The Conversation

There's a surprising ending to all the 2020 election conflicts over absentee ballot deadlines

Written by Richard Pildes, Professor of Constitutional Law, New York University

One billboard outside Bloomington, Minnesota: A sign warns voters about a recent federal court ruling about absentee ballot deadlines.Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

One of the most heavily contested voting-policy issues in the 2020 election, in both the courts and the political arena, was the deadline for returning absentee ballots.

Going into the...

No, the COVID-19 vaccine is not linked to the mark of the beast – but a first-century Roman tyrant probably is

Written by Eric M. Vanden Eykel, Associate Professor of Religion, Ferrum College

A medieval tapestry, which shows John, the Dragon and the Beast of the Sea.Kimon Berlin, user:Gribeco, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

The mass rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has led to concerns from some people that can be described as rational: What are the side effects? How effective will the shot be? And then there are those who are worried that...

Vaccine guilt is good – as long it doesn’t stop you from getting a shot

Written by Elizabeth Lanphier, Assistant Professor, Pediatrics and Ethics Center Faculty, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati

For some, a shot has been accompanied by pangs of guilt.AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Over 100 million Americans have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. If you are one of them, you might feel lucky, relieved and possibly a little guilty.

Vaccine guilt – a feeling associated with getting immunized before others – is a phenomenon...

Embrace the unexpected: To teach AI how to handle new situations, change the rules of the game

Written by Mayank Kejriwal, Research Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of Southern California

Most of today's AI's come to a grinding halt when they encounter unexpected conditions, like a change in the rules of a game.LightFieldStudios/iStock via Getty Images

My colleagues and I changed a digital version of Monopoly so that instead of getting US$200 each time a player passes Go, the player is charged a wealth tax. We didn’t do this...

Misunderstanding addiction breeds despair and suffering – and, for alleged Atlanta shooter, violence

Written by Trysh Travis, Associate Professor of Women's Studies, University of Florida

A makeshift memorial to the victims of the Atlanta spa shooting shows both grief and outrage.AP Photo/Candice Choi

When a man claiming to suffer from the disease of sex addiction found that “comprehensive and fully integrated treatment” at a Christian recovery center could not cure him, he decided to try another approach: eliminating...

For autocrats like Vladimir Putin, ruthless repression is often a winning way to stay in power

Written by Shelley Inglis, Executive Director, University of Dayton Human Rights Center, University of Dayton

Russian police officers beat people protesting the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Jan. 23, 2021 in Moscow.Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, sick with a cough and fever, has been moved to the hospital ward of the remote penal colony where he is imprisoned.

Navalny landed in prison after legal troubles that...

Technology innovation gives government leverage to drive down emissions fast – here's how

Written by Jessika E. Trancik, Associate Professor, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Government policies sparked rapid growth and technology innovation in solar energy, wind energy and battery markets.Michael Hall/Getty Images

To avert the worst effects of climate change, global greenhouse gas emissions should fall at faster rates than they have risen for over a century. Economies must essentially turn on a dime and then move...

Scientists need to become better communicators, but it's hard to measure whether training works

Written by Robert Wyss, Professor Emeritus of Journalism, University of Connecticut

How can more scientists learn to communicate like Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases?Anna Moneymaker / POOL / AFP via Getty Images

Science is essential to solving many of society’s biggest problems, but it doesn’t always find a receptive audience. Today, when curbing COVID-19...

Netflix’s big bet on foreign content and international viewers could upend the global mediascape – and change how people see the world

Written by Paolo Sigismondi, Clinical Professor of Communication, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

TV and movies are one way we understand people and places we've never had direct contact with – and maybe never will.iStock / Getty Images Plus

As a kid growing up in Italy, I remember watching the American TV series “Happy Days,” which chronicled the 1950s-era Midwestern adventures of the Fonz, Richie Cunningham and other...

Vape sellers are using popular music videos to promote e-cigarettes to young people – and it's working

Written by Jon-Patrick Allem, Assistant Professor of Research, University of Southern California

Teens and young adults spend several hours a day looking at their phones and watching videos, many of which might contain product placements for vaping.Flashpop/Getty Images

Research that my colleagues and I recently conducted demonstrates that electronic cigarette product placement in music videos is associated with vaping among minors.

The Tobacco...