The Conversation

Engineered viruses can fight the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Written by Kevin Doxzen, Hoffmann Postdoctoral Fellow, Arizona State University

Bacteriophage (yellow) are viruses that infect and destroy bacteria (blue). Christoph Burgstedt/Science Photo Library,Getty Images

As the world fights the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic, another group of dangerous pathogens looms in the background. The threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been growing for years and appears to...

Relief or stimulus: What's the difference, and what it means for Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus package

Written by William Hauk, Associate Professor of Economics, University of South Carolina

Biden made passing his $1.9 trillion bill one of his top priorities. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

The Biden administration and Congress are fast-tracking a US$1.9 trillion coronavirus package that includes aid for states, cities, individuals, the unemployed, schools and much else. It could become law within weeks.

But is it stimulus or relief?

If...

Black biomedical scientists still lag in research funding – here's why that matters to all Americans

Written by Omolola Eniola-Adefeso, University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan Medical School

Black biomedical researchers receive less funding than their white counterparts.hyejin kang/iStock via Getty Images Plus

The statistics tell the story. People of color are more likely to be infected, hospitalized and killed by COVID-19 than white, non-Hispanic people. This grim reality is just one more illustration of an unacceptable truth: Science...

From 'aliens' to 'noncitizens' – the Biden administration is proposing to change a legal term to recognize the humanity of non-Americans

Written by Kevin Johnson, Dean and Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o Studies, University of California, Davis

If a proposed law passes, this group of immigrants apprehended at the U.S. border near Mission, Texas, would be called 'noncitizens,' not 'aliens.'Sergio Flores for The Washington Post via Getty Images

A profound change has been proposed by the Biden administration for U.S. immigration law. Following up on candidate Joe Biden’s promise of...

How New York's 19th-century Jews turned Purim into an American party

Written by Zev Eleff, Associate Professor of Jewish History, Touro College

The Jewish Museum's Purim Ball at the Park Avenue Armory in 2015 in New York City.Andrew Toth/Getty Images

Purim, which falls this year on Feb. 26, ranks among Judaism’s most joyous holidays.

In synagogues, Jews read the Scroll of Esther, a book in the Hebrew Bible that explains how Purim came to be. Jewish people dress up in costumes and...

How Black cartographers put racism on the map of America

Written by Derek H. Alderman, Professor of Geography, University of Tennessee

An early 20th-century NAACP map showing lynchings between 1909 and 1918. The maps were sent to politicians and newspapers in an effort to spur legislation protecting Black Americans.Library of Congress

How can maps fight racism and inequality?

The work of the Black Panther Party, a 1960s- and 1970s-era Black political group featured in a new movie an...

When men started to obsess over six-packs

Written by Conor Heffernan, Assistant Professor of Physical Culture and Sport Studies, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts

The ideal male body didn't always include chiseled abs.Chris von Wangenheim/Conde Nast via Getty Images

The cultural obsession with six-pack abdominals shows no signs of abating. And if research into male body image is to be believed, it will likely only grow, thanks to social media.

Today, there’s an entire industry centered on obtaining...

Decision-making experts explain how to avoid arguments over where to get dinner together

Written by Peggy Liu, Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Ben L. Fryrear Faculty Fellow, University of Pittsburgh

Making joint decisions is hard.praetorianphoto/E+ via Getty Images

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

The big idea

The next time someone asks you where you want to go for dinner, state a clear preference. And if you’re inviting someone out, tell your friend that you don’t like deciding. These are two of...

Why Black and Hispanic small-business owners have been so badly hit in the pandemic recession

Written by Carlos Avenancio-Leon, Assistant Professor of Finance, Indiana University

Black-owned businesses have been shuttered at a higher rate during the pandemic.AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on Main Street, with small businesses across the U.S. closing by the thousands.

But as bad as the overall scene is, for minority-owned businesses the picture is even bleaker. A survey released on Jan. 27 by advoca...

5 ways parents can help kids avoid gender stereotypes

Written by Kyl Myers, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Utah

Parents and caregivers can shop all the aisles of toy and clothing stores to show children that gendered norms are arbitrary and can be crossed.Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images

In the last century, significant progress has been made in advancing gender equity in the United States. Women gained the right to vote, fathers have become mo...