The Conversation

What I learned when I recreated the famous 'doll test' that looked at how Black kids see race

Written by Toni Sturdivant, Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, Texas A&M University-Commerce

What it means when Black children prefer white dolls.commerceandculturestock/Moment via Getty Images

Back in the 1940s, Kenneth and Mamie Clark – a husband-and-wife team of psychology researchers – used dolls to investigate how young Black children viewed their racial identities.

They found that given a choice between Black dolls and...

How do arctic foxes hunt in the snow?

Written by Jacob Job, Research Associate in Department of Fish, Wildlfe, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University

A leap and a plunge into the snow could earn this arctic fox its supper.Jupiterimages/PHOTOS.com via Getty Images

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 arctic foxes hunt in the snow? – Benjamin P., age 4, South Orange,...

If Big Tech has the will, here are ways research shows self-regulation can work

Written by Anjana Susarla, Omura-Saxena Professor of Responsible AI, Michigan State University

To better police misinformation, social media companies can curb their appetites for constant engagement.Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Governments and observers across the world have repeatedly raised concerns about the monopoly power of Big Tech companies and the role the companies play in disseminating misinformation. In response, Big...

Keeping trees in the ground where they are already growing is an effective low-tech way to slow climate change

Written by Beverly Law, Professor Emeritus of Global Change Biology and Terrestrial Systems Science, Oregon State University

A mix of public and private forests in Oregon's Coast Range.Beverly Law, CC BY-ND

Protecting forests is an essential strategy in the fight against climate change that has not received the attention it deserves. Trees capture and store massive amounts of carbon. And unlike some strategies for cooling the climate, they don’t require costly and...

Space Force sounds like a joke thanks to pop culture – that could be a problem for an important military branch

Written by Wendy Whitman Cobb, Professor of Strategy and Security Studies, US Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies

With little else to draw from, people turn to science fiction when thinking about the Space Force. CSA Images via Getty Images

The U.S. Space Force has a serious role to play in the modern world. Its stated mission is to train and equip personnel to defend U.S. interests in space. Given the increasing military and economic importance of space, the...

3 ways companies could offer more father-friendly policies that will help women

Written by Ivona Hideg, Associate Professor and Ann Brown Chair in Organization Studies, York University, Canada

Giving new dads 'fathers-only' leave is one way to support women's equality. Catherine Delahaye/Stone via Getty Images

If you want to help women achieve gender equality in the workplace, it’s time to give more support to men.

That may sound counterintuitive since men have long been advantaged at work with higher salaries, faster promotions and...

Women of color spend more than $8 billion on bleaching creams worldwide every year

Written by Ronald Hall, Professor of Social Work, Michigan State University

Skin-lightening creams for sale in a shop in New Delhi, India, in 2020. Sajjad Hussain / Getty Images

CC BY-ND

The idealization of light skin as the pinnacle of beauty affects self-esteem for women of color around the world. In many cultures, skin color is a social benchmark that is often used by people of color and whites alike in lieu of race....

Rethinking the US-China fight: Does China really threaten American power abroad?

Written by Andrew Latham, Professor of Political Science, Macalester College

President Biden has so far kept most of his predecessor's tough-on-China policies.Malte Mueller via Getty Images

President Joe Biden is so far maintaining his predecessor’s tough China policy, which aims to curb China’s international power both economically and politically.

In the U.S. and Europe, China is widely recognized as a rising...

Why do mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories?

Written by Michael Rocque, Associate Professor of Sociology, Bates College

A woman places painted rocks at a memorial to those killed in the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting.AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other...

Australia, fighting Facebook, is the latest country to struggle against foreign influence on journalism

Written by Vanessa Freije, Assistant Professor, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington

The New York Times Facebook site on Feb. 18, 2021 as seen in Melbourne, Australia: Empty. Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Facebook has barred Australians from finding or sharing news on its platform, in response to an Australian government proposal to require social media networks to pay journalism organizations for their content. The move is already...