The Conversation

Money alone can't fix Central America – or stop migration to US

Written by Luis Guillermo Solis, Distinguished Professor, Director of the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, Florida International University

Children play in Las Flores village, Comitancillo, Guatemala, home of a 22-year-old migrant murdered in January 2021 on his journey through Mexico.Johan Ordonez/AFP via Getty Images

To stem migration from Central America, the Biden administration has a US$4 billion plan to “build security and prosperity” in Honduras, Guatemala and El...

Best schools often out of reach for disadvantaged students in choice programs

Written by Danielle Sanderson Edwards, Ph.D. Candidate of Education Policy, Michigan State University

Just 1 in 10 choice students from Detroit attend high-performing schools.Kayla Ruble for The Washington Post via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Although school choice policies are often presented as a way to let families select the best schools for their children, my research found that...

You don't have a male or female brain – the more brains scientists study, the weaker the evidence for sex differences

Written by Lise Eliot, Professor of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

Brain sex isn't a thing.Sunny/Stone via Getty Images

Everyone knows the difference between male and female brains. One is chatty and a little nervous, but never forgets and takes good care of others. The other is calmer, albeit more impulsive, but can tune out gossip to get the job done.

These are stereotypes, of course, but they hold surprising...

Lab–grown embryos and human–monkey hybrids: Medical marvels or ethical missteps?

Written by Sahotra Sarkar, Professor of Philosophy and Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts

Researchers have grown mammal embryos later into development than ever before in an artificial womb.Vitalii Kyryk/WikimediaCommons, CC BY-SA

In Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel “Brave New World,” people aren’t born from a mother’s womb. Instead, embryos are grown in artificial wombs until they are brought into the world, a...

What Homer's 'Odyssey' can teach us about reentering the world after a year of isolation

Written by Joel Christensen, Professor of Classical Studies, Brandeis University

Greek hero Odysseus reunites with his wife, Penelope, upon his return to Ithaca, in an illustration from Homer's epic.Culture Club/Getty Images

In the ancient Greek epic “The Odyssey,” Homer’s hero, Odysseus, describes the wild land of the Cyclops as a place where people don’t gather together in public, where each person...

Shakespeare's musings on religion are like curious whispers – they require deep listening to be heard

Written by Anthony D. Baker, Professor of Systematic Theology, Seminary of the Southwest

Caliban implores his fellow island dwellers to listen to the noises in "The Tempest."The Print Collector/Getty Images

William Shakespeare’s role as a religious guide is not an obvious one.

While the work of the bard, whose birthday is celebrated on April 23, has been scoured at various times over the past four centuries for coded messages...

Do you really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day? An exercise scientist explains why your kidneys say 'no'

Written by Tamara Hew-Butler, Associate Professor of Exercise and Sports Science, Wayne State University

Exercising can increase your need to drink water, but there's no need to overdo it. The Great Brigade/Getty Images

The warmer weather and longer days have inspired reminders to “stay hydrated” and drink eight glasses of water – or about two liters – a day.

Not to burst anyone’s water bottle, but healthy people can...

Chauvin conviction: 2 things to know about jury bias and 2 ways to reduce it

Written by Angela M. Jones, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice and Criminology, Texas State University

In Atlanta, Ga., one person's sign reflects the actual verdicts that had just been delivered in the Derek Chauvin trial. Megan Varner/Getty Images

Shortly after the guilty verdicts were revealed in former police officer Derek Chauvin’s trial for murdering George Floyd, legal experts suggested Chauvin will appeal, arguing that his right to a...

Environmental DNA – how a tool used to detect endangered wildlife ended up helping fight the COVID-19 pandemic

Written by Jessica Alice Farrell, PhD Candidate in Biology, University of Florida

Looking for bits of DNA at the University of Florida.David Duffy, CC BY-ND

Imagine discovering an animal species you thought had gone extinct was still living – without laying eyes on it. Such was the case with the Brazilian frog species Megaelosia bocainensis, whose complete disappearance in 1968 led scientists to believe it had become...

Vaccine mandates aren't the only – or easiest – way for employers to compel workers to get their shots

Written by Elizabeth C. Tippett, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Oregon

Universities and other employers are encouraging workers to get vaccinated by doing it on site. AP Photo/Danny Karnik

A workplace showdown may be brewing over mandating vaccinations.

Employers would love the sense of certainty that comes with a vaccinated workforce. Workers can be brought back sooner than later, there’s no need for physical...