The Conversation

After the insurrection, America's far-right groups get more extreme

Written by Matthew Valasik, Associate Professor of Sociology, Louisiana State University

The U.S. Capitol remains on lockdown, defended by the National Guard.Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

As the U.S. grapples with domestic extremism in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, warnings about more violence are coming from the FBI Director Chris Wray and others. The Conversation asked Matthew Valasik, a sociologist...

Is ballot collection, or 'ballot harvesting,' good for democracy? We asked 5 experts

Written by Nancy Martorano Miller, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Dayton

Rivko Knox, a volunteer with the League of Women Voters in Phoenix, and other voters sued Arizona over a law that bans the third-party collection of early mail-in ballots. The issue is now before the Supreme Court.AP Photo/Anita Snow

A 2016 Arizona state law makes the collection of ballots by third parties a felony.

The Democratic National...

Resistance to military regime in Myanmar mounts as nurses, bankers join protests – despite bloody crackdown

Written by Tharaphi Than, Associate Professor, Department of World Cultures and Languages, Northern Illinois University

Nurses in Myanmar have been striking since February to protest the military coup. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Young people were the first in Myanmar to peacefully protest the country’s new military regime. Then came labor unions. In the weeks since a Feb. 1 military coup, Mynamar’s resistance movement has expanded dramatically to include...

Federal support has shored up nonprofits during the coronavirus pandemic, but many groups are still struggling

Written by Dyana Mason, Associate Professor of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon

A woman visits New York City's Whitney Museum of American Art in September.Spencer Platt/Getty Images

More than 60% of nonprofit social services, arts and culture organizations obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans during the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic. These very low-interest loans for small businesses and nonprofits turn into...

Why would anyone buy crypto art – let alone spend millions on what's essentially a link to a JPEG file?

Written by Aaron Hertzmann, Affiliate Faculty of Computer Science, University of Washington

Since so much our social lives are lived online, maybe it makes sense for our art collections to reside online, too.Ihor Melnyk via Getty Images

As an academic researcher, developer of artistic technology and amateur artist, I was quite skeptical about crypto art when I first read about it several years ago.

However, I follow a community of artists...

El Salvador's abortion ban jails women for miscarriages and stillbirths – now one woman's family seeks international justice

Written by Juliet S. Sorensen, Clinical Professor of Law, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Northwestern University

Members of a Salvadoran feminist group watch a virtual hearing March 10 on El Salvador's abortion laws by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.Marvin Recinos/AFP via Getty Images

El Salvador outlaws abortion completely, even in circumstances of rape or incest, with penalties ranging from two to 50 years. The abortion ban is so broadly enforced...

Black students have far less trust in their colleges than other students do

Written by Kevin Fosnacht, Associate Research Scientist, Indiana University

Lack of trust in college leaders was particularly high.tommaso79/iStock via Getty Images Plus

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

The big idea

Black undergraduates consistently said they trusted the people who run the colleges they attend – and society overall – substantially less than their white peers...

Fixing indoor air pollution problems that are raising Native Americans' COVID-19 risk

Written by Lisa Hardy, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Social Science Community Engagement Lab, Northern Arizona University

Older homes can have a variety of environmental health risks.Kerry F. Thompson and Ryan T. Wilson, CC BY-ND

Betty’s home stands on the edge of a striking red cliff. Her family built the home from materials in their environment generations ago and passed it along from mothers to daughters. But it is cold, and the home is small with few...

How do astronauts go to the bathroom in space?

Written by Tracy K.P. Gregg, Associate Professor of Geology, University at Buffalo

Toilets in space are a bit more complicated than those on Earth. Don DeBold via Wikipedia, CC BY-ND

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.

How do astronauts go to the bathroom in space? – Henry D., age 7, Cambridge,...

6 tips to help you detect fake science news

Written by Marc Zimmer, Professor of Chemistry, Connecticut College

If what you're reading seems too good to be true, it just might be.Mark Hang Fung So/Unsplash, CC BY

I’m a professor of chemistry, have a Ph.D. and conduct my own scientific research, yet when consuming media, even I frequently need to ask myself: “Is this science or is it fiction?”

There are plenty of reasons a science story might...