The Conversation

California's political standing among Democrats a big winner in Gavin Newsom's recall victory

Written by Raphael J. Sonenshein, Executive Director, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, California State University, Los Angeles

Gavin Newsom's victory could provide a national strategy for DemocratsAP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

California Gov. Gavin Newsom emerged from a recall election on Sept. 14, 2021, as the big winner, having secured a heavy majority of the vote. But while most eyes were on the result itself, another important shift was playing out: California’s...

North Korea's latest missile provocation was entirely predictable

Written by Sung-Yoon Lee, Professor in Korean Studies, Tufts University

North Korea's testing of two long-range cruise missiles was a provocative act – but a predictable one, too.Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP

The firing off of two long-range missiles by North Korea shows that rather than being unpredictable, the isolationist state is quite the opposite.

Announced on Sept. 13, 2021, the...

Texas voting law builds on long legacy of racism from GOP leaders

Written by Chris Lamb, Professor of Journalism, IUPUI

In the early 1960s, Barry Goldwater, a Republican U.S. senator from Arizona, called for the GOP to adopt racist principles.AP Photo/Henry Burroughs

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a bill on Sept. 7, 2021, that reduces opportunities for people to vote, allows partisan poll watchers more access and creates steeper penalties for violating...

Critical race theory is an important tool in better understanding how religion operates in America

Written by Tiffany Puett, Adjunct Professor of Religious and Theological Studies, St. Edward's University

Many churches propped up white supremacist beliefs through pulpit rhetoric and segregationist policies.AP Photo

The debate over critical race theory has played out in TV studios, school board meetings and state legislatures across the U.S. It has also found its way into churches.

The theory comprises a set of concepts that frame racism as...

Cybercriminals use pandemic to attack schools and colleges

Written by Nir Kshetri, Professor of Management, University of North Carolina – Greensboro

Vulnerable devices and systems are targets.EThamPhoto/Getty Images

Cyberattacks have hit schools and colleges harder than any other industry during the pandemic. In 2020, including the costs of downtime, repairs and lost opportunities, the average ransomware attack cost educational institutions $2.73 million. That is $300,000 more than the...

James Webb Space Telescope: An astronomer on the team explains how to send a giant telescope to space – and why

Written by Marcia Rieke, Regents Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona

The James Webb Space Telescope is the biggest orbital telescope ever built and is scheduled to be launched into space on Dec. 18, 2021.NASA/Desiree Stover, CC BY

The James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to head to space on Dec. 18, 2021. With it, astronomers hope to find the first galaxies to form in the universe, will search for Earthlike...

Brain scans of Black women who experience racism show trauma-like effects, putting them at higher risk for future health problems

Written by Sierra Carter, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Georgia State University

Your experiences affect your brain – and your brain affects your health.John Lamparski/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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

The big idea

Black women who have experienced more racism throughout their lives have stronger brain responses to threat, which may hurt their long-term health,...

Menstrual cups are a cheaper, more sustainable way for women to cope with periods than tampons or pads

Written by Susan Powers, Spence Professor of Sustainable Environmental Systems and the Director of the Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University

A woman holds a menstrual cup in Kenya. Gioia Forster/picture alliance via Getty Images

Every year in America, women spend at least US$2.8 billion on sanitary pads and tampons that can take hundreds of years to decompose. Is there a more economical and environmentally friendly way? To find out, we asked Susan Powers, a professor of sustainable...

What’s the law on vaccine exemptions? A religious liberty expert explains

Written by Douglas Laycock, Professor of Law, School of Law, University of Virginia

A woman holds a rosary and a picture of the Virgin Mary during a 2019 hearing in Albany, N.Y., challenging the constitutionality of the state's repeal of the religious exemption to vaccination.AP Photo/Hans Pennink

For Americans wary of COVID-19 vaccine mandates, like the sweeping requirements President Joe Biden announced Sept. 9, 2021, it seems...

5 characteristics of an effective science teacher – from a researcher who trains them

Written by Meenakshi Sharma, Assistant Professor of Science Education, Mercer University

Today's science standards encourage teachers to base lessons on real-world phenomena rather than textbook facts and definitions.FatCamera/E+ Collection via Getty Images

Rather than have students memorize definitions and facts about a science topic such as light, an effective first grade teacher today would have students investigate various types of...