014. Many Americans remain distrustful of atheists, surveys show.AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

At the end of August 2021, Harvard University’s organization of chaplains unanimously elected Greg Epstein as president. Epstein – the atheist, humanist author of “Good...

How conservative comic Greg Gutfeld overtook Stephen Colbert in ratings to become the most popular late-night TV host

Written by Nick Marx, Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies, Colorado State University

In August 2021, comedian Greg Gutfeld's weeknight talk show 'Gutfeld!' became the highest-rated late-night talk show in the U.S.Gary Miller/Getty Images

In August 2021, Fox News’ “Gutfeld!,” a late-night comedy-talk show hosted by right-wing pundit Greg Gutfeld, overtook “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in overall...

School year off to a rocky start? 4 ways parents can help kids get back on track

Written by Christopher A. Kearney, Professor of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

The COVID-19 pandemic created attendance issues for students of all ages.Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Sending a child to school in the morning is a daily ritual for millions of families worldwide. Unfortunately, the attendance process has become highly disrupted due to COVID-19. The fact that many kids have been away from a...

How a team of musicologists and computer scientists completed Beethoven's unfinished 10th Symphony

Written by Ahmed Elgammal, Professor, Director of the Art & AI Lab, Rutgers University

Throughout the project, Beethoven's genius loomed.Circe Denyer

When Ludwig von Beethoven died in 1827, he was three years removed from the completion of his Ninth Symphony, a work heralded by many as his magnum opus. He had started work on his 10th Symphony but, due to deteriorating health, wasn’t able to make much headway: All he left behind...

Half of unvaccinated workers say they'd rather quit than get a shot – but real-world data suggest few are following through

Written by Jack J. Barry, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Public Interest Communications, University of Florida

Forceful words don't always result in strong action.AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Are workplace vaccine mandates prompting some employees to quit rather than get a shot?

A hospital in Lowville, New York, for example, had to shut down its maternity ward when dozens of staffers left their jobs rather than get vaccinated. At least 125 employees at Indiana...

More Americans couldn't get enough to eat in 2020 – a change that hit the middle class hardest

Written by Zheng Tian, Postdoctoral Scholar, Penn State

Many Americans who lost their jobs when the coronavirus pandemic began sought donated food.Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Americans in households with annual incomes from $50,000 to $75,000 experienced the sharpest increase in food insufficiency when the...

Some rich people will love at least one sweetener in Democrats' $3.5 trillion plan

Written by Brent W Ambrose, Jason and Julie Borrelli Faculty Chair in Real Estate and Professor of Real Estate, Penn State

Several lawmakers from high-tax states like New York are pushing for changes to a key tax deduction in Democrats' $3.5 trillion spending package.Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

While liberal lawmakers look for ways to raise taxes on the rich to finance their US$3.5 trillion spending package, some House Democrats are aiming to...

20 years after 9/11, the men charged with responsibility are still waiting for trial – here's why

Written by Lisa Hajjar, Professor of Sociology, University of California Santa Barbara

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and co-defendants return to court in November.AP Photo/Janet Hamlin

As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 passed, the five men accused of responsibility for the attacks were still awaiting trial in the Guantanamo military commission.

This case is the largest criminal prosecution in U.S. history in terms of number of victims. The...

How the world's biggest Islamic organization drives religious reform in Indonesia – and seeks to influence the Muslim world

Written by Ahmet T. Kuru, Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University

A gathering during the 73rd anniversary of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2019.Eko Siswono Toyudho/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

After its return to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban are again imposing their religious ideology, with restrictions on women’s rights and other repressive measures. They are presenting to the...